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(By clicking on the respective research focus, the corresponding projects will be displayed.)
The Future of Intergenerational Solidarity beyond the Pandemic: Empirically-Informed Ethical Analysis and Public Deliberation (2024-2028)
Principal Investigators: Prof. Dr. Mark Schweda (Division of Ethics in Medicine, University of Oldenburg), Dr. Larissa Pfaller (Institute for Sociology, FAU Erlangen-Nuremberg), Prof. Dr. Andreas Motel-Klingebiel (Linköping University, Sweden), Prof. Paul Higgs (University College London, UK)
Project Members (Division of Ethics in Medicine): Niklas Ellerich-Groppe, M.A.
Funding: VolkswagenStiftung
Funding Reference: Az. 9D251
Duration: 2024-2028
The COVID-19 pandemic can be seen as a multidimensional "stress test" for intergenerational solidarity. It has sparked controversy in various countries about the moral relationships and responsibilities between generations. While some invoked the notion of solidarity to justify population-wide restrictive measures to protect older people, others expected the elderly to isolate themselves to enable them to return to normal social life as soon as possible. Elsewhere, political reactions varied from an initial strategy of herd immunity to a policy of isolation and social distancing to a far-reaching suspension of restrictive measures. The associated public debates touched on fundamental questions of social cohesion and the legitimacy of moral and legal claims. In view of further challenges that are changing the future horizon of European societies, such as the war in Ukraine, demographic change and the climate crisis, such questions are becoming increasingly important.
The project aims at a comparative socio-empirical exploration, moral-philosophical clarification and public deliberation of ideas and conceptions of intergenerational solidarity in Germany, Sweden and the United Kingdom.
Based on the experiences of the pandemic, the aim is the empirically informed participatory development of morally acceptable and socially sustainable visions for the future of intergenerational relations at both national and transnational level.
The results can thus not only contribute to a better understanding of fundamental moral relationships between generations from a social science and moral philosophy perspective, but also make these insights directly tangible for the future.
Contact: Niklas Ellerich-Groppe, M.A. ()
HWK study group: Rejecting Futures: Practices of Resistance or Failure
Principal Investigators: Prof. Dr. Mark Schweda (Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Abteilung Ethik in der Medizin), Dr. Annette Leibing (Hanse Wissenschaftskolleg/Universität Montreal)
Project Members (Division of Ethics in Medicine): Prof. Dr. Mark Schweda
Members: David Benatar (Cape Town), Claudia Bozzaro (Kiel), James Crossley (Bedford), Luiz Fernando Duarte (Rio de Janeiro), Lee Edelman (Tufts), Nolen Gertz (Twente), Line Grenier (Montreal), Ulla Kriebernegg (Graz), Annette Leibing (Montreal), Virginie Tournay (Paris), Matthew Wolf-Meyer (Troy), Matthew Worley (Reading), Isaac Yuen (Vancouver)
Funding: Hanse Wissenschaftskolleg (HWK)
Duration: 2023-2026
The all-encompassing paradigm of prevention – from actively preventing future disease to insuring ourselves against all sorts of possible catastrophies – prompts many of us to take our future lives, bodies, and health not as a given fact but as a project, i.e., something that can and should be responsibly devised and shaped by forecasting, planning, and intervention. The moral implications and sociocultural consequences of this trend towards projecting and planning individual as well as collective “bio-futures” have been at the centre of intensive debates in ethics, social research, and cultural studies. By comparison, the accompanying development of oppositional or subversive strategies to resist or circumvent the claims of (bio-)futurity have found little systematic attention, so far. This constitutes a research desiderate since these practices of resistance or failure appear just as significant for our present era as their “futurist” counterparts, and represent a cultural resource of inventive imagination, coping, and justification that calls for exploration and critical evaluation.
