FSP 2: Publications

"An empirical study among scientists in Austria against the background of linguistic and communication science findings"

What language does Austrian science speak? Is English the new lingua franca? Or is multilingualism still necessary for research and teaching? This volume explores these questions and demonstrates the importance of language proficiency in academia, which thrives on the publication of studies, theories and theses, as well as collegial criticism of them. All these forms of exchange are only possible if the languages relevant to one's own subject are adequately mastered. Based on existing experiences and practices, theses are developed on the advantages and disadvantages of the dominance of English as the language of science. An empirical study in Austria shows that the importance of language skills among scientists is viewed quite controversially and very differently according to discipline. For all respondents today, it is necessary to communicate and publish in English, but for some this is also a burden. Accordingly, researchers would like to see better language training, more support from universities and an appreciation of the importance of multilingualism. These findings are expanded upon by seven contributions from communication and linguists. They argue that Anglophonisation is not synonymous with the internationalisation of science, that major cultural languages also hold great potential for the development of new ideas and concepts and that, given the political will, the systematic promotion of multilingualism is possible.

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Russia's invasion of Ukraine has led to a resurgence of the Cold War. Are wars inevitably linked to human history? And can they only be controlled by the regulatory power of large states? After a critical discussion of prevailing theories (such as the realist theory of international relations), this book takes Kant's theory of peace as its starting point. On the basis of this theory, it must be assumed that wars arise from the unbridled interests of economic, political or military powers, but that democracy, international law and supranational institutions always open up real opportunities for peace. This perspective is applied to Ukraine's defence campaign, which has now also taken on the character of an unacceptable proxy war. This is shown by means of historical-sociological comparisons with other wars, by analysing surveys in Ukraine, reviewing media reports and personal interviews in Ukraine in April 2024. The conclusion is that not only the clear formulation of war aims, but also the opening of ceasefire and peace negotiations is the order of the day in order to prevent Ukraine from bleeding further.

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Max Weber famously said that interests directly determine people's actions, but that "world views" and "ideas" often set the course of action. However, more recent sociology has not done justice to this principle. Values and their impact are either taken for granted or considered irrelevant altogether. Empirical research into values has produced a wide range of results, but has remained largely without a theoretical foundation. Weber's own answers to the question of the relevance of values are unsatisfactory: the decision in favour of values is a purely individual matter and there is an irreconcilable struggle between the different values. In this book, this problem is comprehensively analysed and a new, constructive and explanatory solution is found (following authors such as Immanuel Kant, Emile Durkheim, George H. Mead and Raymond Boudon). With the help of considerations from philosophy, social theory and empirical social research, as well as the inclusion of historical struggles for the recognition and enforcement of values, it can be established that there are basic social values, that their number can be clearly determined and that there is not conflict but complementarity between them. With these theses and findings, this book can be regarded as a new sociological standard work. It is also of fundamental importance for representatives of many other disciplines in the humanities and social sciences.

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The anthology offers researchers, teachers and students in the social sciences well-founded insights into the long-term effects of this historic crisis. More than 20 empirical social researchers from Austrian universities and research institutions contributed articles on multifaceted topics, including values, future expectations and the well-being of Austrians during the pandemic. These articles are based on the longitudinal study "Values in the crisis 2020 to 2022", in which more than 2,000 Austrians took part over three survey waves. Empirical insights also provide an overview of social inequalities during the crisis, changes in the relevance assessment of areas of life, conspiracy mentality and many other relevant phenomena in Austrian society.

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This anthology sheds light on the constitutive contexts and consequences of borders for both collectives and individuals in various fields of action. Processes of inclusion and exclusion have accompanied the lives of communities and societies, of women, men and children from antiquity to the present; they have lived and continue to live on and with borders. With contributions by H. D. Galter, S. A. Haring, W. Heinemann, H. Jedlaucnik, M. Jeitler, G. Moosbauer, W. Müller, W. Spickermann, K. Tausend and St. Thaller.

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