Department of Everyday Life Culture and Health

At the Institute for Everyday Life Culture and Health, phenomena relating to everyday culture are researched on an interdisciplinary basis from both academic and educational perspectives – with a key focus on health, nutrition, clothing, consumption and sustainability – thereby addressing current societal challenges.

Our research aims to highlight social inequalities, reflect on educational practice and develop approaches for a health-promoting, equitable and sustainable everyday life culture – including with a view to their implementation in a school context.

1. Shaping everyday life in media-saturated environments
   : How do digital media – from social networks and advertising to educational platforms – shape our everyday decisions? We investigate how media content influences diet, consumption and lifestyle, and what consequences this has for education, particularly for consumer education in schools.
2. Socio-economic inequalities in everyday life: household management, consumption and lifestyle
   Social inequalities, income disparities and structural disadvantages shape access to healthy nutrition, sustainable consumption and self-determined household management. Our research examines how socio-economic conditions influence the organisation of daily life and lifestyles, and the role that educational processes – particularly within the school setting – can play in promoting greater equality of opportunity.
3. Gender roles in everyday life: diet, household management and the negotiation of work
   How are gender roles reproduced within the family and in education – and how can they be renegotiated? We investigate how the division of labour, decision-making processes, and dietary and consumption practices are shaped by gender. In doing so, we place particular emphasis on the diversity of lifestyles and family structures.

As part of the second funding phase of the AQUA-d Research and Early-Career Research Group, the Chair of Consumer and Nutrition Education (Julian Polly, Prof. Dr Juliane Yildiz) is participating in a sub-project (SP 8: “Promoting economic decision-making skills through LLM feedback in digital consumer education learning tasks”) is taking part.

The subject of Everyday Life Culture and Health can be studied as part of our teacher training programmes, as well as through subject-specific modules within the Bachelor’s degree programmes in Early Childhood Education and Sport, Health and Leisure Education.