Dr. Ulrike Bialas, 2021-2025

Ulrike Bialas was 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 (completed)
• Forever 17: Coming of Age in the German Asylum System (completed)

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