Dr. Ralf Och

2017 PhD in Sociology at Universität Hamburg

2003 Diploma in Social Sciences at Humboldt University Berlin

• Comparative Welfare State Research
• Local Welfare Systems
• Institutional Change
• Social Security
• Civil Society
• Social Care
• Comparative Methods

• 01/2014-12/2016 : Research Project 'Individualization of the social citizen in the welfare state: development and contradictions in Europe' (INDIV, Funded by Fritz Thyssen Stiftung, head PD Dr. Patricia Frericks (PhD))
• 10/2011-12/2013: Research Project 'Impact of local welfare systems on female labour force participation and social cohesion' (FLOWS),  comparison of 11 cities in 11 European countries. (funded be the EU in the 7th. framework programme (duration 2011-14), head Prof. Per H. Jensen, University of Aalborg, member of team Hamburg, head Prof. Dr. Birgit Pfau-Effinger)
• 2008-2009: research in the European excelence network 'Reconciling Work and Welfare' (RECWOWE) (funded be the EU in the 6th. framework programme, Team Hamburg head Prof. Dr. Birgit Pfau-Effinger)
• 02/2006-05/2009 Research Project 'Die lokale Restrukturierung der Altenpflege – kulturelle Grundlagen, Akteure und Handlungsbedingungen' (The Local Restructuring of Long-Term Care - Cultural Values, Actors and Conditions of Action) Universität Hamburg (Funded be the DFG, head Prof. Dr. Birgit Pfau-Effinger)
• 02/2004-06/2005 Research Project 'Evaluation des Individuellen Förder- und Integrationsplanes' an der Charité Berlin (head Prof. Dr. Werner Müller-Fahrnow, Prof. Dr. Michael Radoschewski)

Presentations
(selection)

