Born in 1951; business baccalaureate, studies in sociology, psychology and philosophy. Basic training in psychotherapy. Management of a development organization. Lecturer at the higher education institution for social work (FHNW). 2001-2004: Associate professor at the University of Fribourg. Since 2005: Full professor at the University of Basel. Former Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. Head of the postgraduate course "Conflict Analysis and Conflict Management". Member of the board of the Swiss. Society for Sociology.

• Development sociology, political sociology, social policy
• Social inequality (wealth/poverty, integration/exclusion)
• Conflict and cooperation research (violence, new wars)
• Biographical research