The aim of this course is to familiarise students with the social scientific research of far-right politics and protest, and to provide students with the conceptual tools and methodological clues to investigate for themselves. In this course, we will discuss the terms and conceptualisations used to study the far right and their manifestations in far-right parties and voters, mobilisation and movements, online activity, and political violence. We will consider explanations for the rise and success as well as decline and failure of the far right across these areas. Crucially, this course will cover these topics from a comparative perspective, underscoring the commonalities and variations between different contexts. In addition to considering the empirical substance of far-right phenomena, students will be encouraged to scrutinise the methodological tools applied in studies of the far right, to evaluate how well a particular methodology is answering a given research question. Taken together, students in this course will acquire knowledge about far-right activity in diverse social sphere and will hone analytical skills used to research and evaluate the far right.
- Teacher: Michael Zeller
Sustainability is seen as creating a balance between the Planet, People, and Profit. How does this work in practice at the international and European level? This course provides an introduction to the real-world challenges and opportunities facing sustainability and an in-depth discussion into the topics of Planet, People, and Profit. Students will be introduced to fundamental concepts, European Union and United Nations policies, and practices for implementing sustainability programs. Students then apply the course concepts in a facilitated learning environment through workshop and stakeholder discussions. Understanding the Planet will involve discussing life-cycle analysis and circular economy. People are governed by policies and programs; this course will consider the challenges with enforcing policies. Profit will delve into the corporate world; how businesses can integrate corporate social responsibility into their operations. After successfully completing this course, students will be better equipped to understand sustainability policies, participate in stakeholder processes, and make organizational decisions related to corporate social responsibility.
- Teacher: Akima Cornell
- Teacher: Laura Seelkopf
- Teacher: Marc-David Nappert
- Teacher: Lucas Schramm
European welfare states are facing profound challenges. Austerity policies and current crises are exacerbating the situation. Against this background, this seminar addresses how states and societies respond to social, demographic and economic change. Questions to be answered include: How have European welfare states developed and how can they be compared? What role do the various sociopolitical actors play? And to what extent do European integration and crises drive social policy change?
- Teacher: Christina Steinbacher