Michael welcomes PhD project proposals in German and comparative literature or cultural studies on any period from the 1750s onwards. Ideas for contemporary studies are also very welcome.
Students' research interests should broadly match his so they can get the most out of his supervision.
These include the history of emotions, critical theory (in particular gender theory and queer theory), work across genres of "high" and "popular" culture, and research which combines methodologies from the arts and humanities, and social sciences.
Michael's research focus is currently on experiences and representations of romantic love (erotically charged, intimate love between non-related adults). He would be very happy to consider research topics on any other phenomenological type of love.
He especially welcomes students with an interest in researching experiences of love which involve issues of physical disability, mental health, non-neurotypical people, non-conformist expressions of gender or sexualilty, age (young & old), or migration.
Completed PhDs
Jutta Kling, Queer Irony in English and German 19th Century Literature (PhD awarded from St Andrews and Tübingen in 2015), co-supervised by Ingrid Hotz-Davis, Tübingen.
Marissa Munderloh, Hybrid Identities in German Hip-Hop Culture (PhD awarded from St Andrews in 2015).
Matthias Eck, Masculinity in Recent Austrian and German Literature (PhD awarded from St Andrews in 2016).
Current PhD supervisions
Michael is currently supervising two PhD students who have been working on notions of belonging (Heimat) in German and English-language poetry, and goth youth culture in the GDR.