Gerald Czech is a social economist, nonprofit manager, and PhD candidate at the Institute for Nonprofit Management and Governance at Vienna University of Economics and Business (WU Wien). As Head of Marketing and Communications for the Austrian Red Cross, he works at the intersection of brand management, fundraising, public trust, and crisis communication.
His career path combines social science, communication, and technology: He began as a trained chemical technician, worked as a press officer, emergency responder, paramedic, digital strategist, and lecturer, and has headed the Marketing and Communications department of the Austrian Red Cross since 2018. This diverse professional background shapes his perspective on culture: taste is neither purely private nor a simple personality test, but rather part of social orientation and societal positioning.
His dissertation at WU Wien examines how the brand value of nonprofit organizations influences trust and different forms of social support—from monetary donations through volunteering and blood donation to other forms of engagement. His public research profile identifies him as a PreDoc at the Institute for Nonprofit Management and Governance and as Head of Marketing and Communications for the Austrian Red Cross.
Why HabitusMatch?
HabitusMatch arose from an observation: Music taste is personal, but not exclusively individual. What we listen to, how we discuss it, and from what we distinguish ourselves is related to education, background, generation, lifestyle, cultural capital, and social environment.
The theoretical foundation is particularly Pierre Bourdieu's analysis of habitus, taste, and social distinction. HabitusMatch additionally draws on research about cultural omnivorousness, scenes and subcultures, social identity, cultural representation, and social milieus.
HabitusMatch translates these perspectives into a digital exploration tool. It aims to show what social and cultural patterns can be recognized in music preferences—without reducing people to a single class, generation, or milieu category.
The project combines three approaches:
- social science theory,
- data-driven pattern recognition,
- playful, accessible result presentation.
Two Formats, One Foundation
HabitusMatch offers two presentation modes:
Academic explains results using social science concepts, theoretical references, and methodological limitations.
Popular condenses the same patterns into an accessible and playful interpretation—similar to a personal year-in-review, but with a sociological background.
The difference lies in language and detail. Both formats are based on the same data foundation. The results are neither psychological diagnosis nor objective determination of social status, but rather a theory-informed interpretation of cultural preferences.
Research and Publications
Gerald Czech has published since the 2000s on social structures, public communication, digital participation, and crisis and disaster management.
Among the scientifically and bibliographically well-documented works are:
- Fleischhackl et al. (2006): Reaching the public via a multimedia campaign as a first step to nationwide public access defibrillation. DOI: 10.1016/j.resuscitation.2005.07.026
- Fleischhackl et al. (2008): Results from Austria's nationwide public access defibrillation programme collected over 2 years. DOI: 10.1016/j.resuscitation.2007.11.019
- Czech (2010): Sozialstrukturen im Österreichischen Roten Kreuz [Social Structures in the Austrian Red Cross]. Diploma thesis, Vienna University of Economics and Business.
- Czech, Gruber & Raber (2011): Durch die rosarote Brille. Einflussfaktoren auf den Habitus von Journalistinnen [Through Rose-Tinted Glasses: Factors Influencing the Habitus of Female Journalists].
- Auferbauer, Czech & Tellioglu (2015): Communication Technologies in Disaster Situations: Heaven or Hell?
- Auferbauer, Ruggenthaler, Czech & Gojmerac (2019): Taxonomy of Community Interaction in Crises and Disasters, ISCRAM 2019. AIT Publication Record
Writing as Part of Research
In addition to scientific publications, Gerald Czech writes on several blogs:
- Redcross Sociologist connects sociology with volunteering, humanitarian organization, communication, and social-political questions. The blog includes earlier posts on Bourdieu, habitus, and social structures.
- Diss-Tance accompanies the journey through a dissertation project and collects scientific findings, methodological reflections, and personal research experiences.
- Falkensteinerweg focuses on cooking, pleasure, gardening, and everyday culture—demonstrating the practical side of taste, lifestyle, and cultural practice that HabitusMatch examines theoretically.
- Redcross Webmaster's Blog documents long-standing work in digital communication, campaigns, and online engagement.
Privacy and Scientific Transparency
HabitusMatch processes only data that users provide for the respective analysis or—with separate consent—for research purposes. Research use, storage duration, technical safeguards, and withdrawal options are explained in the Privacy Policy.
HabitusMatch does not sell personal data and does not use collected information for advertising profile creation. Published evaluations occur only in aggregated or sufficiently anonymized form.
Contact and Collaboration
Questions about theoretical foundations, methodology, or possible research collaborations: