Supervising department: Prof. Dr. Boike Rehbein, Institut für Asien- und Afrikawissenschaften, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin

This research project examines the relationship between social entrepreneurship and social inequality. Specifically, we will investigate the potentials and limitations of social entrepreneurship to address socially produced inequalities within a neoliberal system. The students will prepare and execute the research in two cycles. The city of Berlin serves as our field. In the first cycle, we look at how globally pervasive power structures play out in the local. Precisely, how is social inequality produced, and how does it manifest in the city of Berlin? We will analyse the impact of various discriminatory structures (including e.g., anti-Black, anti-Muslim, and anti-Sinti-Romnja racisms; antisemitism; cis-heteronormative sexism; ableism; ageism; social classism) on people’s chances and access to resources in the city. In the second cycle, we scrutinise existing solutions for the identified issues. What defines social enterprises? How are they positioned in relation to the state, the market, and civil society? What strategies do they employ to address and counter inequalities? How are they (not) complicit in the system that re-/produces these inequalities? Research results will be published in the form of a podcast (produced by the students) to make them more inclusive and accessible.

Contact:
Josefa Kindt, Email: kindtjos@student.hu-berlin.de