The CRC 1342/SOCIUM is looking for two student assistants (f/m/x) (5h/week)
We are looking for student assistants (2 positions, 5 hours/week each) to join the DFG-funded research project B14 "Socially Motivated Reasoning in Social Policy Evaluation: Studying the Causal Effects of Social Policies on Citizens’ Political Attitudes and Behavior" of the CRC 1342 "Global Dynamics of Social Policy" (Prof. Dr. Markus Tepe, Prof. Dr. Sarah Berens) at SOCIUM starting
August 1st. The working hours are 5 hours per week. The contract term is initially five months with the possibility of extension.
B14 aims to unpack when and how social policy fosters political integration and stabilizes democratic systems. We develop a framework that captures the mechanism linking social policy design to policy support and political integration. This framework is tested with different empirical approaches. A large-N cross-country analysis combines WeSIS data with public opinion surveys to identify broad patterns. Survey and behavioral experiments in Germany, Mexico, and South Africa explore how motivated reasoning and politicized identities shape the relationship between social policy and political integration.
Your tasks:
- Collaboration in the preparation of data sets (compile standardized survey data from e. g. ISSP, WVS, LAPOP, etc. with macro level data from WeSIS for a multi-level analysis), creation of descriptive statistics and graphics with R
- Provide support for project-related management and administrative tasks
- Literature research and data documentation
- Updating CRC 1342 B14 website
Your profile:
- BA studies in social/political sciences or economics or a closely related subject
- Experience with the statistical software R and programming skills in R
- Knowledge of comparative politics and an interest in developing and emerging countries/countries of the Global South
- Motivation, commitment, ability to work in a team and to work independently
- Willingness to learn advanced data management and analysis
- Very good knowledge of English
- Spanish is an asset but no exclusion restriction
We offer:
- First-hand experience with research activities with standardized survey data and survey experiments (empirical analysis of quantitative data) in international research collaborations in the field of comparative political economy
- Flexible working hours that are compatible with your studies
- A diverse working environment with equal opportunities
- Integration into the SOCIUM
The University of Bremen is committed to equal opportunities and diversity. If you are interested, please send your application by 15.06.2026 with a certificate of enrolment, a short letter of motivation, CV, transcript of records and, if applicable, relevant certificates as a single PDF file to Stefanie Rühmann (stefanie.ruehmann@uni-bremen.de).
Contact:
Prof. Dr. Sarah Berens
CRC 1342: Global Dynamics of Social Policy
Mary-Somerville-Straße 5
28359 Bremen
Phone: +49 421 218-58603
E-Mail: sarah.berens@uni-bremen.de
Prof. Dr. Markus Tepe
CRC 1342: Global Dynamics of Social Policy
Mary-Somerville-Straße 5
28359 Bremen
Phone: +49 421 218-58520
E-Mail: markus.tepe@uni-bremen.de
