Personal Data

Name:	Horst Jürgen Helle
Address:	Office: Institut für Soziologie, Konradstr. 6, 80801 München, Germany
	Home: Heinz-Hilpert-Str. 4, 81739 München, Germany
Telephone:	Office: x4989-2180-3242 (Frau Heindl)
	Mobil: x49160-400-1699
E-Mail:	horsthelle@hotmail.com - mail@horsthelle.de

Current Position

Professor emeritus of Sociology, Institut für Soziologie, Universität München, Munich, Germany

Educational Background

1953-56	Universität Hamburg: Business Administration, Economics, Civil Law, Dutch, English
1956	Diplom-Kaufmann (Business Degree)
1956-57	University of Kansas: Graduate Study in Business Administration and Social Psychology
1957	Master of Business Administration: University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas
1959	Dr. phil. (Sociology, Psychology, Business Adm.): Universität Hamburg, Germany
1961-66	Wissenschaftlicher Assistent, Institut für Sozialwissenschaften, Universität Hamburg
1966-67	Fellowship, awarded by the American Council of Learned Societies: Postdoctoral Research at the Department of Sociology of “The University of Chicago”
1967	Habilitation (Sociology): Privatdozent, Universität Hamburg

Employment

1959-61	Marketing Manager in Industry: Unilever Germany, Hamburg
1961-69	Universität Hamburg: Assistant, Sociology 1961-1968, Universitätsdozent, Sociology 1968-69
1969-72	RWTH Aachen (Aachen Institute of Technology): Professor of Sociology ("Was macht man, wenn keiner Rektor sein will?" Aachener Volkszeitung)
1972-73	Universität Wien, Vienna, Austria: Professor of Sociology
1973-2002	Universität München, Professor of Sociology and Co-director of Institut für Soziologie

Awards

1956-57	Fulbright Scholarship, University of Kansas
1958-59	Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes, scholarship for graduate work toward doctorate
1966-67	American Council of Learned Societies: American Studies Fellow
1984	Killam Visiting Scholar, The University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada (Sept./Dec.)
1990	Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (DAAD), Bonn: Travel grant for sabbatical leave at the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque (Aug.-Dec.)
1991	Fulbright Professorship for summer school teaching at the University of Colorado at Boulder (July-Aug.)

