Faculty of Social Sciences and Cultural Studies

Course Description

This seminar is structured around the international lecture series Being Human – Remaining Human: International Perspectives on ‚Bildung‘, Peace, Justice and Inclusion and combines participation in the lecture sessions with accompanying seminar sessions. Attendance and active engagement in the lecture series are an integral and mandatory part of the course. In accordance with the core character of the IMPACCT project (International Mobility with Partners Abroad for Culturally Competent Teachers), the lecture series brings together perspectives from Christian and Islamic religious education as well as broader educational discourses around the themes of peace, justice, and inclusion.

Drawing on a multitude of conceptual and disciplinary reference points, all contributions focus on the relevance of ‚Bildung‘ for humanity as well as for teaching and learning in schools. Theoretical approaches, legal as well as normative frameworks, and pedagogical practices applicable in the school classroom complement each other to enable a multi-layered exploration of the complexity behind human encounter in pluralistic societies and educational contexts characterized by diversity. All contributions culminate in the final question participating students and educators are asked to answer: What kind of person do I want to be in the classroom?
 

Faculty

Faculty of Social Sciences and Cultural Studies

Department

Department of Childhood- and School Pedagogy

Lecturer

Annika Brück-Hübner 

Study Period (dd/mm/yy)

12/10/2026 - 30/11.2026

Mode and Time

Synchronous 

block seminar (dates):

12.10.2026 14:00-17:30

19.10.2026 14:00-17:30

26.10.2026 14:00-17:30

02.11.2026 14:00-17:30

09.11.2026 14:00-17:30

16.11.2026 14:00-17:30

23.11.2026 14:00-17:30

30.11.2026 14:00-16:00

Class Format

Blockseminar with an accompanying lecture series

Collaboration

Anja Seifert & Stephan Pruchniewicz (JLU Giessen)

Guzmán Perez Montiel (Universidad Pontificia Comillas, Spain)

Bülent Şenay (Uludag University, Turkey)

Sonja Danner (KPH Wien, Austria)

Latife Çatma (Uludag University, Turkey)

Nesrin Ünlü (Marmara Üniversitesi, Turkey)

Aslıhan Atik (Çukurova Üniversitesi, Turkey)

M. Sencer Özeszer & Kamuran Tarim (Çukurova Üniversitesi, Turkey)

Course Description

This seminar examines the interconnection between migration, diaspora networks, and transnational belonging in the case of Türkiye and Germany. We trace historical and contemporary migration trajectories between these two countries, from labour recruitment starting in the 1960s and family reunification in the 1970s and 80s to current refugee migration, asylum, and international student mobility as well as the second and third generations of the Turkish diaspora in Germany. In doing so, we explore how these movements shape new forms of citizenship, belonging and identity as well as networks and participation beyond the nation-state. In a nutshell, the key question of the seminar is how does Turkish migration actually shape transnational spaces between Türkiye and Germany? Combining and applying interdisciplinary perspectives from sociology, political science, ethnography, economics, migration studies, cultural studies, and health studies, the course introduces key theories and concepts of transnationalism, diaspora networks and politics, migration imaginaries, belongings, identities, and the migration–development nexus. Drawing on empirical case studies as well as the ongoing research of the instructors on Turkish migration, student mobility, and transnational health diasporas, students will critically engage with shifting migration and mobility patterns, the notion of the “German Dream” in Türkiye, diaspora dynamics, and the everyday realities and constructions of belonging of transnational life. The seminar concludes with student presentations on their selected case studies and collective reflections on contemporary mobility and belonging. Students have to write a 15 pages long paper to finish the seminar successfully.

Faculty

Department of Social and Cultural Sciences

Department

Institute for Sociology

Lecturer

Zekiye Gürün-Ücem (PhD candidate), Dr. Sascha Krannich, Prof. Dr. Asli Ilgit (Cukurova University)

Study Period (dd/mm/yy)

12/10/2026 - 12/02/2027

Mode and Time

Synchronous
Block seminar dates: tba

Class Format

Block seminar

Course Description

The central question of the seminar is: Who owns the city? The seminar wants to deal with property relations of housing in the city (and in the countryside) and to explore the social, economic, political as well as ecological conditions of appropriate housing. After a brief introduction to classical property texts (by Locke, Marx, etc.), more recent texts on housing will be discussed along the following lines: Housing and the role of economics, financial markets and housing; the human right to housing; alternative housing.

