After studying sociology, law, and psychology at the Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg and the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, I completed my PhD at LMU in 2011 under Prof. Dr. Armin Nassehi with a dissertation on the sociology of political parties. I then worked as a postdoctoral researcher at LMU in the department of Prof. Dr. Paula-Irene Villa Braslavsky, punctuated by visiting professorships, research stays and guest lectureships in Bielefeld, Erfurt, Vienna, Konstanz, and Paris, among other places. I am currently serving as substitute professor for general sociology and sociological theory at the Institute of Sociology at LMU Munich (substituting for Prof. Dr. Armin Nassehi).
Since my PhD, I have focused primarily on the consequences of the computer (r)evolution for political publics, political organizations, and political communication.
I am the spokesperson for the Political Sociology Section of the German Sociological Association and the editor of the Journal for Theoretical Sociology.
The list of lectures can be found on my LMU homepage.
News
In July 2026, the DFG Research Network: “Qualitative Studies of Public Opinion: Understanding the Crisis of Democratic Politics” launched. Information at: https://linuswestheuser.com/dfg-network-qualitative-studies-of-public-opinion/ and soon in other places as well.