Critical Approaches to Policy and Governance PhD Club (CPG-Club)

Target group: researchers, PhD candidates, and post-docs looking at policy as social processes

Contact: Jana BrandlTatjana Boczy

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This PhD Club gathers junior researchers (PhD students and post-docs) interested in governance and policy as a social process. We tackle questions concerning policy, institutions, bureaucracies and the state while paying due analytical attention to both local conditions and practices and global processes. The Club adapts to members’ needs through its flexible structure. As such, it is sometimes a reading club and sometimes a space to share and discuss our own work. Decisions are made collectively.

The club gets together regularly to discuss literature and critically engage with it. We also exchange our writings to get constructive feedback and supporting each other's endeavours. Many members are closely affiliated with the research platform The Challenge of Urban Futures.


MembersResearch Interests
Tatjana BoczyPolitical Economy; Neo-Institutionalism; Welfare State Changes; Sustainability; Social Policies; Work
Anna-Katharina Draxllanguage policies & ideologies; language regimes in institutions; migration, linguistic diversity & social inequalities
Francesca FerliccaUrban Planning, Housing Policies, Informality; Latin America, Argentina
Julia Rabenhorst-Hartmanncomplaints management in local government; international public service reform; citizen participation
Clara HolzingerMigration; Sociolinguistics; Linguistic Diversity & Social Inequalities; Work
Catherine Raya Polishchukurban renewal; bureaucracy; informality; inclusion/exclusion; semantics of participation
Petra KolbProtest movements and political participation; citizenship; democratic theory; urban planning & theory; discourse analysis
Jana BrandlInterrelation of social and environmental sustainability; the role of gender in socio-ecological transformations; critical discourse analysis
Hannah SommerBordering practices; Migration politics; Hidden violence in every-day governance practice

Next Meeting: 31 January 2024, 13:00

Room 212, Rooseveltplatz 2, 2nd floor, and online (get in touch with us for the invitation)

Weekly Focused Writing Sessions: Wednesdays at 09.00 (CEST)

Hybrid meetings (get in touch with us for the invitation)

We support each other in the writing phase of our dissertation, exchange texts and give tips on the writing process. 

Next Literature Discussion Meeting: 18th December 2023, 1PM

Hybrid meeting (get in touch with us for the invitation)

We will discuss the book Stadtkonflikte by Gabu Heindl, kicking off our discussion of urban governance.

HOT OFF THE PRESS 2023

This Fall edition of our online book presentation series will host Thomas Maloutas and Elisabeth Mocca, looking forward to seeing you there!