11 – 12 March 2027 | University of Siegen
Under the title “SURPRISING FINDINGS – Empirical, Method(olog)ical, and Theoretical Reflections from Interdisciplinary, Target-Group-Oriented Impact Research”, the DFG Research Training Group “Consequences of Social Services” is hosting a conference on 11 – 12 March 2027 at the University of Siegen. Organized by doctoral researchers of the Research Training Group, the conference is aimed at researchers from various disciplines and career stages, as well as students, particularly in the fields of Social Work, Sociology, and Psychology.
Social services such as child and youth welfare services, psychotherapy, or integration assistance are associated with specific goals and expectations: they are meant to enable participation, promote independence, or reduce burdens. But what are the consequences that are not intended? What happens when social services have effects or are experienced in ways that diverge from what was planned – or when the research process reveals that our assumptions do not hold up?
“Surprising Findings” refers, first of all, to the fact that social services can produce effects that are not programmatically intended or anticipated and that are evaluated differently depending on one’s perspective. They can, for example, create new dependencies, alter senses of belonging, or give rise to experiences of stigmatization or heteronomy. Researching such unintended consequences can reveal unexpected developments and unsettle familiar notions about what social services do and how they work. Such ambiguities and departures from expectations can uncover what research has so far overlooked – and raise new questions about social services and their effects.
The conference will also examine moments when the research process takes an unexpected turn: when the field shows itself differently than assumed, when data clash with theoretical assumptions, or when a finding refuses to be neatly categorized. Surprises can arise not only from the results but equally from data collection, analysis, interpretation, or encounters with the research field.
The title “Surprising Findings” thus refers to more than some unexpected results. Surprises can be starting points for academic insight: they can highlight overlooked perspectives, disrupt familiar notions about social services and their effects, expand theoretical reflection, or bring methodological choices back into focus. At the same time, they raise questions about what we expect when we do research, how those expectations shape our work, and what becomes visible or remains invisible.
We look forward to numerous contributions and an interdisciplinary exchange about what surprises, unsettles, and inspires further inquiry. We especially welcome contributions that take empirical findings, methodological experiences, theoretical reflections, or reflexive perspectives on such moments as their starting point.
Further information on the conference themes, contribution formats, and submission guidelines can be found in the Call for Papers.
New Submission Deadline: 4 October 2026
