Elisa Thevenot

PhD Project (start Jan. 2020)
Professional transitions in the context of environmental sustainability

How do individuals talk about sustainability? How do they make it something of their own, something worth working for, and how do they use it to explain their career transition? Exploring the concept of environmental sustainability from a subject level perspective opens up many questions about: subjectivation processes, learning processes and micro social practices. The empirical investigation is a longitudinal study based on narrative interviews with individuals in different stages of career transition aspiring to work in a sustainability-labeled job.

Current research interests include:
Transition and Life Course research, Adult Education and Life-long Learning, Sociology of Sustainability, Practice Theory, Eco-critical Theory and Theories related to Doing Difference, Qualitative Longitudinal Methodology, Future of Work

Elisa Thevenot completed a master’s in business administration in Paris, San Diego and New York. Both her Bachelor’s (2009) and Master’s (2011) focused on renewable energies. She worked 6 years in market research in the sports and safety equipment industry in Munich and Villach. In 2017 she returns to studying at the University of Tübingen: International Literature, Spanish and Brazilian. In 2020 she integrates the interdisciplinary group Doing Transitions with a PhD project about professional transitions in the context of sustainable development.

ACADEMIC PRESENTATIONS

09/2022 « Sustainable communities – a time for resonance in older age » Presentation with Lena Schmeiduch (University of Osnabrück), in the Symmposium “Gerontologie und Weltbeziehung – Das Resonanzkonzept nach Hartmut Rosa und seine Anknüpfungspunkte für die Alternsforschung” at the DGGG Conference: “„Altern im Spannungsfeld von Resilienz und Vulnerabilität“. 12-15.09.2022, Goethe Universität Frankfurt am Main

09/2022 « Becoming a sustainability professional: the practice of arranging competences » Presentation for the DGfE ESD Commission Conference 2022: “Ecological, social and individual upheavals and their relevance for education for sustainable development” 05.- 07.09.2022, Goethe Universität Frankfurt am Main

04/2022 « Becoming more sustainable? Doing Sustainability by Doing Difference » in the Symposium “Doing transitions – on making and becoming across the life course. Benefits for educational research from a relational perspective on life course transitions“, AERA & WERA annual meetings, San Diego

03/2022 « The messy crossings of career and national boundaries in adulthood » in the Symposium „Doing Transitions: Herstellung und Verhandlung von Grenzen und Zugehörigkeiten an Übergängen“ ENT | GRENZ | UNGEN | 28. DGfE-Kongress 2022, University of Bremen, Online

11/2021 « “Nischen” als Unterstützer für berufliche Übergänge im Kontext der nachhaltigen Entwicklung», presentation for the conference: Reiz der Nische – Zeit.Räume der Nachhaltigkeit, University of Oldenburg, Online

07/2021 – « Le développement durable au cœur des transitions de carrières », presentation for RT22 Life course and social dynamics research, Association Française de Sociologie, Congrès de Lille, Online

07/2021 – « Un(re)markable retirement: Career transitions in the context of Sustainability », presentation in the « Linking Ages » Symposium, World Education Research Association, Online

06/2021 – “A Longitudinal approach to Practice Theory” PhD project discussion, for the Graduierten Kollegs ‚Doing Transitions‘ semestrial colloquium, online

03/2021 – “Linking Ages : présentation théorique et mise en pratique dans les cas de transitions de carrières“, presentation, Journées d´Études, Travailler les âges en professionel.le, Paris/online

10/2020 – „Longing for purposeful work: a praxeological approach to career transitions” – PhD project discussion with Prof. Dr. Thomas Alkemeyer, for the Graduierten Kollegs ‚Doing Transitions‘ Theory Workshop: 05.–07. October 2020, online.

09/2020 – Selected Poster for the German Sociology Congress (DGS), ›Gesellschaft unter Spannung‹, 14.-24. September 2020, Berlin (online). 02/2020 – Poster presentation, Doing Transitions in the Life Course –Discourses, Practices, Institutions, Subjects. DFG-Graduiertenkollegs Doing Transitions, 17.-19. February 2020, Tübingen

TEACHING

10/2022 – „DeGrowth als Forschungsgegenstand“, expert guest with Lena Schmeiduch in the MA Social Work Blockseminar of Prof. Annette Franke, Protestant University of Applied Sciences, Ludwigsburg

07/2021 – « Da will ich ums Verrecken nicht zurück, Wie sich Erwerbsarbeit verändert und welche neuen Übergänge das zur Folge hat », for the Studium Generale Lecture series : Doing Transitions in the Life Course, Guest Lecturer in collaboration with Lukas Kammerlander, University of Tübingen

06/2021 – « Transitions in Adulthood », for the Seminar: Zu Übergängen forschen, Guest Lecturer in collaboration with Michael Bernhard, Goethe University Frankfurt

RESEARCH ANIMATION

05/2022 – Guest in BA Seminar, LMU München: „Die Qual der Wahl? Zur Vielfalt qualitativer Verfahren“ Lecturer: Anna Wanka 05/2022 – Chair & Discussant of the evening talk with Glen H. Elder & Rick A. Settersten about their new book: „Living on the Edge. An American Generation’s Journey through the Twentieth Century“, Online Event – with Frank Oswald 03/2022 – Presentation of „Doing Transitions“ for the French research network on life course: ‚RT22 Parcours de vies et dynamiques sociales‘ – with Axel Pohl

01/2022 – Co-organizer of the workshop discussion: Social Change & Transitions: Mimesis from a practice-theoretical and relational perspective. Guests: Thomas Alkemeyer, Nikolaus Buschmann & Kerstin Meißner

07/2021 – Organizer and co-chair of the Symposia : « Linking Ages ». World Education Research Association Congress, Online, Jul. 2021 03/2021 – Animator of the public talk with Ted Schatzki : « The Trajectory of one’s Life. A Practice Approach. », University of Tübingen, Online