Professional Activities

1970-71	Dean, Philosophische Fakultät, RWTH Aachen
1973	Visiting Professor at the University of California Santa Barbara, USA (July-Sept.)
1979-88	Chairman, Sektion für Soziologie, Görres-Gesellschaft
1981-82	Visiting Professor at the University of California Santa Barbara
1981	Nov. 25.: Interview with Herbert Blumer in Berkley, California
1982	Chairman, Symposium 8: Revisions and Relations among Modern Microsociological Paradigms, 10th World Congress of Sociology, Mexico City
1984	Sept.-Dec.: Visiting Professor (Killam Scholar) The University of Calgary, Alberta
1984-86	Department Head, Institut für Soziologie Universität München
1985	March: Visiting Professor, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
1986-87	Nov.-Feb.: Visiting Professor, Universität Zürich, Switzerland
1986-88	Elected member of university senate, Universität München
1988	August: Organizer and director: OASIS Summer-School (Organization for Advanced Studies in Interpretative Sociology), an English language summer institute at the Universität München, co-taught with Tamotsu Shibutani, Friedrich Tenbruck and others
1988-89	Nov.-Feb.: Visiting Professor, Universität Zürich, Switzerland
1989	April: Visiting Professor, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas
1989-90	Nov.-Feb.: Visiting Professor, Universität Zürich, Switzerland
1990	Aug.-Dec.: Visiting Professor, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, N.M.
1991	Jan.: Visiting Professor at Bond University, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
1991	March-May: Exchange Professor, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis
1991	Jul.-Aug.: Fulbright Professor during summer school, University of Colorado, Boulder
1991-92	Nov.-Feb.: Visiting Professor, Universität Zürich, Switzerland
1991-93	Department Chair, Institut für Soziologie, Universität München
1993	March: Distinguished Visiting Professor, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
1995	Research: University of Hawaii at Manoa (April-May), University of California at Santa Barbara (June-July). Teaching: University of Colorado at Boulder (August)
1995	Sept.-Oct.: Guest lectures in Tokyo, Nagasaki, and Seoul
1996	March: Guest lectures in Seoul and Beijing, first visit to China
1996	April: Co-Chair, International Conference on George Simmel's Actual and Potential Impact on Contemporary Sociology: University of Colorado at Boulder (USA)
1997	March: Guest lectures and research contacts in Seoul and Beijing
1997	Aug.-Sept.: Presenter at International Conference of Interuniversity Cooperation and Exchange, 3rd visit to Peking University, research contacts in Seoul, Kyoto, and Tokyo
1998	March-Apr.: Research contacts in Seoul (Shamanism) and Beijing Oct.: Prof. Jing Tiankui, Beijing, visits Universität München (picture)
1999	March-Apr.: Research visit to Beijing, Guiyang, Quanzhou, and Fuzhou, financed by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG).
1999	Sept.-Dec.: Visiting Professor: University of Maine at Farmington, Maine, U.S.A.
2000	Jan.-Apr.: Visiting Professor: Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, U.S.A.
2000	August: Visit to Professor Phillip E. Hammond (1921-2009), Department of Religious Studies, University of California, Santa Barbara.
2001	June (1-10): China: Lecture and research contacts at Tongji University (picture) in Shanghai with field trips to the Shanghai temple district Chenghuang, and to Zhouzhuang, Hangzhou, and Suzhou.
2001	June (10-13): Korea: Lecture at the German-Korean Conference in Seoul: Korea and Germany at the Threshold of the 21st Century.
2002	Jan.: Visit to Shanghai. August: Visit to Boston, New York, the University of Maine at Farmington, and the University of California at Santa Barbara.
2003	Aug.-Oct.: Two months in China with professional contacts at Peking University and guest lectures at Fudan University and Tongji University in Shanghai, and at Huaqiao University in Quanzhou.
2004	May: Visit to Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, U.S.A. - Sept. 15-18: Presenter at the XII Congress of the Polish Sociological Association in Poznan, Poland.
2005	Febr.: Research contacts at Fudan University, Shanghai, and at the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences. May-June: Visiting scholar and lecturer at Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
2006	Jan.-May: Guest professor at Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri, U.S.A.
2007	Sept.-Oct.: Guest teaching: Peking University and Dalian Technical University, China. Visit at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
2008	March: Guest lectures at the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, at Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou Campus, at Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai Campus, at Huaqiao University, Quanzhou, at Peking University, Beijing, and at the German-Japanese Work Workshop “Family and Work” in Tokyo.
