Karl Mayer

Karl Mayer's picture
Stanley B. Resor Professor Emeritus of Sociology; Professor, Institution for Social and Policy Studies (ISPS); Director Emeritus, Max Planck Institute of Human Development, Berlin, Germany
Email: 
karl.mayer@yale.edu
Website: 
http://www.leibniz-gemeinschaft.de/en/about-us/organisation/president/former-pre...
Vita: 
https://sociology.yale.edu/sites/default/files/mayer_cv_jan15_2010.pdf

Before coming to Yale in 2003, Karl Ulrich Mayer spent more than twenty years as Director at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development in Berlin, Head of the Center for Sociology and the Study of the Life Course and Co-Director of the Berlin Aging Study. He now is Director Emeritus of the Max-Planck-Institute in Berlin. He received his training in Sociology, Philosophy and German Literature at the University of Tübingen, Gonzaga University (BA, 1966), Fordham University (M.A., 1967), the University of Konstanz (Dr., 1973), and the University of Mannheim (Habilitation, 1977). He held positions at the Universities of Frankfurt/Main and Mannheim and as Director of the German National Survey Research Center (ZUMA). From 1993 to 1999 he served as member and Vice-Chair of the German National Science Council. Dr. Mayer is a member of the European Academy of Sciences, the German Academy of Natural Sciences (Leopoldina) and of the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences, a Corresponding Fellow of the British Academy, a Founding Member of the European Academy of Sociology, a Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the recipient of the Distinguished Scholar Award from the American Sociological Association Section on Aging and the Life Course in 1999. In 2004 he was awarded the Fellowsip of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Dr. Mayer’s research is in the areas of social stratification and mobility, sociology of the life course, social demography, occupational structures and labor market processes, and methods of survey research.

Publications

(For full list of publications, see CV.)

