Assoc. Prof. Jens Zinn
Assoc. Prof. Jens O. Zinn
Background
Jens Zinn studied Sociology, Social Psychology and Political Science at the University of Saarland and the University of Bielefeld (Germany) where he completed his Diploma in Sociology (1994). As a researcher at the Collaborative Research Center Status Passages and Risks in the Life Course in Bremen (1995-99) he was awarded his PhD in 2000. He taught at the Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich (2000-3) and the Technical University Munich (2001-3) and did research in the Collaborative Research Centre Reflexive Modernization in Munich (1999-02) and in the ESRC priority network Social Contexts and Responses to Risk at the University of Kent (2003-08) He joined the School as Associate Professor and Reader in Sociology in January 2009.
Jens has founded a number of international research networks on the Sociology of Risk and Uncertainty (SoRU). The joint internet portal of these groups is open to everyone to contribute to current debates and ongoing activities.
He is currently President of the Thematic Group Sociology of Risk and Uncertainty (TG04) of the International Sociological Association (ISA). Since 2005 he is a board member of the international journal Health, Risk & Society. Since 2010 he is Asia Pacific Editor of the journal. In 2009 he initiated the foundation of the thematic group Risk Societies within the Australian Sociological Association (TASA).
His research activities include a number of studies on people's management of risk and uncertainty during the course of their life (e.g. youth transitions into labor and certainty constructions in reflexive modernity). A recent project focuses on the biographical management of risk and uncertainty of British veterans (British Academy 2007-08). His recent conceptual work focuses on an interdisciplinary understanding of the societal management of risk and uncertainty.
Jens is leading a collaborative research initiative 'Risk, Social Inclusion and the Life Course - A Social Policy Perspective' financed by the University of Melbourne's seed grant scheme. http://ssps.unimelb.edu.au/research/projects/rsilc
Research
- Risk and Uncertainty (regulation, communication, perception)
- Life Course and Biography
- Research Methods
- Social Theory
Subjects Taught
- Research Methods
- Social Problems
- Sociology of Risk and Uncertainty
Supervision
- Research Methods
- Risk and Uncertainty
- Life Course - Biography
Recent Publications (2000-)
Books
Zinn, J. O. (ed.) 2008: Social Theories of Risk and Uncertainty, Oxford, Malden (MA): Blackwell.
Taylor-Gooby, P. & Zinn, J. O. (eds.) 2006: Risk in Social Science. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Zinn, J. O. 2001: Between Demands to Shape the Biography and Structural Preconditions. The First Occupational Experiences of Young Skilled Workers: Occupational Careers, Contexts and Biographical Action Modes. Baden-Baden: Nomos [orig. German].
Special Issues
Tulloch, J. & Zinn, J. (eds.) 2011: Health, Risk and the Media. Health, Risk and Society 13(1).
Zinn, J. O. (eds.) 2010: Biography, Risk and Uncertainty. Forum Qualitative Research (FQS), 11(1).
Zinn, J. O. (eds.) 2010: Risk as Discourse. CADAAD, Critical Approaches to Discourse Analysis across Disciplines 4(2).
Zinn, J. O. & Taylor-Gooby, P. (eds.) 2006: Learning about Risk, Forum Qualitative Research (FQS) 7(1).
Book Chapters
Zinn, J. O. 2011: The End of Rationality? Changes in Scientific and Everyday Management of Uncertainty. [orig. German: Das Ende der Rationalität? Zum Wandel wissenschaftlicher und alltagsweltlicher Unsicherheitsbearbeitung]. In: Fischer, D. et al. (eds.): Uneindeutigkeit als Herausforderung - Risiko, Amtliche Statistik und die Modellierung des Sozialen. München: Universität der Bundeswehr, 33-52. (ISBN 978-3-943207-00-2).
Zinn, J. O. 2010: The Relevance of Social Science Approaches to Risk for Social Policy Research, in: Chan, R. K. H.; Takahashi, M.; Wang L. L. R. (eds.): Risk and Social Policy in Changing Asian Societies, Farnham, UK: Ashgate, 13-26.
Zinn, J. O. 2009: The Sociology of Risk and Uncertainty - Current State and Perspectives. In: Lockie, S. et al. (eds.): The Future of Sociology (TASA 2009 Conference Proceedings). The Australian Sociological Association.