This interdisciplinary HWK study group focuses on the variety of ways of “rejecting futures”. This includes old and new cultural practices of refusing to deal with tomorrow, resisting provision and planning, or rejecting responsibility for future developments, and resorting to fate, trust, or chance instead (e.g., use of random generators in decision making, implementing the right not to know, conveying durable powers of attorney). Sometimes unpredictability and contingency guide such cultural practices and sometimes rather explicit philosophical or spiritual doctrines (e.g., practices of “mindfulness”, cyclical conceptions of time). Other approaches are influenced by more pessimistic stances, a rehabilitation of failure in the sense of plans going awry, or a defeatist retreat to the past (e.g., Punk’s “No future” slogan, queer temporalities, nostalgia). Furthermore, there are movements based on theories and worldviews that deny or delimit the ‘future’ (e.g., anti-natalism, apocalyptic expectations and secular end-of-the-world scenarios). Our group brings together perspectives from anthropology, sociology, history, the arts, bioethics, philosophy, Science and Technology Studies (among others), as well as from individuals directly implicated in and affected, in an effort to understand and discuss “rejecting futures”.
Contact: Prof. Dr. Mark Schweda ()
TriaDe - Eastern European live-in carers in domestic care triads for people with dementia
Principal Investigators: Dr. Milena von Kutzleben (Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Division of Organizational Health Services Research), Prof. Dr. Jo Reichertz (Kulturwissenschaftliches Institut Essen), Prof. Dr. Mark Schweda (Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Division of Ethics in Medicine)
Project Members (Division of Ethics in Medicine): Matthias Hauer, M.A.
Funding: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG)
Funding Reference: 509885213
Duration: 2023-2026
In Germany, the majority of people with dementia live in private households. Relatives who care for them are often overwhelmed by their manifold responsibilities. In these situations, caregivers who live with the person with dementia for a limited period of time can appear as a solution: so-called live-in carers, who mostly come from Eastern European countries. There is a lack of empirical evidence on how these care-arrangements affect the situation of people in need of care and their relatives. The new project combines expertise from health services research, nursing science, and medical ethics at the University of Oldenburg and communication scientist at the Kulturwissenschaftliches Intitut Essen in order to shed light on these questions.
The ethical subproject focuses on the attribution and allocation of care responsibilities within the triad. We will analyze moral conflicts in the triadic constellation between relatives, people in need of care, and live-in carers from an ethical point of view. In addition, we will examine legal and public media discourses in order to contextualize the project findings. The central goal of the study is to develop a nuanced picture of domestic care of people with dementia by live-in carers in order to contribute to an empirically informed ethical assessment of these care-arrangements.
Contact: Matthias Hauer, M.A. ()
Website: https://uol.de/ovf/projekte/triade [GER]
Theoretical, ethical and social implications of AI for neuropsychiatric research and practice (TESIComP)
Principal Investigators: Prof. Dr. Mark Schweda (Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg), Prof. Dr. Stefan Teipel (Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen e.V. (DZNE) in der Helmholtz-Gemeinschaft, Standort Rostock), Prof. Dr. Oliver Gruber (Universitätsmedizin Heidelberg)
Project Members (Division of Ethics in Medicine): Eike Buhr
Funding: Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)
Funding Reference: 01GP2216A
Duration: 2023-2026
AI-based approaches such as machine learning using neural networks are increasingly being used in neuropsychiatric research and practice. They are intended to enable more precise prediction, early detection and diagnosis, and thus also more effective treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders. However, the basis of the results obtained with these methods of computational psychiatry is often no longer fully comprehensible for professional users as well as for patients and their relatives. This opacity of AI-based approaches raises fundamental theoretical, ethical, and social questions for neuropsychiatric research and practice: How do AI-based expert systems change our understanding of psychiatry and neuropsychiatric disorders? What are their implications for the role of the clinician, the identity of patients, and their relationship?
