1. Multidimensional Social Structure

A first line of research develops theoretical and methodological approaches to analysing the demographic composition of contemporary societies. Building on classical work on social structure and heterogeneity, as well as recent debates on superdiversity and intersectionality, I develop the concept of multidimensional heterogeneity as a framework for studying complex social structures (OSF preprint), applying it, for instance, to how heterogeneity in schools shapes interethnic friendships among adolescents (OSF preprint). My research examines how the joint distribution of characteristics such as ethnicity, social origin, gender, age, or political orientations shapes social relationships, group boundaries, integration, social cohesion, and social inequality.

2. Migration and Integration

A second line of research examines how social relationships emerge in increasingly diverse societies and how they shape processes of integration. My work investigates interethnic friendships (Sociological Science), the social integration of refugees (Nature Human Behaviour), diversity and social cohesion (European Sociological Review), and subtle forms of discrimination. It shows how institutional contexts influence opportunities for intergroup contact and how stereotypes and routine social categorization can undermine integration even in the absence of explicit prejudice (Sociology of Education, Learning and Instruction, Social Psychology of Education, Kölner Zeitschrift für Soziologie und Sozialpsychologie). Current work further examines how interethnic relationships develop across the life course and how transitions between schools, higher education, work, and family reshape social networks and social integration.

3. Educational Inequality

A third line of research investigates how social relationships shape educational processes and the reproduction of social inequality. I study how peer networks, social capital (British Journal of Sociology of Education), neighbourhood contexts (Kölner Zeitschrift für Soziologie und Sozialpsychologie), and institutional arrangements influence educational decisions and opportunities. My work examines when social networks compensate for disadvantage (Developmental Psychology) and when peer influence reinforces educational inequalities (Research in Social Stratification and Mobility). Current projects extend this perspective to school reforms (Kölner Zeitschrift für Soziologie und Sozialpsychologie) and educational tracking (Zeitschrift für Soziologie), and the interplay between social networks, digital technologies, and institutional contexts in shaping educational outcomes and social cohesion.