The Institute of Sociology (IfS) was founded in 1960, making it the first institute of sociology in German-speaking Switzerland. Today, the IfS consists of four professorships, a Professorship for Sustainable Society (Prof. Dr. Wojtek Przepiorka), a Professorship for Social Structure Analysis (Prof. Dr. Ben Jann), a Professorship for Methods of Empirical Social Research (Prof. Dr. Axel Franzen) and an Assistant Professorship for Social Change and Inequality (Prof. Dr. Benita Combet). Around 50 academic staff work in research and teaching at the IfS.
The focus areas of the IfS include political sociology, economic sociology, cultural sociology, environmental sociology, sociological theory building, network and social capital research, education, labor market and inequality research as well as methods of empirical social research.
New Research Master
Starting in the fall semester 2026 the Institute of Sociology together with the Institute of Communication and Media Studies (icmb) will be offering a new master's program. It focuses on the analysis of social inequalities, social change, as well as the role of (social) media and political communication in contemporary societies.
Ifs and icmb
July 9, 2026
until July 11, 2026
Prague
Conference
Institute of Sociology
Medienecho
If people don't know what studying is like in reality, they fill in the gaps with stereotypes from TV shows, their circle of friends, and society. Benita Combet explains this in an interview with "Der Bund".
Colloquium
The biannual research colloquium of the Institute of Sociology presents a series of lectures on topics such as education, health, the labor market, inequality, social norms, and well-being. The program offers insights into current sociological research and invites exchange between different disciplines.
Publication
The Handbook of Computational Social Science has just been published with a contribution from the IFS. The handbook provides a comprehensive overview of computational social social science.
Data release
The release of data for the first TREE cohort covers the tenth survey wave from 2019, enabling analysis of educational and employment trajectories over a 20-year period starting at the end of compulsory schooling.
Institut of Sociology
Award
We congratulate Ass. Prof. Dr. Benita Combet on being awarded the Swiss Prize for Educational Research for her research on why men and women choose different fields of study. [only in German]
We congratulate Prof. Dr. Wojtek Przepiorka and his team on receiving the worldwide first replication award in the social sciences.
Media coverage
Data from the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) shows that young adults in Switzerland are leaving their parents' homes later. Benita Combet outlines possible reasons in an interview with SRF News. [only in German]
In an SRF News radio interview, Benita Combet highlighted key insights from her study on occupational gender segregation (Socio-Economic Review, 2025). The research received media coverage in various other media outlets. [only in German]
This study shows that gender differences in career choice can be explained primarily by young women's preferences for professional skills (e.g. technical requirements) - not by preferences for job characteristics (e.g. salary or meaningfulness of the job).
In this field experiment, train passengers are confronted with a moral dilemma: Help a person who asks them for help, or refuse help to protect a public good. How would you decide?
This article, published in the Annual Review of Sociology, reviews applications and developments of signaling theory in sociology.
Ticketsystem
Departement Sozialwissenschaften
Fabrikstrasse 8 3012 Bern
Phone: +41 31 684 48 11
