Transitions and developments
At an individual level, social development is driven by transitions in the course of life, on the success of which the opportunities for social participation and shaping depend. Key transitions include the transition from kindergarten to school, between school levels, into education and employment and finally into retirement. These different phases of life require repeated efforts to adapt, which become a social challenge especially when personal resources or institutional support mechanisms are lacking.
This research cluster examines the various transitions in the life course that are decisive for individual social participation. The focus is on childhood and adolescence, critical life contexts and learning throughout the life course. It also examines how life transitions are handled and processed, both in institutional contexts such as company succession and personnel development as well as in old age, when it comes to career endings and dealing with death.