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News from the Department for the Social Sciences of Sport

Here you will be updated with news.


 

© SoWi Sport

SoWi Sport researchers present at DVS Conference

SoWi Sport researchers were involved in the recent DVS Conference through organisation, charing sessions and presenting research. Additionally, staff were active in the organisation of the 100 Years celebration for the Institute for Sport Scienes. 

Research into Equal Pay in sport released

Prof. Dr. Henk Erik Meier and Dr. Mara Konjer from the Social Sciences of Sport, along with University Giessen's Prof. Dr Micheal Mutz have successfully published the article Getting the Pay Gap on the Board: Female Athletes’ Demands for ‘Equal Pay’ in German Media Narratives in the Journal of Communication and Sport. It examines how athlete activism for equal pay resonated in the German media, analysing how often equal pay was reported on, and which events prompted this coverage. You can read it here. 

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New research focuses on the German Sport System

Dr. Mara Konjer and Prof. Dr. Henk Erik Meier have  examined the Western and Central European Model of Sport (EMS) using Germany as an example. The chapter entitled, "The Western and Central European Model of Sport Under Pressure", is published in the book "The European Model of Sport" is available here. 

Institute for Sport Sciences climbs international rankings

The Institute for Sport Sciences at the University of Münster has achieved its highest ranking ever in the 2024 Shanghai Ratings, which were recently released. These ratings allow sport-related institutions to compare themselves with similar organizations, rather than with multi-disciplinary universities in a specific subject area. The top 300 universities are ranked based on various criteria, including publication count, citation numbers, citations per publication, publications in the top 25% of journals, and internationally collaborative research. Over the past few years, the Institute for Sport Sciences has improved its standing from the 201-300 range to an impressive 44th place in the latest results. This is a significant achievement for everyone at the Institute.

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SoWi Sports researcher shares findings with leading Forbes

Planning for sports in the contemporary era presents a challenging prospect, and Formula 1 is at the forefront of this. Environmental, financial, and personnel sustainability are key points discussed by Social Sciences of Sports researcher Dr. Samuel Tickell in an article with the leading outlet, Forbes. You can read the article here.

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Dr. Samuel Tickell reelected as Speaker of Postdoc Network

After a successful 2024 as Speaker of the Postdoc Network Münster (PNM), Dr. Samuel Tickell has been reelected as Speker for 2025. At the AGM of 8 April, the Board was elected, consisting of: 

  •  Speaker: Dr Samuel Tickell (Social Sciences of Sports)
  • Deputy Speaker: Dr. Emely Verweyen (Pediatric Rheumatology and Immunology)
  • Secretary: Dr Windie Höfs (Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine)
  • Board Member: Dr Elena Cesnaite (Department of Psychology)
The PNM grew in 2024 as many new Postdocs joined. It was a year marked by great social support, increased cooperation with the University, particularly with CERes and through increased targeted English language training programs. More infomration can be found here.

© SoWi Sport

What is happening with winter sport on TV? New research finds out.

Professor Dr. Henk-Erik Meier, Dr. Samuel Tickell, and Dominik Krüßmann from the Social Sciences of Sport  conducted a study on winter sports television viewing habits in a rapidly changing world and the potential reliance on public service broadcasters. Their findings have been published in the journal "Communication and Sport," and the paper can be accessed here.

© SoWi Sport

New research about the Qatar World Cup now available

Professor Dr. Henk-Erik Meier, Dominik Krüßmann from the Social Sciences of Sport and Professor Dr. Bernd Strauß have studied the politisation of sport, with a particular foucs on the German National Football team at the Qatar World Cup. The paper is online at the Europan Journal for Sport and Society and can be found here

Part II of the Germany-wide runner survey started

In cooperation with the German Athletics Association (DLV) and German Road Races, the second wave of the large Germany-wide running survey, accompanied by the Social Sciences of Sports department, has begun. The focus is on the question: What makes running events attractive for runners? Almost 7,000 runners took part in the first wave of the survey in 2022. You can find the link to the running survey HERE.

© Sam Tickell

Outcomes from Social Sciences of Sport department immediately recognised in industry

The FIA World Rally Championship, the elite form of off-road rallying has recognised the importance of sustainable approaches as outlined in the research by Dr. Samuel Tickell. In a recent article, the WRC outlines its approaches in the area. You can read the article here.

© SoWi Sport

SoWi Sport researcher joins German Postdoc Network working groups

Dr. Samuel Tickell, Postdoctoral Researcher at the Social Science of Sport department is currently the Chair of the Postdoc Network Münster - the university wide group for University Münster. 

Recently, he has joined the new German Postdoc Network, a nationwide group developed to provide support and representation for Postdocs as the field develops. Part of the role will be to develop governance principles and advocacy principles for the group. 
 

© Sam Tickell

New book explores the social science aspect of sustainability in motorsport

Enviornmental sustainablity is one of the key problems of our time. Motorsport has traditionally been seen as a place to burn rubber and fuel, but has the sport turned a corner? Are they now a force for a global solution?