Books

Book Chapters and Journal Articles

  • Mayer, K. U. (2009). New Trends in Life Course Research. In: Annual Review of Sociology 35 (2009) 493-514
  • Maloney, P., and Mayer, K. U. (2009). The U.S. Educational System: Can It Be a Model for Europe? In: Jens Alber and Neil Gilbert (eds.) United in Diversity: Comparing Social Models in Europe and America. New York: Oxford University Press, 328-358
  • Mayer, K. U. and Schulze, Eva (2009) Delaying family formation in East and West Germany – A mixed methods study of the onset of childbirth and the vocabulary of motives of women of the birth cohort 1971. In: Gunnar Andersson/aura Bernardi/Hille Kulu/GerdaNeyer (Hg.), The Demography of Europe: Trends and Perspectives, (Festschrift for Jan Hoem). Berlin: Springer
  • Mayer, K. U., Schnettler, S., & Aisenbrey, S. (2009). The Process and Impacts of Educational Expansion: Findings from the German Life History Study. In: Andreas Hadjar and Rolf Becker (eds.), Expected and Unexpected Consequences of the Educational Expansion in Europe and the U.S. Theoretical approaches and empirical findings in comparative perspective. Bern/Stuttgart/Wien: Haupt, S. 27-47
  • Diewald, M., and Mayer, K. U. (2009): The Sociology of the Life Course and Life Span Psychology: Integrated Paradigm or Complementing Pathways? In: Advances in Life Course Research 14, 5-14
  • Mayer, K. U. (2008). “Das Ende der Pfadabhängigkeit? Probleme des deutschen Wissenschaftssystems. In: G.Wagner (ed.) Fortschritte der informationellen Infrastruktur in Deutschland: Festschrift für Johann Hahlen zum 65. Geburtstag und Hansfried Krup zum 75. Geburtstag. Frankfurt: Campus Press.
  • Mayer, K.U. (2008). “Das Hochschulwesen.” In K. Cortina et al. (Eds), Das Bildungswesen der Bundesrepublik Deutschland. Hamburg: Rowohl Verlag (Revised 2nd edition).
  • Mayer, K.U. (2007). “Retrospective Longitudinal Research: The German Life History Study,” In S. Menard (ed.), Handbook of Longitudinal Research: Design, Measurement and Analysis. San Diego: Elsevier, 85-106.
  • Mayer, K. U. and Aisenbrey, S. (2007). “Variations on a Theme: Trends in Social Mobility in (West) Germany for Cohorts Born Between 1919 and 1971.” In M. Gangl, R. Pollak, G. Otte, & S. Scherer (Eds.), From Origin to Destination: Trends and Mechanisms in Social Stratification Research. Frankfurt: Campus Verlag, 125-154.
  • Mayer, K. U. and Diewald, M. (2007). “Die Institutionalisierung von Lebensläufen,” In J. Brandtstädter & U. Lindenberger (eds.), Entwicklungspsychologie der Lebensspanne. Ein Lehrbuch, (pp. 510-539). Stuttgart: Kohlhammer.
  • Mayer, K.U. (2007). “Verhängnisvolle Pfadabhängigkeit? Probleme des Deutschen Wissenschaftssystems.” In I. Genov and R. Kreckel (Eds.), Soziologische Zeitgeschichte: Helmut Steiner zum 70. Geburtstag (pp.233-253). Berlin: Sigma.
  • Mayer, K.U., Müller, W., & Pollak, R. (2007). “Institutional Change and Inequalities of Access in German Higher Education.” In Y. Shavit, R. Arum, A. Gamoran, & G. Menahem (Eds.), Expansion, Differentiation and Stratification in Higher Education: A Comparative Study.Stanford University Press.
  • Mayer, K. U. (2006). “All the King’s Horses and All the King’s Men Couldn’t Put Humpty Dumpty Together Again.” Review of Mortimer, Jeylan T., and Michael J. Shanahan (eds.)Handbook of the Life Course, New York (2003). In Social Forces 84, 4 (June) 2363-2365.
  • Mayer, K.U. (2006). “After the Fall of the Wall, Living Through the Post-Socialist Transformation.” Ch.1. In: M. Diewald, A. Goedicke and K.U. Mayer (Eds.) After the Fall of the Wall. Life Courses in the Transformation of East Germany. Palo Alto: Stanford University Press.
  • Mayer, K. U. (2006). “Society of Departure: The German Democratic Republic.” Ch. 2. In: M. Diewald, A. Goedicke and K.U. Mayer (Eds.) After the Fall of the Wall. Life Courses in the Transformation of East Germany. Palo Alto: Stanford University Press.
  • Diewald, M., and Mayer, K. U. (2006). “Unexpected Turbulences – Unexpected Continuities, Transformation Life Courses in Retrospective.” Ch. 12. In M. Diewald, A. Goedicke and K.U. Mayer (Eds.) After the Fall of the Wall. Life Courses in the Transformation of East Germany. Palo Alto: Stanford University Press.
  • Mayer, K. U. (2006). “Abschied von den Eliten.” In: Berlin-Brandenburgische Akademie der Wissenschaften. Abhandlungen. Berlin: Akademie Velag, 291-314.
  • Mayer, K. U. (2006). “Abschied von den Eliten.” In Herfried Münkler, Grit Straβenberger, and Mathias Bohlender (Hg). Deutschlands Eliten im Wandel. Frankfurt/New York: Campus Verlag, 455-479.
