Research

I study religious aspects in the history of rhetoric, strategies of women in rhetoric and strategies of science communication (to the general public?). In my dissertation, I analysed the connections between pietistic homiletics and underlying rhetorical principles. Although pietists denied the use of „heretical“ rhetorics, I showed in my analysis of five textbooks, that there is an unbroken tradition from Aristoteles to Augustinus, Martin Luther and pietistic writers in the 18th century. 

Other areas of my research are concepts of teaching communication and rhetorics in different fields, for example at Med School. From 2011 to 2013 I worked in the project “Klasse Allgemeinmedizin” (General practitioner class) at the Med School of the University of Halle. The aim of the project was to promote general medicine among young students. In Germany, as in the US, there is a lack of general practitioners, especially in rural areas. I taught professional communication within this project and described the concept and my experiences in different articles.

Currently, I am working on a scientific communication article concerning development projects in smaller towns and rural areas. After the reunification of Germany at the beginning of the 90ies of the 20th century there were areas in Eastern Germany, once heavily industrialized, that faced huge redundancies of employees (sometimes up to 80%). Many of these areas are left behind in their economic growth until today. Young people leave these areas as soon as possible, so these regions face a lot of challenges today and projects for economic development are most times not successful. My research concerns how change is communicated and how rhetoric of change and the concept of self-efficacy is connected.