Thesis Focus
Your research will focus on understanding how service-based “third places”—traditionally offline spaces fostering social interaction—are increasingly transforming into mixed or online third places. This shift has profound implications for addressing loneliness and alienation in a digital age.
Bachelor's Thesis: Literature Review
- Objective: Conduct a comprehensive literature review on the transformation of third places, examining how these spaces evolve to address loneliness in hybrid or online environments. Develop a structured synthesis that identifies gaps and opportunities for future research.
- Scope: Explore existing theories, frameworks, and recent research on consumer loneliness, third places, and service design.
Master's Thesis: Empirical Study
- Objective: Investigate the transformation of third places empirically with a focus on qualitative or quantitative data collection (secondary data is also possible) and analysis. Provide actionable insights into service strategies that can mitigate loneliness through innovative approaches.
- Scope: Design a study to explore the impact of the transformation of third places on loneliness and analyze how these environments influence feelings of loneliness and social connection.
Why Choose This Topic?
This research aligns with important societal challenges including:
- The impact of digital services on alleviating loneliness.
- Innovations in service strategies to foster community and connection.
- Ethical considerations in designing services for isolated individuals.
Supervision and Support
Our team will provide:
- Guidance on structuring your thesis.
- Access to relevant literature and resources.
- Support in developing empirical methodologies
How to Apply
Interested students should send an email to jannes.marquardt(at)ku.de expressing their interest, along with a brief outline of their motivation and any prior experience related to the topic.
Resources:
journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/10946705211018860
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1094670506289530
https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/ijchm-07-2017-0442/full/html
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/page/journal/15206793/call-for-papers/si-2025-000395