Sarah Gerwens is a PhD candidate at the European Institute. Her research investigates how people speak about race in a supposedly post-race society and how this shapes institutions.

To do this, she employs qualitative methods, including policy analysis, participant observation, and interviews, to study diversity and discrimination in German primary schools. This work engages with Critical Race Theory and critical whiteness literature. More broadly, Sarah’s research interests include racism, education, institutional discrimination, and “integration”. She also researches how social media spreads and shapes discourses.

Sarah holds an MSc in Global Europe: Culture and Conflict from the LSE and BAs in Global Studies and Psychology from Hofstra University, USA. Besides her studies, she has interned in the German and European parliament, served as the Head of Research for a pan-European youth think tank, and has worked as a short-term consultant for the GIZ. Currently, she is the student member of LSE Council and works with the PhD Academy to improve PhD supervision.

Sarah’s studies are funded by an LSE Studentship.

Academic Supervisors

Professor Jennifer Jackson-Preece and Professor Esra Özyürek (Cambridge)