Transformative Forschung als Gratwanderung:

Methodologische, forschungspraktische und ethische Dilemmata als Nebenfolge wissenschaftspolitischer Wirkungsorientierung

Abstract

The text highlights the changing role of social science in times of forced social change. For over three decades, a paradigm shift has been taking place in the context of political, economic, social and ecological crises, which is reflected in transformative, participatory and transdisciplinary approaches: Science is increasingly seen as a creative force that should develop forecasts, recommendations or innovations in order to manage and fashion social transformations. At the same time, there is growing pressure to make knowledge publicly accessible and to actively involve citizens in research processes. This two-way openness causes conflicts and dilemmas, which we draw attention to against the backdrop of our research project. The debate about the impact of research on society, which implicitly also touches its legitimacy, shows that the role of social science in social change is highly ambivalent and requires careful reflection on its methodological and ethical limits.