Prof Dr Katrin Pittius

Academic Profile

Prof. Dr Katrin Pittius conducts research and teaches at the intersection of sociology, social pedagogy and social work. Her research focuses on the analysis of social networks, organisational structures, gender relations and life courses. Drawing on her many years of experience in research, teaching and practice-oriented externally funded projects, she combines sociological perspectives with current issues in social practice. As Programme Director for Social Pedagogy & Management (BA), she is committed to linking academic insights with the demands of professional practice in social organisations and fields of work.

Academic and professional background

After studying sociology at TU Dresden, from which Prof. Dr Katrin Pittius graduated in 2004 with a Diplom in Sociology, she was awarded a Dr. phil. degree by TU Dresden in 2010. Prof. Dr. Pittius gained professional experience from 2004 to 2016 at TU Dresden, as well as in 2011 at the University of Hildesheim Foundation, in both teaching and research.

Prof. Dr. Pittius has been working at the FHD since 2016. Since 2018, she has been head of the Social Pedagogy & Management (B.A.) degree programme and has been actively involved in the further development of social pedagogy study and teaching concepts. In addition, since 2017 she has been responsible for numerous research projects addressing issues in social pedagogy and social work. Her work focuses on the academic examination of practice-relevant topics and the development of recommendations for action and concepts for social pedagogical practice.

Key research areas and interests

Prof. Dr Pittius’s research focuses on social networks, organisational research, and gender relations. Another key area is the analysis of biographies and life courses, as well as the use of qualitative methods in social research. In doing so, she combines theoretical perspectives with practice-oriented research to scientifically examine societal developments and the challenges facing social work.

Teaching

• Sociology
• Media literacy/media education
• Youth Welfare & Social Networks
• Network Management
• Organisational Sociology
• Diversity
• Gender Studies
• Empirical Social Research
• Academic Research

Publications (selection)

Pittius, K.; Andrä, M. (eds.) (2025), School Absenteeism: Background, Correlations and Interventions. Published by the Saxony Regional Office of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation. Leipzig, URL: https://library.fes.de/pdf-files/bueros/leipzig/21733-20250120.pdf

Andrä, M.; Pittius, K. (2025), School Absenteeism from a Biographical Perspective. In: Pädagogik, No. 3, special issue ‘Absenteeism and Drop-out’. Weinheim: 35–38

Andrä, M.; Pittius, K.; Behnert, M.; Schuster, R. (2025), Perspectives of practitioners – findings from the symposium held on 19 April 2023 at Dresden University of Applied Sciences. In: Pittius, K.; Andrä, M. (eds.), School Absenteeism. Background, Context and Interventions. Published by the Saxony Regional Office of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation. Leipzig: 39–45, URL: https://library.fes.de/pdf-files/bueros/leipzig/21733-20250120.pdf

Pittius, K.; Andrä, M.; Behnert, M.; Schuster, R. (2025), “You’re doing this for yourself, blah blah blah” – Interdisciplinary perspectives on school absenteeism. In: Pittius, K.; Andrä, M. (eds.), School Absenteeism. Background, Context and Interventions. Published by the Saxony Regional Office of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation. Leipzig: 26–38, URL: https://library.fes.de/pdf-files/bueros/leipzig/21733-20250120.pdf

Andrä, M.; Pittius, K.; Behnert, M.; Schuster, R. (2023), Scientific support for the Centre for School Absenteeism. Final report on the investigation of the issue. URL: https://www.fh-dresden.eu/site/assets/files/41375/2023_06_27_schulabsentismus_abschlussbericht_aktualisiert.pdf

Arnold, M.; Pittius, K. (2022), University–practical sector partnerships and urban development in rural areas – dimensions of collaboration and practical examples. In: Forum Wohnen und Stadtentwicklung, special issue ‘Urban Development and Universities Beyond the Metropolises’, No. 2, Berlin: 85–89

Behnert, M.; Pittius, K.; Andrä, M.; Schuster, R. (2022), School Absenteeism: Overwhelm within the School Environment. In: CORAX – Specialist Journal for Child and Youth Work in Saxony, Issue 5, Chemnitz: 42–45

Projects (selection)

2023–2026: Further development of family education centres under Section 16 of Book VIII of the Social Code (SGB VIII) into ‘F1 Family Centres’, a collaborative project between Dresden University of Applied Sciences and the Dresden Youth Welfare Office (externally funded project)

2019–2024: School absenteeism in Dresden: Research and updating of the City of Dresden’s school absenteeism strategy, a collaborative project between Dresden University of Applied Sciences and the Dresden Youth Welfare Office (externally funded project)

2020: Academic support and consultancy for the Dresden Citizens’ Theatre (play ‘Dichte Netze’)

2018–2019: Urban development in rural regions – development of a vision statement with the participation of citizens, a collaborative project between Dresden University of Applied Sciences and the City of Kamenz (externally funded project)

Lectures and trade fair participation (selection)

Empirical research in collaboration with the local authority (together with Prof. Dr Markus Andrä), annual conference ‘The social responsibility of social work research’ organised by the Network for Reconstructive Social Work, Evangelical University of Nuremberg/Georg Simon Ohm University of Applied Sciences, Nuremberg, 7 March 2025

Findings from the research project ‘School Absenteeism in Dresden’ – discussion with school staff, team day at Dresden Secondary School No. 121, Dresden, 24 January 2024

Approaches to tackling school absenteeism in Dresden. 1st meeting of the Dresden Education Advisory Board on the theme ‘Challenges and approaches to tackling school absenteeism in Dresden – interdisciplinary exchange’, Dresden, 27 September 2024

‘You’re doing this for yourself, blah blah blah.’ Current perspectives on school absenteeism. Presentation of findings from the research project ‘School Absenteeism in Dresden’ (in collaboration with Dr Maren Behnert), project conclusion symposium at Dresden University of Applied Sciences, Dresden, 19 April 2023

Commitment

Member of the interdisciplinary advisory board of the State Working Group on Mobile Youth Work

German Sociological Association/Section for Women’s and Gender Studies

Network Science/Hans Böckler Foundation