How do advantages and disadvantages build up over a lifetime and what mechanisms drive these processes? These questions took center stage at the University of Mannheim during the international workshop “Processes of Cumulative (Dis)Advantage in the Study of Inequalities: Theories, Conceptual Models, and Analytical Methods”, held on September 30 and October 1, 2025.

The event was organised by the University of Mannheim in cooperation with Tilburg University and ENGAGE.EU, funded by the German Academic Exchange Service. It brought together 20 early-career researchers from across Europe, including Germany, Italy, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Switzerland. Participants – doctoral candidates and postdoctoral fellows – are working on projects that trace how inequalities unfold in education, employment, health, ageing, and care.

Over two days, participants engaged with five keynote lectures by leading scholars in the field. Kenneth F. Ferraro (Purdue University) opened the workshop with an overview of Cumulative Inequality Theory, followed by lectures from Elina Kilpi-Jakonen (University of Turku), Fabian Kratz (Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München), Philipp M. Lersch (DIW Berlin & Humboldt University of Berlin), and Anette Eva Fasang (Humboldt University of Berlin).

Beyond the lectures, participants took part in small-group discussions designed to connect theory with their own research and encourage peer exchange. Informal networking – over shared breakfasts, discussions with speakers, and a convivial group dinner – helped build a sense of community among emerging scholars studying inequality.

Feedback from participants was overwhelmingly positive. They praised the coherence and high academic quality of the lectures as well as the workshop’s interactive, collegial atmosphere. Many expressed enthusiasm for a follow-up event focusing on hands-on empirical methods and data analysis.

The workshop underscored Mannheim’s role as a hub for cutting-edge social research, fostering dialogue across disciplines and generations. Building on its success, plans are already underway for a follow-up meeting focused on applied, data-driven approaches to the study of inequality.