We will stream and discuss with you an interesting film: "Push. For the basic right to housing". 

Faculty

Faculty of Social and Cultural Sciences

Department

Institute of Political Science

Lecturer

Prof. Dr. Regina Kreide 

Study Period (dd/mm/yy)

12/10/2026 - 12/02/2027

Mode and Time

Synchronous
Weekly: Tuesdays, 6 p.m. - 8 p.m.

Class Format

Seminar

Online Tool for Teaching

Zoom

Language of Instruction

English 

Target Group

Master, PhD
Open for students of the following subject/field: Political Science, Sociology, Social Sciences, Philosophy, Geography

Prerequisites

English B2

Examination Format

Presentation (prerequisite) and final paper

ECTS

6

ECTS without examination

2

Course Description

This seminar critically examines the concept of civil society from the perspective of non-democratic and hybrid regimes. During the course, we will explore how the concept emerged, how it relates to neoliberal agenda and what problems does it cause.

We begin by exploring key theoretical traditions, ranging from Habermas’s concept of the public sphere and Cohen and Arato’s ideas on civil society and political theory, to Jeffrey Alexander’s approach to the civil sphere. Building on this, we will consider critical interventions that challenge liberal and Eurocentric interpretations of civil society. These include James C. Scott’s concept of “hidden transcripts” and critiques of global civil society research from a decolonial perspective.

The second part of the course turns to empirical case studies. We explore how civil society has been conceptualized and practiced in China, Russia, Iran, Belarus and Ukraine. Readings by Taru Salmenkari, Jeremy Morris, Karine Clément and Asef Bayat foreground everyday politics, labour struggles and “non-movements” rather than perspectives centered on NGOs or donors.

Across these case studies, we will analyze how ordinary people organize, navigate repression and reshape the boundaries of civic space. In the final sessions, we will connect these empirical insights to recent debates on civil society in authoritarian and hybrid regimes. We ask whether the concept should be revised or replaced when studying contentious politics beyond consolidated democracies.

Faculty

Department of Social and Cultural Sciences

Department

International Graduate Centre for the Study of Culture (GCSC)

Lecturer

Marina Iaroslavtseva

Study Period (dd/mm/yy)

09/11/2026 - 08/02/2027

Mode and Time

Synchronous
Weekly (from 09/11/2026 to 08/02/2027): Mondays, 2 p.m. - 4 p.m. 

Class Format

Seminar

Online Tool for Teaching

BigBlueButton

Language of Instruction

English 

Target Group

Bachelor, Master

Prerequisites

English B2

Laptop with stable internet

Live participation in at least 7 of 10 sessions

Examination Format

Individual analytical essay (approx. 2,500–3,000 words, excluding bibliography)

ECTS

3

ECTS without examination

2

Course Description

This seminar takes a closer look at how we communicate, learn, and work together in an era shaped by artificial intelligence. We will explore established and emerging theories of communication and cooperation and examine how generative AI is beginning to influence teaching, learning, and professional practice across different educational settings. Rather than treating AI as a purely technical phenomenon, we will consider its social, ethical, and pedagogical consequences, particularly with regard to inclusion, participation, and justice within European education systems.

Throughout the semester, we will work with concrete examples from schools, universities, and adult learning. Participants will assess both the opportunities and the constraints of AI-supported tools and reflect on what responsible use can and should look like in collaborative learning environments. The course is deliberately designed to be interdisciplinary: students will engage with academic literature, analyse case studies, experiment with digital tools, and discuss their insights in structured synchronous sessions.

A central element of the seminar is the collaborative project work. In mixed, international teams, participants will develop a small practice-oriented project that brings together communication theory, cooperative learning approaches, and ethical frameworks for AI. My aim is to provide a space in which students can think critically, test ideas, and build the communicative and collaborative competencies that will shape future educational practice.

Faculty

Faculty of Social Sciences and Cultural Studies

Department

Department of Educational Science

Lecturer

Erum Afzal

Study Period (dd/mm/yy)

12/10/2026 - 12/02/2027

Mode and Time

Synchronous, hybrid
Monday 12 p.m. - 2 p.m.

