Prof. Dr. Katrin Golsch

Welcome to my website!

Since 2015, I have been Professor of Quantitative Methods in Empirical Social Research and Social Structure Analysis at the University of Osnabrück. Previously, I worked at the University of Bielefeld and the University of Cologne.

My research focuses on the analysis of longitudinal data and addresses topics such as work-life balance, social support in partnerships, and the use of sick days for children.

In my teaching, I place great emphasis on using current data and practical examples. My goal is to enable students to understand, discuss, and critically question empirical results, and to give them the opportunity to produce their own empirical work.

My research currently focuses on three areas:

Use of Sick Leave for Children and Its Impact on Work

Caring for sick children is a major challenge for working parents. We are examining the use of sick days for children, as well as how these days are distributed between partners and the consequences for their careers. The goal is to bring this issue more into the public discourse and to develop practical solutions for a better work-life balance.

Conflicts between family and work

We are examining the conflicts that arise when trying to balance work and family life. Our focus is on:

The influence of support structures within partnerships.
The impact of flexible work arrangements.
The health and family consequences, as well as the coping strategies of those affected.

Social Support in Families and Couple Relationships

We examine the role of partner support in well-being and career development. In doing so, we analyze how supportive structures help people overcome everyday challenges and reduce work-life balance conflicts in order to promote mental well-being.

Here you will find further details on research activities in my field.

(Non-)Use of Sick Days for Children by Mothers and Fathers

Project Period: 2025–2028
Funded through the “zukunft.niedersachsen” funding program of the Lower Saxony Ministry of Science and Culture and the Volkswagen Foundation
The project examines the challenges associated with taking sick days for children from various perspectives. It began in November 2025.
Link to the project page

Who, why, how, and at what price? A mixed-methods study of caring for a sick child among working fathers and mothers

Duration: 2026–2029
Funded by the DFG
Using a mixed-methods design, this study examines how working parents care for sick children over a three-year period.
Link to the project page

Escape Statistics

Duration: 2026
Funded by the “LehrZeit VIII” grant program at the University of Osnabrück
The goal is to achieve sustainable learning outcomes in introductory statistics that extend beyond the exam. To this end, we are developing an innovative online educational escape room that combines knowledge acquisition, practical application, and teamwork, and actively involves students in its design.
Link to the project page

Mixed Methods Forum & Workshop

Duration: 2026–2027
Funded by the “zukunft.niedersachsen” program
The forum creates a framework in which the application of methods and practical discussions on mixed-methods research (MMR) go hand in hand. The focus is on the development of instruments and survey experiments, as well as on a mentoring program for researchers at all career stages.

Here you will find a selection of my publications. For a complete overview of my work, as well as open-access versions, please visit my profiles:

Selection

Adams, A., & Golsch, K. (2025). Child sick care-related absence from work and the consequences on parents’ income, SOEP Papers on Multidisciplinary Panel Data Research, 1219
Golsch, K., & Adams, A. (2025). Sleep duration, work-to-family conflicts, and telecommuting: A mediation analysis among German mothers and fathers. *Community, Work & Family*, 1–22.
Adams, A./ Golsch, K. 2023: Consequences of Work-to-Family Conflicts for Parental Self-Efficacy - The Impact of Gender and Cultural Background in Germany. Journal of Family Issues, 44(10), 2644-2664. doi.org/10.1177/0192513X221106729
Adams, A./ Golsch, K., 2023: Consequences of Work-to-Family Conflicts for Parental Self-Efficacy—The Impact of Gender and Cultural Background in Germany, Journal of Family Issues, online first. https://doi.org/10.1177/0192513X221106729
Schwarz, A. / Adams, A. / Golsch, K., 2023: Does Telework Mediate the Impact of Occupational Status on Work-to-Family Conflicts? An Investigation of Conditional Effects of Gender and the COVID-19 Pandemic, in: Abendroth, A.-K. / Lükemann, L. (Eds.) Flexible Work and the Family (Contemporary Perspectives in Family Research, Vol. 21), Emerald Publishing Limited, Bingley, pp. 101–127. https://doi.org/10.1108/S1530-353520230000021004
Adams, A./ Golsch, K., 2022: Employed parents’ reactions to work-family conflicts: Adaptive strategies of scaling back in Germany. Journal of Family Research. https://doi.org/10.20377/jfr-712
Adams, A./ Golsch, K., 2020: Gender-specific patterns and determinants of spillover between work and family: The role of partner support in dual-earner couples, Journal of Family Research. https://doi.org/10.20377/jfr-373.

https://www.springer.com/de/book/9783642329135

Blossfeld, H.-P. / Golsch, K. / Rohwer, G., 2007: Event History Analysis with Stata. Mahwah: Erlbaum. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203936559

My course offerings include both introductory courses and advanced seminars at the bachelor’s and master’s levels on quantitative methods and social structure analysis.

A detailed overview of the current courses and modules can be found on the department’s website. Students can also find all course-related materials in the Stud.Ip area.

Academic Degrees

2004 Ph.D. from Bielefeld University
1999 Master’s degree in sociology from Bielefeld University

Academic Career

Since September 2015 Professor of Quantitative Methods in Empirical Social Research and Social Structure Analysis, University of Osnabrück
2014–2015 Visiting Professor of Quantitative Methods in Empirical Social Research and Social Structure Analysis, University of Osnabrück
2009–2014 Assistant Professor, Social Structure and Social Inequality, Department of Sociology, Bielefeld University
2009 – 2009 Research Associate, BMBF project “Successful Transitions at the Interfaces Between School and College and Between College and Career Through Seamless Interventions in Higher Education Pedagogy,” Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences
2008–2009 Research Associate, “National Education Panel” project, HIS Hochschul-Informations-System GmbH
2004–2008 Research Associate, Chair of Empirical Social and Economic Research, Faculty of Economic and Social Sciences, University of Cologne
2003–2004 Research Assistant, Chair of Empirical Social and Economic Research, Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences, University of Cologne
2002–2003 Research Assistant, Methods of Empirical Social Research and Social Psychology, Faculty of Sociology, University of Bielefeld
1999–2002 Research Assistant, “GLOBALIFE” Project (Life Courses in the Globalization Process), Department of Sociology, University of Bielefeld