Zinn, J. O. 2008: The Contribution of Sociology to the Discourse on Risk and Uncertainty. In: Zinn, J. O. (ed.): Social Theories on Risk and Uncertainty. Oxford Malden (MA): Blackwell, 1-17.
Zinn, J. O. 2008: Risk Society and Reflexive Modernization. In: Zinn, J. O. (ed.): Social Theories on Risk and Uncertainty. Oxford Malden (MA): Blackwell, 18-51.
Zinn, J. O. 2008: A Comparison of Sociological Theorizing on Risk and Uncertainty. In: Zinn, J. O. (ed.): Social Theories on Risk and Uncertainty. Oxford Malden (MA): Blackwell, 168-210.
Zinn, J. O. 2008: Normativity in Research on Social Inequality [orig. German]. In: Ahrens, J., Beer, R., Bittlingmayer, U. H. & Gerdes, J. (eds.): Beschreiben und/oder Bewerten? Beiträge zu den normativen Grundlagen der Sozialwissenschaften, 159-183.
Zinn, J. O. 2007: How can we manage climate change? About the social management of uncertainty [orig. German]. In: Tetzlaff, G., Karl, H. & Overbeck, G. (eds.): Wandel von Vulnerabilität und Klima: Müssen unsere Vorsorgewerkzeuge angepaßt werden? Workshop des Deutschen Komitee Katastrophenvorsorge e.V. und der Akademie für Raumforschung und Landesplanung am 27./28.11.2006 in Hannover, 38-51.
Taylor-Gooby, P. & Zinn, J. O. 2006: Introduction. Risk, Uncertainty and Social Science. In: Taylor-Gooby, P. & Zinn, J. (eds.): Risk in Social Science. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1-19.
Zinn, J. O. & Taylor-Gooby, P. 2006: Risk as an Interdisciplinary Research Area. In: Taylor-Gooby, P. & Zinn, J. O. (eds.): Risk in Social Science. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 20-53.
Zinn, J. O. & Taylor-Gooby, P. 2006: The Challenge of (How to Manage) New Risks and Uncertainties. In: Taylor-Gooby, P. & Zinn, J. (eds.): Risk in Social Science. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 54-75.
Zinn, J. O. 2005: The German Discourse on Individualization. Divergences and Perspectives. In: Rehberg, K.-S. (ed.): Social Inequality - Cultural Differences, 32nd Congress of the German Sociological Association 2004 in Munich, Frankfurt/M.: Campus, 4690-4700 [orig. German].
Zinn, J. O. 2005: Unequal or Different Biographical (Un)Certainty: Conceptional Change and Perspectives of Research on Social Inequality. In: Rehberg, K.-S. (ed.): Social Inequality - Cultural Differences, 32nd Congress of the German Sociological Association 2004 in Munich, Frankfurt/M.: Campus, 4595-4602 [orig. German].
Zinn, J. O. 2005: Biographical Certainty in Reflexive Modernity. In: Kelly, N., Horrocks, C., Milnes, K., Roberts, B. & Robinson, D. (eds.): Narrative, Memory and Everyday Life, Huddersfield University, 87-95.
Bonß, W., Esser, F., Hohl, J., Pelizäus-Hoffmeister, H. & Zinn, J. O. 2004: Biographical Certainty. Prospects and Fragments. In: Beck, U. & Lau, C. (eds.): Entgrenzung und Entscheidung: Was ist neu an der Theorie reflexiver Modernisierung. Frankfurt/M.: Suhrkamp, 211-233 [orig.German].
Zinn, J. O. 2001: The Integration of Qualitative and Quantitative Data and Methods for the Investigation of Processes of Individualization. In: Kluge, S. & Kelle, U. (eds.): Methodeninnovation in der Lebenslaufforschung: Integration qualitativer und quantitativer Verfahren in der Lebenslauf- und Biographieforschung. Weinheim: Juventa, 275-331 [orig. German].
Zinn, J. 2000: Between Structural Constraints and Action Autonomy. How Do Young Adults Shape there Early Occupational Careers. In: Marstedt, G., M?ller, R., Hebel, D. & Müller, H. (eds.): Jugend, Arbeit und Gesundheit. St. Augustin: Asgard, 17-58 [orig. German].