Class Format

Seminar

Online Tool for Teaching

Zoom

Language of Instruction

English, German

Target Group

Bachelor, Master, PhD, Teacher Training

Open for the following subject field: Educational Sciences, Social Sciences, Psychology, Digital Humanities, Communication Studies, European Studies, Information Technology and Computer Sciences

Prerequisites

English B1

Knowledge about Interaction with AI tool(s)

Examination Format

Presentation, Portfolio, Term Paper

ECTS

4

ECTS without exam

2

Course Description

This course will introduce participants to emerging concerns and criticisms about entrepreneurship, or, more generally, to the process of demystifying entrepreneurship. Given the diversity of perspectives through which entrepreneurship has been challenged in recent years, the course is designed to cover seven topics (either as double or single sessions), including entrepreneurship and slavery, business propaganda, and institutional aspects of destructive entrepreneurship. The course aims to guide participants to further explore its subjects in economic sociology, management critical studies, or entrepreneurship critical studies. The main teaching references will be a combination of seminal papers and book chapters; moreover, multimodal content (e.g., videos) will be used to enhance the audience’s learning quality and sensory engagement.

Faculty

Faculty of Social and Cultural Sciences

Department

Department of Sociology

Lecturer

Farhad Feizi

Study Period (dd/mm/yy)

06/10/2026 - 12/02/2027

Mode and Time

Synchronous
Weekly: Tuesdays, 4 p.m. - 6 p.m.

Class Format

Seminar

Online Tool for Teaching

BigBlueButton

Language of Instruction

English 

Target Group

Bachelor, Master, PHD
Open for students of the following subject/field: Economics, Business, Management, Social Sciences, Sociology, Political Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Global South Studies, Development Studies, Sustainability Studies, etc. 

(The seminar is not exclusively designed for specific fields, although the mentioned groups may find it more interesting)

Prerequisites

English (Listening B2, Speaking B1)

Examination Format

Presentation

ECTS

3 

ECTS without examination

2 

Course Description

Some stories, as Benjamin suggested, unearth violence expressions from their historical context to transform them under the lens of current aesthetic values. To speak about violence, we use words such as “horror”, terror”, “barbarism”, or “terrorism”. But art internalizes it and plays with it, creating images and narratives to illustrate the consequences of violence on our bodies and souls. This seminar examines how metaphors about violence shape meanings and cultural memories of contemporary violence. Drawing on narrative theory and cultural memory approaches, the course analizes violence is represented and how metaphors emerge and compose stories about mourning, grief, and dignity. In recent years, we have been experiencing the growth of violent phenomena around the world. So that reading contemporary stories about violence can help us understand our present and reflect on future horizons.

The seminar focuses on four visual media and literary cases, co-selected with students in the first session within the following selection: Human Acts by Han Kang, Zone of interest by Jonathan Glazer, Voices from Chernobyl by Svetlana Alexievich, Looking at Women, Looking at War: A War and Justice Diary by Victoria Amelina, Paradais by Fernanda Melchor, Civil War by Alex Garland, and The Secret Agent by Kleber Mendonça Filho. The theoretical framework thrives on Edward Said’s concepts (imaginary geographies), Müller-Funk (latent/silent narratives), and Jacques Rancière (aesthetic regime). We connect cultural memory theory and narrative approaches to explore aesthetic strategies, metaphors, symbols, and tropes used in the selected cases. 

By the end of the seminar, students will be able to apply core concepts to different stories and to describe political narratives presented in them. Then, we highlight the potential of stories to foster reflection on violence registers and consequences, their cultural meaning, and with the aim to support peacebuilding amid worldwide confrontation.

Faculty

Department of Social and Cultural Sciences

Department

Institute for Political Science (Peaces Studies)

Lecturer

Miguel Ángel Castro Caballero

Study Period (dd/mm/yy)

21/10/2026 - 20/01/2027

Mode and Time

Synchronous
Weekly: Wednesdays 3 p.m. - 5 p.m. 

