[Introduction of New Faculty Member] STEINHAUER, Hagen, Assistant Professor(non-tenure-track)

                                                                       Copyright : Universität Bremen/Patrick Pollmeier

 

Self‑Introduction

Dear students and colleagues at SILS,

My name is Hagen Steinhauer, and I am delighted to be joining the School of International Liberal Studies this April as an Assistant Professor in Area and Plurilingual Studies. I will be teaching courses on German politics and society, preparatory classes for studying abroad in German‑speaking countries, and introductory courses in linguistics.

Research Interests

My primary research interest lies in the intricate relationship between language and society, particularly where it intersects with politics and ideology. In my doctoral dissertation, I examined how authoritarian ideologies and policies can gradually and subtly become normalized within liberal democracies. To explore this process, I conducted a critical discourse analysis of media and government communication in contemporary France, showing how conservative and centrist political actors increasingly adopt authoritarian‑populist positions traditionally associated with the far right.

I have also conducted comparative research on French and German anti‑gender movements, analyzing how they influence one another and where they diverge. Much of my work is framed by the concept of normalization: How do societies construct what is considered “normal” or “common sense”? What role do language and communication play in shaping these boundaries? And which discursive strategies allow political actors to present their agendas as desirable—or even beyond question?

Profile

I earned my B.A. in German Studies and Political Science from the University of Bremen. During my undergraduate studies, I spent a semester in Paris studying European Studies at the Université Sorbonne Nouvelle. After completing my M.A. in Language Sciences, I worked as a teacher of German as a foreign language in both Germany and Brazil. I submitted my doctoral dissertation in 2024 and received my degree in early 2025.

In my teaching, I connect linguistic analysis with contemporary political and social debates. I look forward to teaching and engaging with students in the diverse and international environment of SILS, and to exploring with them how language shapes political and social life.