After concluding the awarding of two first prizes, Prof. Dr Eldad Davidov, as chairman, closed the jury meeting for the 43rd award of the ‘Fritz Thyssen Foundation Prize for Social Science Essays’(„Preis der Fritz Thyssen Stiftung für sozialwissenschaftliche Aufsätze“) at the Institute of Sociology and Social Psychology (ISS) of the WiSo Faculty of the University of Cologne at the end of June. Anina Hanimannn from the University of Lucerne and WiSo researcher Ansgar Hudde can thus look forward to prize money of 1,500 euros each and to their inclusion in the illustrious circle of winners of an award unique in the German-speaking world.
The Fritz Thyssen Prize is the only journal prize for all subdisciplines of the social sciences outside the English-speaking community. It was initiated by Prof. Erwin K. Scheuch, sponsored by the Fritz Thyssen Foundation, and coordinated by the Institute of Sociology and Social Psychology (ISS) since 1981 when it was first awarded for articles.
The works are selected in two stages. First, the publishers and editors of 19 German-language journals in the social sciences each nominate an article they consider worthy of the award. For the 2023 edition, 12 papers were nominated by the journal editors. In the second step, after intensive discussion, the 8-member jury of interdisciplinary experts awarded the prize.
Regarding content, the two award-winning works for the year 2023 demonstrate, not least, the interdisciplinary orientation of the Fritz Thyssen Prize. In her article ‘Do Citizens Judge Health Experts Through a Partisan Lens?’, published in the Swiss Political Science Review, Anina Hanimann explores how the party affiliation of politically ‘right-wing’ citizens affects experts' perception. In his work ‘Seven Decades of Gender Differences in German Voting,’ published in the Kölner Zeitschrift für Soziologie und Sozialpsychologie, Ansgar Hudde examines how gender differences in voting behavior have changed in Bundestag elections over the last seventy years.
At the meeting, the jury co-opted Prof Dr Laura Seelkopf, Professor for International Comparative Public Policy at Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich. She will replace Prof Dr Miriam Hartlapp (Free University of Berlin).