  • Mayer, K. U. (2006). “Sinn und Wirklichkeit – Beobachtungen zur Entwicklungen sozialer Ungleichheiten in (West-)Deutschland nach dem Zweiten Weltkrieg,” In K.-S. Rehberg (ed.), Soziale Ungleichheit, Kulturelle Unterschiede. Verhandlungen des 32. Kongresses der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Soziologie in München 2004, Teil 2 Frankfurt am Main: Campus Verlag, 1329-1355.
  • Brückner, H. and Mayer, K. U. (2005). “De-Standardization of the Life Course: What It Might Mean? And If It Means Anything, Whether it Actually Took Place.” In R. Macmillan (Ed.), The Structure of the Life Course: Standardized? Individualized? Differentiated? (Vol. 9, pp. 27-54). Amsterdam et al.: JAI Elsevier.
  • Mayer, K. U. (2005). Yale, Harvard & Co: Mythos oder Modell für Deutschland? In Hermann Strasser and Gerd Nollmann (Eds.) Endstation Amerika? Sozialwissenschaftliche Innen-und Auβenansichten. Vs Verlag für sozialwissenschaften (pp. 202-215).
  • Mayer, K. U. (2005). “Life Courses and Life Chances in a Comparative Perspective.” In S. Svallfors (Ed.), Analyzing Inequality: Life Chances and Social Mobility in Comparative Perspective (pp. 17-55). Palo Alto, CA: Stanford University Press.
  • Uunk, W., Mach, B. W. & Mayer, K. U.(2005). “Job Mobility in Former East and West Germany: The Effects of State-Socialism and Labor Market Composition.” European Sociological Review 21 (4) (pp. 393-408).
  • Hillmert, S. and Mayer, K. U. (2004). Die Geburtsjahrgänge 1964 und 1971: Ein Überblick. In S. Hillmert & K. U. Mayer (Eds.), Geboren 1964 und 1971. Neuere Untersuchungen zu Ausbildungs-und Berufschancen in Westdeutschland (pp. 17-22). Wiesbaden: VS-Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften.
  • Mayer, K. U. (2004). Unordnung und frühes Leid? Bildungs- und Berufsverläufe in den 1980er und 1990er Jahren. In S. Hillmert & K. U. Mayer (Eds.), Geboren 1964 und 1971. Neuere Untersuchungen zu Ausbildungs- und Berufschancen in Westdeutschland (pp. 201-214). Wiesbaden: VS-Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften.
  • Mayer, K. U. (2004). “Yale, Harvard & Co: Mythos oder Modell für Deutschland? ” In D. Hochschulverband (Ed.), Glanzlichter der Wissenschaft - Ein Almanach (pp. 71-82). Stuttgart: Lucius & Lucius.
  • Mayer, K. U. and Hillmert, S. (2004). “Neue Flexibilitäten oder blockierte Gesellschaft? Sozialstruktur und Lebensverläufe in Deutschland 1960-2000.” In R. Kecskes, M. Wagner, & C. Wolf (Eds.), Angewandte Soziologie (pp. 129-158). Wiesbaden: VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften/GWV Fachverlage GmbH.
  • Mayer, K. U. and Hillmert, S. (2004).“ New Ways of Life or Old Rigidities? Changes in Social Structures and Life Courses and their Political Impact.” In H. Kitschelt & W. Streeck (Eds.), Germany: Beyond the Stable State (pp. 79-100). London/Portland, OR: Frank Cass.
  • Mayer, K. U. (2004). “Whose Lives? How History, Societies and Institutions Define and Shape Life Courses,” Research in Human Development, 1 (3): 161-187.
  • Pollmann-Schult, M. and Mayer, K. U. (2004). “Returns to Skills: Vocational Training in Germany 1935-2000,” Yale Journal of Sociology, 4 (Fall 2004): 73-98.
  • Mayer, K. U. (2003). Das Hochschulwesen. In K. S. Cortina, J. Baumert, A. Leschinsky, K. U. Mayer, & L. Trommer (Eds.), Das Bildungswesen in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland. Strukturen und Entwicklungen im Überblick (pp. 581-624). Reinbek: Rowohlt.
  • Mayer, K. U. (2003). “The Sociology of the Life Course and Lifespan Psychology: Diverging or Converging Pathways?” In U. M. Staudinger & U. Lindenberger (Eds.),Understanding Human Development: Dialogues with Lifespan Psychology (pp. 463 - 481). Boston, Dordrecht, New York, London: Kluwer Academic Publishers
  • Mayer, K. U. and Hillmert, S. (2003). “New Ways of Life or Old Rigidities? Changes in Social Structures and Life Courses and their Political Impact,” In H. Kitschelt & W. Streeck (eds.), West European Politics, 26, 4 (October): 79-100. London/Portland, OR: Frank Cass.
  • Mayer, K. U. (2002). Wissenschaft als Beruf oder Karriere? In W. Glatzer, R. Habich, & K. U. Mayer (Eds.), Sozialer Wandel und gesellschaftliche Dauerbeobachtung (pp. 421-438). Opladen: Leske + Budrich.
  • Mayer, K. U. (2002). Zur Biografie der Lebensverlaufsforschung: ein Rückblick auf die letzten zwei Jahrzehnte. In G. Burkhart & J. Wolf (Eds.), Lebenszeiten. Erkundungen zur Soziologie der Generationen (pp. 41-61). Opladen: Leske + Budrich.
  • Smith, J.; Maas, I.; Mayer, K. U.; Helmchen, H; Steinhagen-Thiessen, E. & Baltes, P. B. (2002). “Two-Wave Longitudinal Findings from the Berlin Aging Study: Introduction to a collection of Papers,” Journal of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences, 57B (6): 471-473.
  • Mayer, K. U. (2000). “Promises fulfilled? A review of 20 years of life course research,”Archives Européennes de Sociologie, XL1, 2: 259-282.