2010	Aug.-Dec.: Guest professorship at Sanya College in Sanya, Hainan, China, partially financed by Stiftungsinitiative Johann Gottfried Herder, sponsored by Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (DAAD). Oct.: Guest lectures at Huaqiao University in Xiamen, Fujian, China.
2011	Sept.-Nov.: Guest professorship at Huaqiao University in Xiamen, China, partially financed by Stiftungsinitiative JohannGottfried Herder, sponsored by Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (DAAD).
2012	March-June and Aug.-Nov.: March-June and Aug.-Nov.: Guest teaching at Huaqiao University in Xiamen, Fujian. Nov.-Dec.: Teaching assignment at Sanya College (renamed Sanya University).
2013	Feb.-June and Sept.-Dec.: Teaching and research assignments at Sanya University.
2014	March-July: Teaching and research assignments at Sanya University. Oct.-Feb. 2015: Teaching assignment at Munich University.
2015	Publication project on China. Travels to Paris and Rome.
2016	Oct.- Feb. 2017 Teaching assignment at Munich University.
Membership in Learned Societies Deutsche Gesellschaft für Soziologie Society for the Scientific Study of Religion (Fellow) Görres-Gesellschaft
Areas of Teaching Interest Sociology of Verstehen (Georg Simmel, Max Weber) Symbolic Interaction Theory Sociology of the Family Sociology of Religion Culture and History of China History of Social Thought
I. Books as author: 1. Die unstetig beschäftigten Hafenarbeiter in den nordwesteuropäischen Häfen. Eine industriesoziologische Untersuchung in Antwerpen, Bremen, Bremer-haven, Hamburg und Rotterdam, (Ph.D.-thesis), Stuttgart: G. Fischer 1960.
2. Soziologie und Symbol. Ein Beitrag zur Handlungstheorie und zur Theorie des sozialen Wandels, (Habilitationsschrift). Köln und Opladen: Westdeutscher Verlag 1969.
3. Familie - Zwischen Bibel und Kinsey-Report, Osnabrück: A. Fromm 1974.
4. Verstehende Soziologie und Theorie der Symbolischen Interaktion, Stuttgart: B. G. Teubner 1977.
5. Soziologie und Symbol. Verstehende Theorie der Werte in Kultur und Gesellschaft, 2. überarbeitete und erweiterte Auflg. Berlin: Duncker & Humblot 1980.
6. Aufsätze zur Familiensoziologie. (Reihe Soziologenkorrespondenz, Bd.11), München: Sozialforschunginstitut München e.V. 1985.
7. Dilthey, Simmel und Verstehen. Vorlesungen zur Geschichte der Soziologie. Frankfurt/M., Bern, New York: Peter Lang 1986.
8. Soziologie und Erkenntnistheorie bei Georg Simmel. Darmstadt: Wissen-schaftliche Buchgesellschaft 1988.
9. Verstehende Soziologie und Theorie der Symbolischen Interaktion, 2. überarb. und erw. Aufl., Stuttgart: B. G. Teubner 1992.
10. Einführung in die Soziologie, 2. Auflg., München: Oldenbourg 1997.
11. Religionssoziologie - Die Entwicklung der Vorstellung vom Heiligen. München: Oldenbourg 1997.
12. Verstehende Soziologie: Lehrbuch, München: Oldenbourg 1999.
13. Georg Simmel: Introduction to his Theory and Method, München: Oldenbourg 2001.
14. Georg Simmel: Einführung in seine Theorie und Methode, München: Oldenbourg 2001.
15. Theorie der Symbolischen Interaktion. Ein Beitrag zum Verstehenden Ansatz in Soziologie und Sozialpsychologie, 3. überarbeitete Auflg., Wiesbaden: Westdeutscher Verlag 2001.
16. Symbolic Interaction and Verstehen. Frankfurt am Main, New York: Peter Lang 2005.
17. Messages from Georg Simmel. Leiden: Brill 2013.
18. Messages from Georg Simmel (paperback), Chicago: Haymarket Books 2014.
19. The Social Thought of Georg Simmel. Los Angeles: SAGE 2015.
20. China: Promise or Threat? A Study in Cultural Evolution, Leiden: Brill 2017 (Nov. 2016).
II. Books as editor 1. (Editor) Kultur und Institution. Aufsätze und Vorträge aus der Sektion für Soziologie, Berlin: Duncker & Humblot 1982.
2. (Co-editor) S. N. Eisenstadt and H. J. Helle (eds.), Macro-Sociological Theory: Perspectives on Sociological Theory, vol. 1, London, Beverly Hills, New Delhi: SAGE Publications, (International Sociological Association) 1985.
3. (Co-editor) H. J. Helle and S. N. Eisenstadt (eds.), Micro-Sociological Theory: Perspectives on Sociological Theory, vol. 2, London, Beverly Hills, New Delhi: SAGE Publications, (International Sociological Association) 1985.
4. (Editor) Georg Simmel, Gesammelte Schriften zur Religionssozio-logie. Berlin: Duncker & Humblot 1989.
5. (Editor) Verstehen and Pragmatism. Essays in Interpretative Sociology. Frankfurt/Main, Bern, New York, Paris: Peter Lang 1990.
6. (Co-editor) Pierpaolo Donati and Horst J. Helle (eds.), La Famiglia Oggi/Familie Heute. Annali di Sociologia/Soziologisches Jahrbuch 6 1990-I-II. Trento: Temi.
7. (Co-editor and translator) H. J. Helle und L. Nieder (eds.), Essays on Religion by Georg Simmel, New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 1997.

Articles and Book Reviews

---

top of page