• Patricia Frericks, Julia Höppner and Ralf Och: Family solidarity in European poverty prevention: What are the patterns of institutional change? Annual ESPAnet Conference, Lisbon, 14–16 September 2017 Stream 2: European family policy in times of societal change and permanent austerity: drivers, patterns and future challenges. Stream convenors: Mikael Nygård (Åbo) and Mia Hakovirta (Turku)
• Patricia Frericks; Julia Höppner; Ralf Och, Nicola Schwindt: Die wohlfahrtsstaatliche Individualisierung der social citizens: Entwicklung und Widersprüche in Europa (INDIV). Seminar ‚Soziale Sicherung im internationalen Vergleich‘ 07-01.2016
• Patricia Frericks, Julia Höppner, Ralf Och: Family responsibility and individualisation: Developments of social protection in the Czech Republic, Estonia and Hungary. Paper presented at the BIGSSS International Conference Bremen, 24.-25. September (Session 10: Post-Post Communist Social Stratification and Welfare State Institutions, Chair: Alexi Gugushvili)
• Och, Ralf and Pfau-Effinger, Birgit: ‚How to explain differences in the degree of marketisation in local care policies in Germany‘,International Workshop ‚Changing care policies and care work: international perspectives‘; University of Vechta, 7-8 September, 2015
• Patricia Frericks, Julia Höppner, Ralf Och: Family policy and individualization: Contradictory reforms of social protection. ‘The Lost  and the New Worlds of Welfare 2015 Annual ESPAnet Conference, Odense, Denmark, 3-5 September, 2015 (Stream 9: Familisation, Defamilisation and Individualisation: Concepts and measurement of family policy and its outcomes, Organizers: Henning Lohmann and Hannah Zagel)
• Patricia Frericks, Julia Höppner, Ralf Och, Nicola Schwindt: What about family in European social policies? Measurement and indicators to internationally compare intra-country variation. 2015 Annual ESPAnet Conference, Odense, 3-5 September, 2015 (Stream 3: Methodological challenges for comparative welfare state research, Organizers: Rossella Ciccia and Jana Javornik)
• Patricia Frericks, Julia Höppner, Ralf Och: Individualization in Social Security: Change of institutionalized family relations in European social security schemes. Paper presented at ‘Individualisation, Internationalisation and Family Policy. International seminar co-hosted by the School of Applied Social Science, University College Dublin and the Research Committee on Family Research (RC06) of the International Sociological Association. Dublin, 20-22 August, 2015.
• Frericks, Patricia, Höppner, Julia, Och, Ralf, 'The changing linkage of family members in welfare institutions', paper presented within the Research Network 'Rethinking the Welfare State' (org. Alex Hicks) at the 27th SASE annual conference 'Inequality in the 21st Century', Society for the Advancement of Socio-Economics (SASE), London, July 2-4, 2015
• Och, Ralf; Pfau-Effinger, Birgit: The contribution of local welfare cultures to the explanation of differences in local social policies. Paper presented at the 11th Annual ESPAnet Conference 2013 ‘Social Policy and Economic Development; Stream 9 “The Local Welfare State”, 5-7 September 2013.
• Och, Ralf: Participation of service providers in local policy processes. Experiences from municipal care policies in Germany. Paper presented on the international conference ‚Participatory local welfare, citizenship and third sector organizations. What is at stake?”, Stream 4: ‘Public, for profit and not for profit actors: changing roles and relations, and the effects on rights, duties and the welfare institutional building’; Pisa (Italy), 31st January - 1st February 2013.
• Och, Ralf: How can civil society representatives influence local social policy? Political participation of senior representatives in municipal elderly care policies in East and West Germany – a voice perspective. Paper presented on the international conference ‚Participatory local welfare, citizenship and third sector organizations. What is at stake?”, Stream 2: Promoting social participation at local level: theoretical and practical issues; Pisa (Italy), 31st January - 1st February 2013.
• Och, Ralf: Provider involvement in Senior Policies in German Municipalities between Competition and Corporatism. Paper presented at the 3rd Doctoral Workshop of the German ESPAnet Section „Privatisation and Marketisation of Social Services and Social Programs“, Köln November 14th/15th, 2013.
• Och, Ralf: Provider involvement in Senior Policies in German Municipalities between Competition and Corporatism. Paper presented at the Young researchers´ conference: LOCAL WELFARE SYSTEMS AND FEMALE LABOUR MARKET PARTICIPATION IN EUROPE; Universität Hamburg, September 19-20, 2013
• Och, Ralf: Civil society participation in in local social policies in East and West Germany – the example of senior representatives. Paper for presentation at the PhD Conference ‘Local welfare systems and social cohesion’. Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona 10-12.6.2013; Stream 3: Coordinator: Prof. Ron McQuaid
• Och, Ralf, Pfau-Effinger, Birgit, Frericks, Patricia: Internationaler Vergleich und Klassifikation lokaler Wohlfahrtssysteme. Paper presentiert auf dem den Soziologentag 2012, Sektion Sozialpolitik, Forum sozialpolitischer Forschung.
• Och, Ralf: Politische Partizipation kommunaler Seniorenvertreter in Deutschland – Engagement matters. Doktorandentagung „Bürgerbeteiligung am politischen Entscheidungsprozess“ 6.-7.09.2012, Frankfurt/M.
• Och, Ralf: Och, Ralf: A weak civic society? Political participation of senior representatives in elderly care policies in East and West Germany. Paper presented on the XVI Conference of the Nordic Political Science Association. 08.-12.08.2012, Vaasa Finland.
• Och, Ralf; Pfau-Effinger, Birgit: The contribution of local welfare cultures to the explanation of differences in local social policies. Paper presented at the 11th Annual ESPAnet Conference 2013 ‘Social Policy and Economic Development; Stream 9 “The Local Welfare State”, 5-7 September 2013.
• Frericks, Patricia; Och, Ralf; Pfau-Effinger, Birgit: Internationaler Vergleich und Klassifikation lokaler Wohlfahrtssysteme,(International Comparison and Classification of Local Welfare Systems),  zum 36. Kongress der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Soziologie (at the3 6. German Congress for Sociology) an der Ruhr-Universität Bochum/TU Dortmund „Vielfalt und Zusammenhalt“; October 5, 2012.