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Alexandra Zein (39) is investigating the needs of people in need of care - including emotional needs - in her doctoral thesis. She began her doctorate at the Hochschule RheinMain (HSRM) right at the start of the inter-university doctoral center for social work in 2017. As a university of applied sciences, the HSRM was an obvious choice for her doctorate, as she had already completed her Master's degree in social work with a specialization in social space development and social space organization in the MAPS network here. Her doctoral thesis has the working title "Negotiation of needs in intercultural care counseling in care support centers".

"I socialized at a university of applied sciences and have also worked on research projects. In addition, the field of social work is a genuine field of the universities of applied sciences - so it was logical and appropriate for me to base my doctorate there," she explains.

The best advice for people in need of care and their relatives

Zein conducts research for people who are dependent on care and everyday support, focusing on how best to advise relatives and those affected. For example, on financial issues such as care insurance benefits for semi-stationary and stationary care services. But it is also about relieving the burden on family caregivers and at the same time how those in need of care can remain living at home for as long as possible. Closely interwoven with these organizational aspects of care advice are people's emotional needs. People's obligations and dependencies on each other often influence the implementation of support options. "I find it very enriching how these emotional concerns, wishes and needs can flow into the consultation and be negotiated there," says Alexandra Zein. "It's exciting to see how interests, care and people's dependency on each other are expressed in such consultations and what consequences can arise from this. This complexity interests me," says Zein.

Her goal is to be able to respond more sensitively to the needs of all those involved in this process in the future based on her analytical view of care advice. She also wants people to become actively aware of their own needs.

PhD tip and future plans

"Obtaining a doctorate is a very individual process, so it's best not to let others confuse you in your own work. It helps a lot to network with other doctoral candidates in order to reflect on the conditions of doing a doctorate," Alexandra Zein gives other doctoral candidates as a tip. "My plan for the future is to successfully complete my doctorate and hold a HAW professorship at some point," Zein concludes.