Dr. Ulrike Bialas
Curriculum Vitae
Ulrike Bialas is a post-doctoral research fellow in the Department of Socio-Cultural Diversity, specializing in the study of categories and categorization processes in the context of international migration. Her ethnographic book Forever 17: Coming of Age in the German Asylum System (https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/F/bo208300969.html) examines the role of the legal and social category of age in the lives of young asylum seekers in Germany. Ulrike is currently conducting an interview-based study that explores the intricate decision-making processes surrounding migration pathways and legal statuses among migrants from Syria.
Prior to joining the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Religious and Ethnic Diversity, Ulrike completed a PhD in Sociology at Princeton University (with a focus on International Migration, Urban Sociology, and Science and Technology Studies) and a BA and MA in Social Sciences at Humboldt University Berlin.
Research Projects
- Belonging on a Continuum: Legal Status Journeys and Social Membership
- Forever 17: Coming of Age in the German Asylum System
Media
Why Migration Categories Matter | Insights @mpimmg: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Wp8yzLXDbc
MaxPlanckForschung | Zur Sache | Flüchtige Jugend: https://www.mpg.de/20551232/W001_Zur-Sache_016-019.pdf
Ach
Mensch! Podcast | Was bedeutet Erwachsensein für junge Flüchtlinge? https://detektor.fm/wissen/ach-mensch-ulrike-bialas-erwachsensein-fluechtlinge
Publications
Books
Bialas, U. (2023). Forever 17: Coming of age in the German asylum system. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press. (https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/F/bo208300969.html)
Special Issue Editorships
Bialas, U., Lukate, J., & Vertovec, S. (in progress). Contested Categories in the Context of Migration. Ethnic and Racial Studies.
Bialas, U., & Lukate, J. (in progress). Beyond classification: Un/making Categories in the Context of Migration. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies.
Peer-reviewed journal articles
Amr, N., Bass, M., Bialas, U., Lanari, E., Mitchell, K., Schoon, E. W., et al. (2024). Foreclosure, disclosure, and political engagement: A collaborative reflection on scholar-activism in the neoliberal university. Migration and Society, 7(1), 194-205. https://doi.org/10.3167/arms.2024.070116
Bialas, U., Lukate, J. M., & Vertovec, S. (2024). Contested categories in the context of international migration: introduction to the special issue. Ethnic and Racial Studies. https://doi.org/10.1080/01419870.2024.2404493
Bialas, U. (2024). Who is a minor? Age assessments of refugees in Germany and the classificatory multiplicity of the state. Ethnic and Racial Studies. https://doi.org/10.1080/01419870.2024.2404483
Bialas, U. (2023). Ambiguous Ages, Ambivalent Youths: How Asylum Seekers in Germany Navigate Age Categorization. Migration Politics, 2(1), 003. https://doi.org/10.21468/MigPol.2.1.003
Bialas, U. (2022). The Effect of Offspring Sex on Parents’ Migration Probabilities and Outcomes—A Natural Experiment. Sociological Inquiry, 92(S1), 681–709. https://doi.org/10.1111/soin.12399
Bialas, U., & Sohail, J. (2022). Flucht nach vorne (seeking refuge in the future): Trauma, agency, and the fantasy of onward flight among refugees in Berlin. Ethos, 50(4), 480–495. https://doi.org/10.1111/etho.12369