Workshop on Resilience in Working and Living Conditions in Challenging Times

February 22 – February 23, 2027

Department of Sociology and Human Geography
University of Salzburg
Rudolfskai 42, 5020 Salzburg, Austria

Keynote Speakers

Univ.-Prof. Yuri Kazepov, PhD, Professor of Urban Sociology at the Department of Sociology, University of ViennaDr. Reina Zenelaj, Lecturer of Political Science and International Relations, Epoka University

Individuals and households in Europe, including Austria, are experiencing growing uncertainty due to the rising cost of living, economic stagnation, and reductions in welfare state support. The associated economic and social consequences are unequally distributed, as are the opportunities for households and individuals to cope with, adapt to, or manage these uncertainties across various aspects of everyday life. Recent debates address coping and resilience as key concepts for understanding why some households manage adverse circumstances better than others. Particular attention is paid to the individual, structural, and institutional resources and conditions that shape households’ capacities to adapt, endure, and respond to social and economic hardship. The primary goal of this workshop is to facilitate networking and knowledge exchange to provide understanding of the complex social contexts of everyday life in challenging times. In addition to fostering exchange among researchers working in the field, the event is intended to facilitate dialogue with experts from the field to identify emerging developments and challenges.

Call for Abstracts

We invite empirical contributions in this area of research, including preliminary studies. Submissions that combine empirical work with theoretical or conceptual frameworks are also welcome. Possible focuses include, but are not limited to:

• Under what circumstances and in what ways do households adapt their everyday life in response to experienced or anticipated uncertainty, and what resources and practices do they know and use?
• Under what structural, individual and institutional conditions is (perceived) uncertainty managed in the households, or conversely, when do stress and burdens arise?
• Which state, private, or non-profit support services do households find (or fail to find) in their national, local, urban, or rural settings?
• What are the consequences of these challenges for households’ life planning, composition, health, housing situations, and social relationships?

We particularly invite contributions that contextualize and discuss concepts of coping and resilience. We are interested in contributions from different European countries or comparative research, as well as those offering specific local perspectives. We welcome contributions from scholars and professionals working in sociology, human geography, and related fields of spatial and social policy. Practice-oriented contributions are also welcome.

Please click here for the submission guidelines: Call for Abstracts
Submission deadline: September 30th, 2026
For any questions regarding the workshop or the submission process, please write to the following email address:

We will keep this page updated based on the available information about the workshop.