This dissertation is part of the research project "Identity constructions of young adults in Belarus" (funded by the Helene Lange Foundation). The question at the centre is what meaning clothing and consumption have for young adults in Belarus, with a focus on transcultural aspects, gender and age. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Belarus took a different path (close to the Soviet tradition, smoother transition to "capitalism") than many countries in Eastern Europe. Geopolitically, it is in the sphere of influence of Russia, Western Europe and the USA. At present, however, there are strong tendencies towards a certain "national" independence. These facts and the special political situation of Belarus (often referred to as the "last dictatorship in Europe") as well as the strongly normative social organisation also leave their mark on the daily clothing practices of young adults. Identity constructions and clothing negotiations take place against this background. There are many opportunities to position oneself transculturally. Belarus is an independent state with strong ties to the Russian Federation. The state leadership pursues the interest of spreading a patriotic-national self-image among the population that is independent of Russia. There is also a national elite that is in opposition to the state and wants to promote nationalism by spreading the Belarusian language and turning away from Soviet traditions. The construct of "Europe" exerts a strong attraction on many young adults and repels others. Certain states, cultures and regions also appeal to young adults to varying degrees. These attitudes towards the state/nation of Belarus, "society", "Europe", Russia and other states or cultures are taken into account by young adults when they dress and, depending on their (trans)cultural localisation and other factors, their clothing preferences and arguments as to why they prefer the clothes they wear differ. Clothing plays a particularly important role insofar as it is one of the few opportunities in life for many young adults to make a statement to society on the one hand and to confirm who they want to be in a relatively inexpensive way on the other. It also serves to establish boundaries and affiliations and enables people to "feel comfortable" in their peer group, their working environment or in specific situations.

Theoretically, identity theories (incl. Bourdieu, symbolic interactionists, Keupp) and the idea of transculturality form the basis for dealing with the topic. The concept of embodiment is taken into account. Empirical data collection (both quantitative and qualitative) was carried out in Minsk in order to deal with the topic, working together with a sociological Institute from Minsk for various reasons. This mainly involved a quantitative questionnaire survey and semi-structured interviews with wardrobe observations. Methods commonly used in cultural and social anthropology (or ethnology), such as participant observation and keeping a field diary, were also used. Two focus groups on the topics of music and clothing were conducted in Minsk.

Material culture/clothing research
Migration/integration
Identity research
Embodiment
Post(socialism) research

WS 2017/18: Clothing and Consumption in Post-Soviet Contexts, Institute of Material Culture, University of Oldenburg

WS 2016/17: Seminar: Post-Socialist Clothing, Institute of Material Culture, University of Oldenburg

WS 2015/16: Seminar: Clothing of young adults in post-Soviet contexts (starting point Belarus - researching communities in the region), Institute of Material Culture, University of Oldenburg

Coordinator at "ReKI" - Regional Competence Centre for Integration and Diversity - Linz-Land, Volkshilfe Flüchtlings- und MigrantInnenbetreuung, Volkshilfe Oberösterreich