The foci of the department lie mainly on application-oriented and foundation-theoretical questions in profession and practice of social work. Within this area, one of the main concerns is the research of social pedagogical questions on issues such as the handling of anti-Semitism in youth work and educational activities or on diversity sensitive, cultural education.

The research is conducted in close collaboration with actors of democratic civil societies and supports empowerment and self-organization of marginalized groups. As a result of these partnerships, the recent travelling exhibition "LGBT* Yesterday and Today" emerged.

Selected priorities for the content of both, research and instruction, at the department are (gender reflective) Right-wing extremism prevention, community organizing especially confronting popular authoritarianism, social work within the transformation society of East-Germany, diversity and empowerment in rural regions, as well as reconstruction social work research.