Hildegard Maria Nickel (born 1948) is a German sociologist and

feminist Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism incorporates the position that society prioritizes the male po ...

who has specialized in the sociology of work and

gender studies Gender studies is an interdisciplinary academic field devoted to analysing gender identity and gendered representation. Gender studies originated in the field of women's studies, concerning women, feminism, gender, and politics. The field ...

. From 1977, she was attached to the East-German Academy of Pedagogical Sciences becoming a full professor at the Institute for Social Sciences at

Humboldt University Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (german: Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, abbreviated HU Berlin) is a German public research university in the central borough of Mitte in Berlin. It was established by Frederick William III on the initiative of ...

, Berlin, from 1992 until her retirement in 2014. In 1994, she received the Helge Pross Prize from the

University of Siegen The University of Siegen (german: Universität Siegen) is a public research university located in Siegen, North Rhine-Westphalia and is part of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, a society of Germany's leading research universities. The Univers ...

for her contributions to

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

and gender studies. From 2002 to 2008, Nickel was State Secretary for Economy, Labour and Women at the

Senate of Berlin The Senate of Berlin (german: Berliner Senat) is the executive body governing the city of Berlin, which at the same time is a States of Germany, state of Germany. According to the the Senate consists of the Governing Mayor of Berlin and up to t ...

Biography

Born in 1948 in Berlin, Hildegard Maria Nickel graduated in cultural studies at Humboldt University in 1973. In 1977, she earned a Ph.D. with a dissertation titled ''Zu theoretischen Grundfragen der marzistisch-leninistischen Familiensoziologie'' (Fundamental questions in Marxist-Leninist sociology of the family). This was followed in 1986 by the

habilitation Habilitation is the highest university degree, or the procedure by which it is achieved, in many European countries. The candidate fulfills a university's set criteria of excellence in research, teaching and further education, usually including a ...

dissertation ''Geschlechtersozialisation in der Familie und als Funktion gesellschaftlicher Arbeitsteilung: ein erziehungssoziologischer Ansats für die Heraubilding männlicher und weiblicher sozialer Identität'' (Gender socialization in the family and as a function of the social division of labor: An education sociology approach to explaining the formulation for female and male social identity), earning her a second doctorate: Dr. sc. phil. After being employed by the East-German Academy of Pedagogical Sciences in 1977, from 1992 to 2014, Nickel was a full professor at the Sociology Department of the Humboldt University where she was involved in social and behavioural sciences, specializing in gender studies, sociology of work, and industrial and organizational sociology. In parallel, from 1993 to 2002 she was director of the university's Zentrum für interdisziplinäre Frauenforschung (Centre for Interdisciplinary Women's Studies). Nickel has undertaken visiting professorships in Canada, England, Pakistan, South Korea, and the United States. From 2002 to 2008, she served on the Berlin Senate as State Secretary for Economy, Labour and Women.

Awards

In 1995, Nickel was awarded the Helge Pross Prize for outstanding achievements in the field of sociology of the family and gender studies.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nickel, Hildegard Marial 1948 births Living people Gender studies academics German sociologists German women sociologists 20th-century German non-fiction writers 21st-century German non-fiction writers 20th-century German women writers 21st-century German women writers Academic staff of the Humboldt University of Berlin