The overarching goal of this interdisciplinary collaborative project is to empirically identify, ethically evaluate, and scientifically assess theoretical and practical implications and consequences of computational psychiatry at the levels of neuropsychiatric research and clinical practice. The focus is on two prominent use cases of AI-based approaches: Alzheimer's disease and depressive disorders. To address the aforementioned questions, the project combines ethical and social science methods. In a first theoretical phase, we conduct literature analyses, expert and focus groups interviews to develop an up-to-date and practical overview of the state of the art. In a second explorative phase, we use qualitative social research methods to analyze the views of researchers, clinicians, and patients. The third, evaluative phase is dedicated to the scientific-theoretical and ethical evaluation of the data material and includes a Delphi procedure with leading experts. The results will be published in scientific journals and will be incorporated into empirically informed ethical recommendations for psychiatric practice, technology development and policy makers.
Contact: Eike Buhr ()
Website: http://www.ki-neuropsychiatrie.de/ [GER]
Cross-border Health Data Compass as a Basis for Comparative Studies (TP1 CHARE-GD I)
Principal Investigators: Prof. Dr. Andreas Hein, Prof. Dr. Mark Schweda, Prof. Dr. Jochen Mierau, Prof. Dr. Viola Angelini, Dr. Tobias Vogt
Project Members: Dr. Sebastian Specht (OFFIS)
Funding: Ministry of Science and Culture of Lower Saxony (MWK)
Duration: 2021–2024
As a mainly rural area with only few high-density urban centers, the interplay between life course health and mobility and (socioeconomic) environment is at the center of interest for the Ems-Dollart region. Comparative studies that aim to tackle questions of life course health and mobility need reliable small area data and preferably individual level data on demography, socio economics, transport infrastructure and health system structure. This is also decisive for the future facilitation of cross-border health services provision and healthcare utilization based on such comparative research. In an iterative process, this sub-project of CHARE-GD I will develop a Cross-border Health Data Compass (CHDC) to support studies in public health, health services research and clinical research that will investigate similarities and differences in care on both sides of the border and support the improvement of healthcare utilization for patients in the region. In a requirement-analysis track, different groups of stakeholders will be interviewed about their needs and existing data sources will be identified. In a second technical implementation track, the results feed into a software engineering process where data structures will be defined and implemented. In a third evaluation track, the scope, presentation and functionality of the aggregated and harmonized data will be reviewed by the stakeholders / principal investigators of the three subprojects in focus group discussions and will be released in accordance with the data protection regulations of the countries. The Cross-Border Health Data Compass will constitute an important basis and tool for future comparative cross-border projects. It will provide researchers with national and cross border data and facilitate access to data sources. Researchers in clinical/study contexts are provided with means to aggregate research data into cross border indicators. In establishing a cross-border perspective for service provision and healthcare utilization, it will increase the potential benefit for patients and healthcare providers alike.
Contact: Dr. Sebastian Specht ()
Project Website: uol.de/en/cbi/research/projects
The Use of Closed Doors in Dementia Wards. Comparing Cultural and Moral Perspectives as well as Contexts for Mutual Learning in the Cross-border Region (CHARE-GD II Subproject V)
Principal Investigators: Prof. Dr. Mark Schweda, Dr. Elleke Landeweer (University of Groningen)
Project Members: Aurelija Dagilyte-Drevel (University of Groningen)
Funding: Ministry of Science and Culture of Lower Saxony (MWK)
Funding Reference: ZN3831
Duration: 2022–2023
A closed-door policy in dementia care units is contested as it limits individual freedom and mobility of residents, raising moral questions regarding the right balance between freedom and safety. In both German and Dutch wards, various strategies have been implemented to deal with this problem. However, there is a lack of knowledge on which interventions are used for what reasons, under what circumstances, and to what effect. Against this backdrop, the project pursues the following research questions: What are the interventions and strategies used to prevent residents from wandering outside the premises and/ or safeguard residents’ health and wellbeing in both regions as well as their perceived success? What are differences and similarities between the two regions and between the healthcare professionals’ moral perspectives regarding the use of closed doors? How can both sides of the border improve their practice through knowledge exchange and mutual learning as well as dissemination of our findings? The study uses a mixed method design, starting with a literature search to map studied interventions and their considered pros and cons, as well as a document and policy analysis. The quantitative part collects data in 4 care units per region regarding 10-15 residents per unit. For the qualitative part, interviews with stakeholders and observations will be conducted within the care units. Per unit, first outcomes will be discussed in a heterogeneous focus group meeting. Results per unit and region will be compared and thematically analyzed combined with an ethical analysis. For valorization and implementation of results, site visits between the regions will be organized and a symposium to develop shared learning lessons will be held.
