{"id":1101,"date":"2025-11-06T12:16:46","date_gmt":"2025-11-06T11:16:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.fu-berlin.de\/drs_podcast\/?p=1101"},"modified":"2026-09-02T10:18:44","modified_gmt":"2026-09-02T08:18:44","slug":"power-dynamics-in-science-accessibility-selection-of-research-topics-and-privilege","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.fu-berlin.de\/drs_podcast\/2025\/11\/06\/power-dynamics-in-science-accessibility-selection-of-research-topics-and-privilege\/","title":{"rendered":"Power Dynamics in Science: Accessibility, Selection of Research Topics, and Privilege"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Elisabeth Zschache<\/a>, philosopher and trainer in scientific ethics, discusses power relations in science: who gains access, whose topics are promoted, and how dependencies, hierarchies, and precarious employment shape everyday research life. In this conversation, she explains why structural changes can only succeed if scientists organize themselves and reflect on privileges. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Audio <\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Highlights<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\n

„Overall, these hierarchies need to be addressed. Universities and colleges are simply very hierarchical systems. We know that hierarchical systems are very susceptible to abuse of power on so many levels. And the problem becomes even more acute when the institution fails to address it.“<\/p>\n\n\n\n

– Dr. Elisabeth Zschache, trainer in scientific ethics<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

SUMMARY<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

[Note: This interview was conducted in German. You can find a full English translation here<\/a>.]<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

English:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this episode, Dr. Elisabeth Zschache, philosopher and trainer in scientific ethics, discusses how different forms of university access and privilege impact students and doctoral candidates. She for example highlights that students from academic families find it easier to navigate school than first-generation students, who face more challenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Zschache emphasizes that improving access requires more than physical changes, such as providing sign language services for students with physical disabilities. These and other disabilities often receive little attention due to existing power dynamics. She points out that socioeconomic background also influences which research topics receive attention and notes the impact of funding cuts, especially in gender studies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The conversation also explores how researchers can engage with communities through participatory methods instead of just studying them from the outside. Additionally, she addresses ethical concerns about compensating participants of research studies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Zschache supports collective efforts to enhance conditions in academia, particularly for those in insecure job positions. She particularly emphasizes the importance of marginalized groups working together to challenge power structures in academia and stresses the importance of collaboration over individualism, calling for changes in how universities manage precarious employment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

German:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In dieser Folge er\u00f6rtert Dr. Elisabeth Zschache, Philosophin und Trainerin f\u00fcr Wissenschaftsethik, wie sich unterschiedliche Formen des Hochschulzugangs und der Privilegierung auf Studierende und Promovierende auswirken. Sie hebt beispielsweise hervor, dass es Studierenden aus akademischen Elternh\u00e4usern leichter f\u00e4llt, sich im Hochschulsystem zurechtzufinden, als Studierenden der ersten Generation, die mit gr\u00f6\u00dferen H\u00fcrden konfrontiert sind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Zschache betont, dass eine Verbesserung des Zugangs mehr erfordert als blo\u00dfe physische Anpassungen \u2013 etwa die Bereitstellung von Geb\u00e4rdensprachdolmetschern f\u00fcr Studierende mit k\u00f6rperlichen Beeintr\u00e4chtigungen. Solche und andere Beeintr\u00e4chtigungen finden aufgrund bestehender Machtverh\u00e4ltnisse oft zu wenig Beachtung. Sie weist zudem darauf hin, dass der sozio\u00f6konomische Hintergrund beeinflusst, welche Forschungsthemen wahrgenommen werden, und thematisiert die Auswirkungen von Mittelk\u00fcrzungen, insbesondere in der Genderforschung.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Das Gespr\u00e4ch beleuchtet auch, wie Forschende durch partizipative Methoden mit Gemeinschaften in Austausch treten k\u00f6nnen, anstatt diese lediglich von au\u00dfen zu untersuchen. Dar\u00fcber hinaus geht sie auf ethische Fragen im Zusammenhang mit der Verg\u00fctung von Forschungsstudienteilnehmenden ein.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Zschache unterst\u00fctzt gemeinsame Bestrebungen zur Verbesserung der Bedingungen im Wissenschaftsbetrieb, insbesondere f\u00fcr Personen in prek\u00e4ren Besch\u00e4ftigungsverh\u00e4ltnissen. Sie unterstreicht die Bedeutung der Zusammenarbeit marginalisierter Gruppen, um Machtstrukturen an Hochschulen zu hinterfragen, und pl\u00e4diert f\u00fcr Kooperation statt Individualismus; zudem fordert sie einen Wandel im Umgang der Universit\u00e4ten mit prek\u00e4rer Besch\u00e4ftigung.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Dr. Elisabeth Zschache, philosopher and trainer in scientific ethics, discusses power relations in science: who gains access, whose topics are promoted, and how dependencies, hierarchies, and precarious employment shape everyday research life. In this conversation, she explains why structural changes can only succeed if scientists organize themselves and reflect on privileges. Audio This interview was … \u201ePower Dynamics in Science: Accessibility, Selection of Research Topics, and Privilege\u201c<\/span> weiterlesen<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8307,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1101","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-allgemein"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.fu-berlin.de\/drs_podcast\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1101","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.fu-berlin.de\/drs_podcast\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.fu-berlin.de\/drs_podcast\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.fu-berlin.de\/drs_podcast\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8307"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.fu-berlin.de\/drs_podcast\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1101"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.fu-berlin.de\/drs_podcast\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1101\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1788,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.fu-berlin.de\/drs_podcast\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1101\/revisions\/1788"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.fu-berlin.de\/drs_podcast\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1101"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.fu-berlin.de\/drs_podcast\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1101"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.fu-berlin.de\/drs_podcast\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1101"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}