Zinn, J. 2000: Young Employees between Demands to Shape their Own Biography and Structural Preconditions - Occupational Careers, the Context of Action and Biographical Action Modes. In: Heinz, W. R. (ed.): Übergänge: Individualisierung, Flexibilisierung und Institutionalisierung des Lebensverlaufs (Beiheft der Zeitschrift für Sozialisationsforschung und Erziehungssoziologie, ZSE), Weinheim: Juventa, 30-49 [orig. German].
Journal Articles
Zinn, Jens O. 2011: The Biographical Management of Risk and Uncertainty – British Veterans. Historical Social Research 36(3), 237-269.
Tulloch, J. & Zinn, J. O. 2011: Risk, Health and the Media. Health, Risk and Society 13(1), 1-16.Zinn, J. O. 2011: Strategies 'in between' to deal with risk and uncertainty in current welfare states, Sozialer Fortschritt. Unabhängiger Zeitschrift für Sozialpolitik / German Review of Social Policy 60(3), 57-63.
Zinn, J. O. 2010: Risk as Discourse: Interdisciplinary Perspectives. CADAAD, Critical Approaches to Discourse Analysis across Disciplines 4(2), 106-124.
Zinn, J. O. 2010: Biography, Risk and Uncertainty—Is there Common Ground for Biographical Research and Risk Research? [59 paragraphs]. Forum Qualitative Sozialforschung / Forum: Qualitative Social Research, 11(1), Art. 15.
Zinn, J. O. 2010: The Biographical Management of Risk and Uncertainty - British Veterans [116 paragraph]. Forum Qualitative Sozialforschung/Forum: Qualitative Social Research, 11(1).
Zinn, J. O. 2009: The sociology of risk and uncertainty. A response to Judith Green's 'Is it time for the sociology of health to abandon "risk"?', Health, Risk & Society 11, 6, 509-526.
Zinn, J. O. 2008: Heading into the Unknown - Everyday Strategies for Managing Risk and Uncertainty. Health, Risk & Society 10, 5, 439-450.
Powell, J. & Wahidin, A., Zinn, J. 2007: Understanding Risk and Old Age in Western Society. International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy 27, 1/2, 65-76.
Zinn, J. O. 2006: Biographical (Un-) Certainty in Modernity. Self-commitment and Resistance in Everyday Theories and Biographical Research. Sozialer Sinn 7, 2, 301-326 [orig. German].Taylor-Gooby, P. & Zinn, J. O. 2006: Current Directions in Risk Research: New Developments in Psychology and Sociology. Risk Analysis, 26, 397-411.
Zinn, J. O. 2006: Recent Developments in Sociological Risk Theory. In: Zinn, J. O. & Taylor-Gooby, P. (eds.): Learning About Risk. Forum Qualitative Research 7 (1).
Zinn, J. O. 2006: Risk, Affect and Emotion. In: Zinn, J. O. & Taylor-Gooby, P. (eds.): Learning About Risk. Forum Qualitative Research 7 (1).
Zinn, J. O. 2005: The Biographical Approach - A Better Way to Understand Behaviour in Health and Illness? Health, Risk and Society 7 (1), 1-9.
Bonß, W. & Zinn, J. O. 2005: Predictability, Luck and Trust - The change of biographical certainty in modernity.In: Soziale Welt 56, 2/3, 79-98. [orig. German]
Zinn, J. O. 2004: Health, Risk and Uncertainty in the Life Course: A Typology of Biographical Certainty Constructions. Social Theory & Health 2, 3, 199-221.
Zinn, J. & Esser, F. 2003: The Construction of Biographical Certainty in Reflexive Modernity. In: BIOS, Journal for Biographical Research, Oral History and Life Course Analysis 16 (1), 46-63. [orig.German].
Bonß, W. & Zinn, J. 2003: Uncertainty in Modernity. Or: The Shaping of the Life Course as the Management of Uncertainty. Sozialwissenschaftliche Informationen 32(1), 24-34 [orig. German].
Böschen, S. & Viehöver, W., Zinn, J. 2003: Mad Cow Disease. Are Societies Able to Learn from Crises? Berliner Journal für Soziologie 13(1), 35-58 [orig. German].
Zinn, J. O. 2002: Conceptional Considerations and an Empirical Approach to Research on Processes of Individualization. Forum Qualitative Social Research 3(1).