Contact: Dr. Elleke Landeweer ()
Project Website: uol.de/en/cbi/research/projects
Moral Conflicts in Familial Dementia Care Involving Migrant Live-in Carers in Germany and Israel: A Comparative-Ethical Exploration and Analysis (MoDeCare)
Principal Investigators: Dr. Merle Weßel (Ethics in Medicine, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg) (PI), Dr. Milena von Kutzleben (Organizational Health Services Research, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg), Prof. Dr. Mark Schweda (Ethics in Medicine, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg), Prof. Liat Ayalon (Bar Ilan University)
Project Members (Division of Ethics in Medicine): Dr. Merle Weßel, Anna-Eva Nebowsky M.A.
Funding: VolkswagenStiftung
Funding Reference: 11-76251-2684/2021 ZN 3864
Duration: 2022–2024
Population ageing leads to a higher prevalence of dementia and thus an increasing need for care for those affected. Dementia Disease is characterized by the gradual loss of cognitive capabilities and an increasing need for help and care. This need cannot be fulfilled sufficiently by professional care workers and informal carers. In many countries, migrant live-in carers have become a common solution to fill this care void, e.g. Germany and Israel. However, these live-in care arrangements are prone to considerable social, legal, and moral difficulties. Nowadays, migrant care workers, employed by families, are expected to provide 24-hour care while living with their patients. Israel has created binding legal regulations whereas, in Germany, a legal framework is absent.
This project focuses on the comparative empirical exploration of moral conflicts in live-in care arrangements in Germany and Israel and their ethical reflection. Therefore, different levels will be examined. In the triad itself the moral and intercultural conflicts, the distribution of roles within the families, and the caring responsibilities are important aspects. On the meso level the interaction between family and agency will be analyzed, as well as the response to the need for more care capacities, regulatory differences, and the consequences brought by current neoliberal development on the macro level. The data will be collected by conducting group interviews within the triad with the person with dementia, the live-in, and the relatives and with groups of experts.
The aim is to develop a more profound understanding of moral conflicts in live-in dementia care in Germany and Israel in order to formulate empirically informed ethical recommendations for care providers and policy makers.
Contact: Dr. Merle Weßel (), Anna-Eva Nebowsky ()
Project Website: uol.de/en/health-services-research/divisions/ethics-in-medicine/research/research-projects/modecare
DFG-Research Group: Medicine, Time and the Good Life
Research Group Speaker: Prof. Dr. Claudia Wiesemann (University Medical Center Göttingen)
Principal Investigator (Division of Ethics in Medicine): Prof. Dr. Mark Schweda
Project Members (Division of Ethics in Medicine): Lena Stange, M.Sc.
Funding: German Research Foundation (DFG)
Funding Reference: FOR 5022
Duration: 2021–2025
Perceptions of the good life provide practical orientation – also in the context of medicine. However, the role of time and temporality has not been systematically researched in this context. The Research Group Medicine, Time and the Good Life addresses this complex issue from an interdisciplinary perspective. The goal is an empirically informed systematization of temporal conditions of the good life in the context of modern medicine. To this end, the group combines research perspectives from philosophy, medical ethics, medicine, modern literature and media studies, as well as sociology/social psychology organized in eight sub-projects. They address different medical fields of application and biographical phases of life, such as the treatment of chronic illness in young and middle adulthood, reproductive medicine in middle and late adulthood, and the (re)negotiation of ageing in health care for older people. In addition to the University of Oldenburg, the Research Group involves researchers from the Humboldt University Berlin, the Goethe University Frankfurt with the Sigmund Freud Institute as well as the University Medical Centre Göttingen and the University of Göttingen are involved.
