Dorothee Schulte-Basta

Current position
Doctoral researcher
Doctoral programme in Social Sciences at the Faculty of Human and Social Sciences
Main Subject: Social Policy

Previous work experience
2014-04/2023: Head of Social Policy Division, Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung, Berlin, Germany

2009-2013: Research Assistant & Personal Advisor German Parliament – Dr. Wolfgang Strengmann-Kuhn, Bündnis 90/Die Grünen, Berlin, Germany

Degrees
24.03.2009: Master of Arts
Catholic Theology, Philosophy, Journalism and Communication Sciences, Freie Universität Berlin, Germany

My research focuses on the essence, role, and transformational potential of cultural centers in rural municipalities, with a special emphasis on Swedish-speaking communities in Finland. By combining qualitative and quantitative methods, I analyze how cultural centers foster local identity, social cohesion, civic engagement, and sustainable regional development. Beyond the Finnish case, I am interested in comparative cultural policy research, the conceptualization and typology of cultural infrastructure, and the ways in which cultural institutions contribute to resilience, inclusivity, and linguistic diversity in European contexts.