Class Format

Seminar 

Online Tool for Teaching

BigBlueButton

Language of Instruction

English 

Target Group

Bachelor, Master, Teacher Training

Prerequisites

English B2

Knowledge of cultural memory studies

Willingness to view and discuss potentially sensitive political content 

Live participation in at least 8 of 11 sessions

Examination Format

Final paper

ECTS

5

ECTS without examination

2

Course Description

This course examines queer diasporic performances (Turkey/MENA origin) in Berlin as "agonistic spaces" for democratic negotiation within Europe’s shifting political landscape. Moving beyond aesthetics, we analyze these practices through a Political Science lens as "acts of citizenship" where non-citizen subjects claim the "right to have rights". The curriculum addresses the transition from pluralistic reforms to more restrictive citizenship regimes, exploring how marginalized bodies resist "homonationalism" and far-right "remigration" discourses. Key topics include the "migration of border regimes" into digital platforms (e.g., dating apps, algorithms) and the role of the stage as an "extra-parliamentary democratic institution". Students will engage with theorists such as Mouffe, Isin, Puar, and Ahmed to understand how performance becomes a strategic political maneuver for institutional recognition and cultural survival. 

Faculty

Department of Social and Cultural Sciences

Department

Department of Political Science 

Lecturer

Ekin Durmaz

Study Period (dd/mm/yy)

11/11/2026 - 18/11/2026

Mode and Time

Synchronous
Blockseminar dates: 11/11/2026 and 18/11/2026

Time: 2 p.m. - 3.30 p.m. 

Class Format

Blockseminar

Online Tool for Teaching

BigBlueButton, Zoom

Language of Instruction

English 

Target Group

Master, PhD

Prerequisites

English B2/C1

Basic understanding of political theory, migration studies or gender studies 

Examination Format

Short reflection paper (300 words) and active participation in group discussions

ECTS

3

Course Description

The relatedness of societies towards the future cannot be taken for granted. It rather is a characteristic of modernity which conceptualizes the future as open horizon of infinite dynamics, plannings, and designs. This affects economic as much as political agency and individual biographies. Hence, the future has developed into one of the core variables of society and sociation. At the same time, the future remains unknown, is hard or simply not predictable and, thus, invariably remains risky. This class reflects on approaches towards the future from the social sciences and cultural studies.

Faculty

Department of Social and Cultural Sciences

Department

Institute for Sociology

Lecturer

Prof. Dr. Jörn Ahrens

Study Period (dd/mm/yy)

tba

Mode and Time

Synchronous
Dates: tba

Class Format

Block seminar

Online Tool for Teaching

Zoom

Language of Instruction

English 

Target Group

Bachelor

Open for students of the following subject/field: Sociology, Political Sciences, Government Studies, Anthropology

Prerequisites

Academic English

Examination Format

Academic paper

ECTS

6

Course Description

The accelerating changes in the global climate are linked to a rise in the frequency and severity of extreme weather events and natural disasters, such as floods, droughts, and even earthquakes. These challenges transcend national borders, pose serious risks to societies, and give rise to new socio-political, economic, legal, and technological questions, as well as pressing transformation needs, necessitating a re-evaluation of disaster risk management strategies. Given the relevance and interdisciplinary significance of this topic, this lecture offers interdisciplinary perspectives on disaster risk (reduction) management. The lecture is structured into three thematic blocs, aligned with the disaster risk cycle. In the first bloc “(Natural) Hazards, risks and disasters”, students learn more about the governance of risks and the development of disasters. This bloc focuses on water-related risks in general, climate change scenarios and the political, economic and legal understanding of risks and disasters. In the second bloc “Prevention, mitigation and preparedness”, climate challenges are analysed from economic and engineering perspectives. This bloc highlights (green) financial policies and seismic risk prevention. In the third bloc “Response and recovery”, several disaster case studies are discussed and the impacts of disasters on food systems, pro-social preferences and community resilience are examined. The lecture combines sessions from the following disciplines: Political Science, Economics, Geography, Engineering, Law.

Faculty

Center for International Development and Environmental Research (ZEU)

Faculty of Social and Cultural Sciences

Department

Department of Political Science

Lecturer

JLU: Prof. Dr. Helmut Breitmeier, Prof. Dr. Sandra Schwindenhammer, Katrin Strobehn

Study Period (dd/mm/yy)

12/10/2026 - 12/02/2027

Mode and Time

Synchronous and Asynchronous (recorded)

Class Format

Lecture

Collaboration

Philipps University Marburg: Becker, Chifflard, Dickler, Schwirplies, Vollan; University of Limoges: Lepetit, Noah, Tacneng; University of Calabria: Furnari, Zimmaro

