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Department of Social Sciences
[Translate to English:] © Christian Teichmann ​/​ sfs

Research field Sociology of Technology

The research field Sociology of Technology deals with human-machine interaction in highly automated systems, with the control of complex socio-technical systems in the fields of energy and transport, and with their sustainable transformation.

In addition to traditional methods of empirical social research, innovative methods of computational social sciences are also used, such as agent-based modeling (ABM). It enables the experimental verification of model-based assumptions through computer simulation. A trademark of the department is the combination of analytical sociology and ABM, i.e. the sociological foundation of models of socio-technical systems.

From 2002 to 2020, the Department of Sociology of Technology, headed by Prof. Dr. Johannes Weyer, was part of the Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences, later the Faculty of Economics, at the TU Dortmund University, and then part of the newly founded Department of Social Sciences since 2020. When Prof. Dr. Johannes Weyer left active service in 2022, there was a reorganization in the form of the senior professorship for sustainable mobility and the research area of sociology of technology at the social research center, both of which remain part of the Department of Social Sciences. The sociology of technology has its own website.

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Location & approach

A2:
Exit 13 (Kreuz Dortmund Nord-Ost), direction Derne/Schwerte (B236), 1st exit direction Dortmund-Eving, next traffic lights turn right (Kemminghauser Str.), after 2.7km turn left (Evinger Str./B 54), after 1.1km traffic lights turn left (Deutsche Straße), after 500m on the left is the Evinger Platz.

A40/B1/A44:
From the Bundesstraße 1 (extension A40 or A44) to the intersection B1/B236 direction Lünen, 3rd exit direction Dortmund-Eving.

A45:
Exit Dortmund Hafen, turn left until the intersection Münsterstraße (B54), direction Eving, after about three kilometers turn into Deutsche Straße.

You can download an enlarged general map here

From Dortmund Airport, it takes just about 20 minutes to get to Dortmund Central Station by AirportExpress and from there to the university by subway (U-Bahn) 41. The stop is "Zeche Minister Stein". A wider range of international flight connections is offered by Düsseldorf Airport, about 60 kilometers away, which can be reached directly by S-Bahn from the university station. From there, you can get directly to Dortmund Central Station.

From Dortmund Central Station, take the U 41 light rail (direction Brambauer / Brechten). The stop is "Zeche Minister Stein". The Minister Stein Center is located on the right in the direction of travel of the streetcar.

You can find an overview map here.