I studied social sciences in Cologne, Berlin and Brussels. At the end of my studies, I worked as an author in radio and worked for three years at the city magazine kreuzer in Leipzig. Since 2009, I have worked as a research assistant and freelance social scientist in various research contexts (including at the Hamburg Institute for Social Research, Thünen Institute for Regional Development, IASS Potsdam) with a focus on social change and upheaval as well as forms of coping, especially in East Germany.
From 2010 to 2016, I did my doctorate at the Research Training Group "Temporal Structures of the Social" - and after a baby break - at the Research Training Group "Post-growth Societies" at the University of Jena on shrinking industrial cities in East-West (Germany) comparison. After teaching and research activities at the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences, including on opportunities for qualified women to remain in rural areas, I worked at the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS) in Potsdam from 2018 to 2020. In the project Social Structural Change and Responsive Policy Advice, I focused on conflict and cooperation relationships and explored the potential of transformative research approaches.
Since October 2020, I have been a part-time professor for the Management of Social Change program.
Application development, scientific advice and conceptual support for "F wie Kraft - Frauen als Wirtschaftsfaktor für die Lausitz", commissioned by Wirtschaftsregion Lausitz GmbH/ZWL; Trawos Institute (2019/2020)
Research assistant: "Social structural change and responsive policy advice in Lusatia". BMBF project at the IASS Potsdam (2018-2021)
Co-applicant and project leader (together with Prof. Ingolf Prosetzky) "Participatory (social) research: On the linking and application of socio-analytical, formative and helping research approaches" (2018-2020 funded by the SMWK, Faculty of Social Sciences, HSZG)
Collaboration/author for the interim report on the 2nd Creative Industries Report (2017 Client: SMWA; TRAWOS Institute and Prognos AG)
Research assistant "Creativity potentials in rural areas: history, generation, gender" (Trawos Institute, HSZG, SMWK 2017)
Co-applicant and project coordinator: "Improving the chances of qualified young women to stay in Upper Lusatia" (2015-2018 funded in the Demography Directive, Saxon State Chancellery and SMWA Skilled Workers Directive; TRAWOS Institute with equal opportunities officer for the district of Görlitz)
"Stadt.Land.Fluss - Plattform für kreative Allianzen" (03/2011-01/2012, funded by the German Federal Cultural Foundation) Cooperation project between Fluss e.V. Plattenburg (Prignitz) and Thünen Institute for Regional Development Bollewick
"Im Osten was Neues - Kreativer Aufbruch in den vom demografischen Wandel betroffenen Regionen in den neuen Bundesländern" (07/2010 - 11/2010, funded by the Federal Ministry of the Interior) together with Andreas Willisch; Thünen-Institut Bollewick e.V.
Collaboration in the joint research project: "ÜberLeben im Umbruch - Sozialkapital im Umbruch europäischer Gesellschaften" (4/2009-05/2010, funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research) at the Hamburg Institute for Social Research and the Thünen Institute Bollewick for Regional Development e.V.
Gabler, Julia (2021): Transformative research - transformative action: Social renewal in the periphery. In: Herberg et al: Science in structural change, structural change in science, OEKOM 2021.
Staemmler, J., Priemer, J., & Gabler, J. (2020). Civil society in structural change. Associations and foundations in Lusatia. IASS Brochure.
Herberg, J., Gabler, J., Gürtler, K., Haas, T., Staemmler, J., Löw Beer, D., & Luh, V. (2020). Learning from Lusatia: how sustainability research can open up to democracy issues. GAIA - Ecological Perspectives for Science and Society, 29(1), 60-62. doi:10.14512/gaia.29.1.13.
Herberg, J., Kamlage, J.-H., Gabler, J., Goerke, U., Gürtler, K., Haas, T., Löw Beer, D., Luh, V., Knobbe, S., Reinermann, J., Staemmler, J., & Venghaus, S. (2020). Participatory governance and sustainable structural change. Interim status and options for action in Lusatia and the Rhenish mining area. IASS Brochure.
Gabler, J., Herberg, J., & Luh, V. (2020). They want to stay: Interim report on the IASS workshops with apprentices in the Lusatian lignite industry. IASS Workshop Summary.
Further scientific contributions:
Gabler, Julia (2019): Plug and play or work and stay - (New) employment and life prospects for women in rural areas of eastern Germany. In Preißing, Dagmar (ed.): Frauen in der Arbeitswelt 4.0. Chancen und Risiken für die Erwerbstätigkeit. De Gruyter, Oldenburg 2019.
Gabler, Julia; Kollmorgen, Raj; Kottwitz, Anita (2016): Who is coming? Who is leaving? Who stays? A study to improve the chances of qualified women staying in the district of GörlitzGörlitz.
Gabler, Julia (2016): Presence - An ethnography in shrinking industrial cities,(dissertation) Jena 2016.
Gabler, Julia; Willisch, Andreas (2013): Vita creativa - Rural life as a source of new civility. In: Berger, Peter et al. (eds.): Religionshybride - Religionsproduktivität posttraditionaler Gemeinschaften? VS Verlag, Wiesbaden
Gabler, Julia (2012): Überlebensgelassenheit einer Kümmerergesellschaft In: Willisch, Andreas (ed.): Wittenberge ist überall, Ch. Links Verlag, Berlin.
Magazines/Press/Podcast (selection)
"Urban-rural is the dividing line." Interview with Helke Ellersiek for Freitag 45/2020.
"The time for comfort is over." Interview with Jan Sternberg for Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland; June 15, 2019 (Published in numerous local editions e.g. Berliner Zeitung, DNN, Hannoveraner etc.)
"Let Lusatians shape their own future" Commentary on the European and local elections to MP Michael Kretschmer, Sächsische Zeitung 29 May 2019
"Doesn't anyone want to be the boss?" with Johannes Staemmler in DIE ZEIT 25/2019
"I would be careful about prematurely demonizing AfD voters." HuffPost podcast by Marco Fieber - Episode 2: Interview with Dr. Julia Gabler on 23/06/2018
"The desire to stay is much higher today" In Lausitz Magazin Winter 2017/18, p. 46/47
"A province full of men" Interview with Martin Machowecz for DIE ZEIT 17/2017
Affiliate Scholar at the Institute for Transformative Sustainability Research (IASS) in the project: Social structural change and responsive policy advice in Lusatia
Founding member of KoLABORacja e.V., which runs a small co-working space, the Kolabor, at Hospitalstraße 29.
Member of Kühlhaus e.V.
Network for precautionary management
Institute for Applied Participation e.V. (ifab e.V., Spremberg)