Center for Sociocybernetics Studies Bonn

Dr. Michael Paetau

Michael Paetau graduated as sociologist after studying sociology, philosophy, economics and history in Hamburg and Marburg, Germany. He got his doctor degree in social and economic science (Dr. rer.pol.) at the University of Bremen with a thesis on "Human-Machine-Communication" 1989.

From 1995 - 1998 he was head of the research team «Culture - Media - Technology« of the "Institute for Applied Information Technology", of the "German National Research Center for Information Technology (GMD)" in Sankt Augustin. 1998 – 2002 he was head of the research team «Social Systems« of the GMD-Institute for Autonomous Intelligent Systems, and 1999 - 2002 Speaker of the research department «Informed Sustainability«.

2004 – 2005 he was Professor for Media and Communication Science at the University of Siegen, Faculty for Literatures, Languages and Media and 2002 – 2004 Professor for Communication Studies at the University of Duisburg-Essen, Campus Essen, Faculty for Literatures and Languages.

From 2005 to 2008 he was responsible for strategy development at the "Fraunhofer Institut für Intelligente Analyse und Informationssysteme. (IAIS)"

Currently he is

head of the Center for Sociocybernetics Studies ,
president of the Association Cultures of Knowledge (Wissenskulturen e.V.).
board member of the Research Committee on Sociocybernetics (RC51) of the International Sociological Association (ISA) and
editor of the Journal of Sociocybernetics
teachs on sociology of media at the University of Bielefeld.

See more on Michael Paetau's Website

Selected Publications

Paetau, M.: Niklas Luhmann y la Cibernética. In: Marcuello Servos, C. (comp.): Sociocibernética: Lineamientos de un paradigma. Institución Fernando El Católico, Zaragoza. Coedited with the Lab Complex UNAM, Ciudad de México 2006, pp. 149 – 176

Paetau, M.: Media Revolution and Social Amnesia? Questions for Developing Social Structure and Media Technology. In: Marcuello, Ch.; Fandos, J.L. (comps.): Aproximaciones sociológicas para una sociedad mundial: Cambio cultural, problemas sociales y sociedad del conocimiento. Prensas Universitarias de Zaragoza 2006, S. 203 – 213

Paetau, M.: Wissen in sozialen Strukturen. In: Wyssusek, B. (Ed.): Wissensmanagement komplex : Perspektiven und soziale Praxis. Berlin 2004: Schmidt, pp. 119-134

Paetau, M.: Raum und soziale Ordnung. Die Herausforderung der digitalen Medien. In: Funken, Christiane; Löw, Martina (Eds.): Raum - Zeit - Medialität. Interdisziplinäre Studien zu neuen Kommunikationstechnologien. Opladen 2003: Leske + Budrich, pp. 191-215

Kopfmüller, J.; Brandl, V.; Jörissen, J.; Paetau, M.; Banse, G.; Coenen, R.; Grunwald, A.: Nachhaltige Entwicklung integrativ betrachtet. Konstitutive Elemente, Regeln, Indikatoren. Berlin 2001: Sigma

Paetau, M.: Computernetzwerke und die Konstitution des Sozialen. In.: Honegger; C.; Hradil, S.; Traxler, F. (Eds.): Grenzenlose Gesellschaft. Band II. Frankfurt am Main: Leske+Budrich 1999, pp. 270-284.

Becker, B.; Paetau, M. (Eds.): Virtualisierung des Sozialen. Die Informationsgesellschaft zwischen Fragmentierung und Globalisierung. Frankfurt am Main: Campus 1997

Paetau, M.: Kommunikationsweise und sozialer Raum. In: Bulmahn, E. et al. (Eds.): Informationsgesellschaft - Medien - Demokratie. Kritik - Positionen - Visionen. Marburg 1996: BdWi-Verlag, pp. 168 - 173

Mambrey, P.; Paetau, M.; Tepper, A.: Technikentwicklung durch Leitbilder. Neue Steuerungs- und Bewertungsinstrumente. Frankfurt am Main - New York 1995: Campus

Paetau, M.: Configurative Technology: Adaptation to Social Systems Dynamism. In: Oppermann, R. (Ed.): Adaptive User Support. Ergonomic Design of Manually and Automatically Adaptable Software. Hillsdale, New Jersey 1994: Lawrence Erlbaum Ass. pp. 194 - 234

Paetau, M.: Mensch-Maschine-Kommunikation. Software, Gestaltungspotentiale, Sozialverträglichkeit. Frankfurt am Main - New York 1990: Campus