Course Description

Die Europäische Union hat ihre internen Grenzen durch den Aufbau des Binnenmarktes, die Einführung einer gemeinsamen Währung und die Schaffung der Schengen-Freizügigkeitszone im physischen Sinne nahezu aufgelöst. Dabei hat sie auch ihre externen Schranken für den globalen Handel maßgeblich reduziert. Doch de sogenannte “Flüchtlingskrise” hat die Aufmerksamkeit erneut auf die einst als überwunden geglaubten Staatsgrenzen in Europa gelenkt und ihre Auswirkungen sowie Funktionen in den Mittelpunkt der öffentlichen Diskussion gerückt. Gleichzeitig führt die zunehmende Autokratisierung in Staaten wie Belarus, der Türkei und in nordafrikanischen Ländern wie Libyen zu einem “Rebordering” an den Außengrenzen der EU. Während die innere Reisefreiheit als grundlegendes Element der europäischen Identität gefeiert wird, geraten die europäischen Werte durch Menschenrechtsverletzungen bei Kontrollen an den und sogar jenseits der Außengrenzen des Kontinents in Bedrängnis. Diese Kontrollmechanismen erstrecken sich oft weit über physische Grenzen hinaus, indem sie in andere Staaten verlagert sowie auf private Unternehmen, nichtmenschliche Akteure und automatisierte Technologien übertragen werden. Die Veranstaltung “Grenzpolitik im europäischen Vergleich” bietet einen umfassenden Überblick über das vielschichtige  europäische Grenzregime. Sie beinhaltet eine tiefgreifende Einführung in die Grenzforschung und lädt zur kritischen Reflexion ein, was Grenzen heute wirklich bedeuten. Außerdem werden die Rolle der Akteur*innen und Praktiken der EU und ihrer Mitgliedsstaaten vergleichend betrachtet, um ein Verständnis der aktuellen Grenzdynamiken in Europa zu erlangen.

Faculty

Faculty of Social Sciences and Cultural Studies

Department

Political Science

Lecturer

Maraike Vandergrift, M.A.

Study Period (mm/yy)

10/26-03/27

Mode and Time

Class Format

Block seminar

Online Tool for Teaching

Zoom

Language of Instruction

German

Target Group

Bachelor

open to the following subject fields: Political Science, Philosophy, Geography, Sociology, Cultural Studies, Anthropology, History

Prerequisites

German

Examination Format

Presentation and paper

ECTS

6

ECTS without Examination

5

Course Description

The course will discuss open government data as a socio-technological issue. It will prepare students to work with open data as a practitioner or scholar. Seven seminars will constitute three main modules. 

The first module (seminars on October 16 and 30) will provide basic concepts to understand open data development globally. It is expected that interactive discussions about open data role in democratic countries will take place during these sessions on the basis of the suggested readings. 

The second module (seminars on November 13 and 27, and December 11) will be devoted to theoretical approaches to analyse open data. Students will be invited to adopt multidisciplinary social science lens to look at this phenomenon and to prepare an individual analytical paper afterwards. 

The third module (seminars on January 15 and 29) will discuss examples of open data practices from different countries. It is planned to invite two open data practitioners from private sector or civil society to share about their work and to have an interactive discussion with course participants. 

The course will conclude with a group assignment to present open data practices in a specific country from a critical perspective of the studied material. As a result, students will be prepared to use open data in their future work and to conduct further academic studies on it.

Faculty

Social Sciences and Cultural Studies

Department

International Graduate Centre for the Study of Culture (GCSC)

Lecturer

Ievgen Bilyk

Study Period (mm/yy)

10/26-03/27

Mode and Time

Class Format

Seminar

Online Tool for Teaching

BigBlueButton or Zoom

Language of Instruction

English

Target Group

Master

Open to students of the following fields: 

• Sociology
• Economics
• Cultural Studies
• Political Science
• Science and Technology Studies
• Information Technologies

Prerequisites

English B2
Knowledge in Social Sciences or Information Technologies Bachelor's Degree 

Examination Format

Exam pre-qualification: Participation in at least five out of seven seminars (50% of score) 

Two-part exam:

• Individual analytical paper (30% of score) – to be submitted by January 12th, 2026
• Group presenation of case study (20% of score)  – during last seminar on January 29th, 2026

ECTS

5

ECTS without Examination

2