Social Pedagogy

The professional field of social pedagogy includes everyday social assistance and intervention for people in stressful, disadvantaged and crisis-ridden life situations. Social pedagogy is applied in areas such as youth work, child and youth welfare or district work. Social pedagogical approaches are used in counselling for adults, but also in the area of early childhood education and care. Social pedagogy aims to support transitions in the course of life, for example in the context of unemployment, parenthood and migration or in the case of ageing processes and in emergency situations (e.g. women’s shelters, emergency shelters).

At the Department of Education, social pedagogy is anchored in research and teaching with a university professorship. Social pedagogy in Salzburg is involved in the ‘ Netzwerk Sozialpädagogik in Österreich’ (Austrian Social Pedagogy Network). In the  ÖFEB-Sektion Sozialpädagogik (Austrian Association of Research and Development in Education), we actively participate in the disciplinary self-organisation of scientists.

Gaining orientation

University social pedagogy in Salzburg provides research- and theory-based orientational knowledge for professional work in social assistance and support arrangements. As part of educational science, social pedagogy deals with social education and support, social justice and the shaping of social structures. Important concepts include ‘Lebensweltorientierung’ (orientation on everyday life), participation, gender and diversity, and social inequality. Social pedagogy aims to understand social problems in the context of organisations, social dynamics and social policy.

Exploring social processes

Social pedagogy examines the background, effects, challenges and changes in the field of social services. We analyse biographical aspects of education and coping, but also processes within and between organisations. We critically examine how social pedagogical action contributes to the reproduction of social differences and inequalities and look for possible strategies to avoid this.

Studying social pedagogy

Find out where you can find social pedagogical courses in our degree programmes here. (teaching language German)