Together with the speaker Prof. Claudia Wiesemann, Prof. Mark Schweda is PI of the Research Group’s central and integrative project (ZIP). Furthermore, he is PI of the sub-project 7 "Between resignation and optimization – The time structure of the good life in the context of geriatric medicine”. The project examines the relationship between modern medicine and the temporal conditions of a good life with regard to ageing as a process and old age as a phase of life. The focus is on the question of the interrelation between geriatric medicine and care on the one hand and ideas of ageing well and of good life at old age on the other.
Contact: Lena Stange, M.Sc. ()
Project Website: for5022.de/en/start/
Improvement of working conditions in outpatient care through innovative work concepts in the region (VAPiAR)
Project Coordination: Dr. Michael Bau, Institut Leistung Arbeit Gesundheit (ILAG)
Principal Investigator (Division of Ethics in Medicine): Prof. Dr. Mark Schweda
Project Members (Division of Ethics in Medicine): Niklas Ellerich-Groppe, M.A.
Funding: Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)
Funding Reference: 02L20B054
Duration: 2021–2024
The implementation of new technologies appears to be a promising perspective to ensure the provision of nursing care in view of population aging and increasing shortage of nursing staff. However, in addition to technological, ethical and social questions, especially the transfer of new technologies into practice constitutes a challenge. The aim of the VAPiAR project is to facilitate work processes in outpatient nursing care through the use of application-specific and needs-oriented technologies, while at the same time preserving the independence, self-determination and quality of life of those in need of care. To this end, technologies will be selected and further developed in a participatory process in the VAPiAR Living Lab to be designed in the project. The Living Lab will constitute an interdisciplinary platform in which technology-supported processes in outpatient care will be demonstrated, discussed and further developed. It not only offers a concrete experience of new technologies but also serves as a networking platform for various players in regional care. Within the VAPiAR project, the consideration of the ethical, legal and social aspects represents an important component. For example, questions of privacy, the influence on professional practice, and informational self-determination are addressed. The aim is to make the Living Lab permanent in the form of a competence center which will also create added value in the long term.
Contact: Niklas Ellerich-Groppe, M.A. ()
Project Website: www.offis.de/en/offis/project/vapiar.html
Sociocultural Diversity and Discrimination in Medicine from an Intersectional Perspective (SoDiMe)
Principal Investigators: Prof. Dr. Mark Schweda (Ethics in Medicine, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg) & Dr. Merle Weßel (Ethics in Medicine, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg)
Project Members (Division for Ethics in Medicine): Simon Gerhards
Funding: Own funds
Duration: since 2021
Socio-cultural diversity and discrimination are increasingly perceived and discussed in all areas of German society. Especially racism is currently attracting increased attention. However, while racism in the context of medicine and healthcare is increasingly scrutinized in international research, there is an acute need for in-depth knowledge about racism in medical research, education and practice for the context of the German health care system. The perspective of medical students is of particular importance since they get an insight in all the different fields of medicine (research, education, practice) and will effectively shape future healthcare.
Together with Prof. Dr. Silke Schicktanz from the University Medical Center Göttingen, the project investigates the perspectives of medical students on diversity and discrimination in general and on racism in medicine in particular. The leading research question is how racism is perceived and dealt with in medical education and practice. The aim is to formulate recommendations for the implementation of anti-discriminatory curricula and courses. To this end, we combine ethical analysis with qualitative social research (online focus groups with medical students at different German universities). The analysis of the perspectives of medical students offers insights into their perceptions, understandings, and moral evaluations of these social phenomena. Furthermore, the experiences of medical students can be used to shed light on the characteristics of racism in health care and medical education. Based on empirically informed ethical analyses the project aims to derive recommendations for anti-discriminatory medical education.
Contact: Dr. Merle Weßel ()
Project Website: uol.de/medizinethik/forschung/projekte/sodime [GER]