In a new book entitled, The Green Transition in Motorsprot: Purpose, Politcs, and Profit, University Münster's Dr Samuel Tickell and Kristiana University's (Norway) Prof. Hans Erik Naess expore the subject investiating aspects from governance, management, politics, communicaitons and more.

You can find more about the book, and purchase it here

New research out from SoWiSport

Dominik Kruißmann and Prof. Dr. Henk-Erik Meier have published a paper on the German Thrid-Tier football and raises questions as to whether thrid tier football is a media product and its audeince appeal. 
You can read the article in the  German Journal of Exercise and Sport Research. Click here to read more.

Master's theses in the field of dance research

The Social Sciences Department is currently offering three master's theses in the exciting field of dance research. The prerequisites for applying are a very good bachelor's thesis with an empirical focus and an interest in dance and statistics.

We offer you:
• close supervision
• possible collaboration in a team of three
• existing data sets
• extensive support throughout the entire work phase
The master's theses are offered in the current winter semester and the coming summer semester. Please send your application with an exposé by email to sarah.riedel@uni-muenster.de. If you are motivated to deal with dance scientifically and enjoy data analysis, we look forward to receiving your application!

Social Sciences of Sport opens up new Erasmus+ agreements

Staff and student mobility in the sport sciences has been enhanced with agreements between Univeristy of Münster with the Institute of Sport Sciences and the Social Sciences of Sports, beside international universities. 
While more information on the opportunities will come soon, agreements with Jamk University of Applied Sciences from Jyväskylä, Finalnd and University of Maia in Portugal are now in place. For more information, please contact Dr. Samuel Tickell

New research out from Social Sciences of Sport

Prof. Henk Erik Meier has a new article released entitled, "The public legitimacy of elite athletes’ political activism: German survey evidence". It has been published in the International Political Science Review and delves into the acceptance or otherwise of sport star's political activism. You can read the article here (open access)

© Sam Tickell

Leading research presented at EASM 2024

Dr. Samuel Tickell recently presented at the European Association of Sport Management (EASM) conference in Paris. During the presentation, he explored the themes of environmental messaging and change management in motorsport, focusing on the importance of sustainability in the sport. This research is part of the ongoing efforts by the Department of Social Sciences in Sport to highlight the role of motorsport in sustainable transportation and sport. EASM is the leading sports management journal and conference in Europe and one of the top outlets in the world.

© Phoenix Satellite TV

Discussing the Euro 2024 security needs

Prof. Meier, head of the Social Sciences of Spor group at University Münster, has disucssed the Euro 2024 security with China's Phoenix Satellite TV. The news report went to air last week and can be seen here (in Chinese and English) 

Successful finish of the triathlon seminar

Under the lead of Dominik Krüßmann, a triathlon seminar for physical education students was held for the second time. This semester introduced a new element: students from the Human Movement in Sports and Exercise course successfully coached the teacher training students for the Sparda Münster Triathlon.

This collaborative seminar provided an excellent opportunity for everyone involved to apply theoretical knowledge in a practical setting and enhance their sporting skills. A special thank you goes to all the guest lecturers who significantly contributed to the success of the seminar with their expertise and experience: Jan-Philipp Müller, Markus Jürgens, Linda Schücker, and Fabian Kuropka.
 

| Sarah Riedel: Performing at UEFA Euro 2024 ceremonies
© Sarah Reidel

Sarah Riedel: Performing at UEFA Euro 2024 ceremonies

Sarah Riedel and her dance group were chosen to play a prominent role as Ceremony Makers at UEFA Euro 2024 in Dortmund's Westfalenstadion.

The 50-strong team have trained intensively, both in the stadium itself and at the Dortmund Football School, to be able to perform at their peak and impress the spectators. She works closely with her team to stage unique and impressive ceremonies at all six matches.
 

© Universidade da Maia - UMAIA

Dr. Sam Tickell presenting at the Sport Management Research Seminar, Universidade da Maia

Recently, Dr Sam Tickell presented the opening talk at Universidade da Maia - UMAIA Sport's Management Research Seminar. He joined with some of the best sport management researchers and students at the seminar.

The presentation previewed some upcoming research, discussing the FIA World Rally Championship's environmental initiatives and what this means for sport, not just motorsport, into the future. The key question is, can sport (and in particular, motorsport) be part of the solution?

It was also an important chat for the region as Rally Portugal brings a huge economic impact to the northern Portugal region and, as such, this research is very pertinent to the region!

Why sport cannot heal society...

Why sport cannot heal society...
Prof. Henk Erik Meier discusses it with Deutschlandfunk

You can read it here.

New SoWiSports research in the Journal of Southern African Studies

Prof. Dr. Henk Erik Meier has new published research! Together with Borja Garcia (Loughborough University) and Louis Moustakas (German Sport University), the group investigated the Olympic Movement and what it provides to smaller countries. You can read "Racing to Win: Competition and Co-operation between the National Olympic Committee and Public Authorities in the Development of the Botswana Sport System" in the Journal of Southern African Studies.
The article can be found here!

New research published on the NBA

Dr Samuel Tickell has new research out, with a book chapter on the rise of the NBA to a mega-sport, utilising agressive media strategies, internationalisation and 'disneyification' to create a global megasport.  
You can find the research here