Summer Semester 2025 - for info

Lecturer: Max Richter

Course Nr.: 15304.0194

Date/Time: Tues, 14.00 - 15.30

Location: S34, Building 102, U1, -1.309

Literature refers to and is a part of society. As obvious as this claim may seem as challenging is it to factor in the multiple social dimensions of literature when treated as an object of study and criticism. The seminar will serve as an introduction to the interdisciplinary research field called ‘sociology of literature’ and will provide different perspectives on how to approach literature sociologically. Thus, the focus will lie less on readings of literary texts but rather on readings of theoretical views on literature as a social interplay between authors and readers involving intermediaries (publishers, critics, bookstores etc.), status hierarchies (such as ‘high’ and ‘low’ literature) and a literary economy consisting of both monetary and symbolic values. About half of the seminar sessions will be dedicated to the recent English translation of the introductory book The Sociology of Literature (2023) by French sociologist Gisèle Sapiro. The other half will be dedicated to shorter essays by various scholars that shed further light on the field. As the syllabus consists of European and Western scholarship, we will pay attention to the role that Western concepts of literature, culture and value play for the sub-discipline, both in contributions which address the matter explicitly and in those which do not. The seminar addresses students with an interest in the study of the literary world and requires no previous knowledge of the field.

Lecturer: Laura Jungblut

Course Nr.: 15304.0195

Date/Time: Tues, 16.00 - 17.30

Location: S34, Building 102, U1, -1.309

Indigenous Studies is an advancing, multidisciplinary field of research with a global scope. It encompasses historical, cultural, political, and literary topics, amongst others, compromising a multitude of perspectives circling around sovereign prospects and indigenous existence. This course offers an introduction to Indigenous Studies, establishing methodologies and research practices. Together we will ask questions of colonization and decolonization, the relationship between the settler colonial state and indigenous peoples, as well as considering the shared indigenous experience around the globe.  
The second part of the course will focus on Sámi literature, examining texts from Sàpmi, engaging in comparative analysis, critical reading and (scholarly) positionality. These texts may include excerpts from Muitalus sámiid birra – An Account of the Sámi (Turi), The Rocks Will Echo Our Sorrow (Labba) and Stolen (Laestadius). We will examine how Sámi Studies and Indigenous Studies are practiced and implemented within the European academic landscape and identify the elements of a shared dialogue within the pan-indigenous space, working towards an understanding of Indigenous Studies in the 21st century.   

All core courses listed under Basic Module 1 may be chosen as an elective course as well. Please note you should have chosen three BM1 courses (one from each thematic field) and could, in theory, choose the other three as Additional courses.

The offers of the Department for German as a Foreign Language may be counted towards the Elective Module, if the requirements for the Basic Module 2 have been fulfilled already. 

Semester German course (9CP)

Lecturer: Jun.-Prof. Dr. Paul Silva

Course Nr: 14213.0232 

Time/Date: Mon, 10.00 - 11.30 

Location:  Building100, 4.016

Credit Points: 3

In the first part of this course our main interest will be in philosophical questions about the nature of time, the identity of persons across time, and the conditions for free will. In the second part of this course our main interest will be in questions about the nature of human knowledge: what is knowledge, what are our sources of knowledge, and how–if at all–we can show that we have knowledge and deal with the problem of skepticism?

Lecturer: Jun.-Prof. Dr. Paul Silva

Course Nr: 14213.0212

Time/Date: Thur, 10:00 - 11:30

Location:  Building 100, 4.011

Credit Points: 3

This course will cover a range of topics in recent epistemology. It begins with readings on some of our basic representational states (esp. beliefs, seemings) and moves on to discuss when belief are justified and might constitute knowledge. We will examine various recent theories of knowledge with an emphasis on virtue-theoretic approaches. We will then turn our attention to other factive states in epistemology: ignorance, awareness, and understanding. We will examine the extent to which these states are related to knowledge.

Lecturer: Prof. Dr. Kirk Junker

Course Nr: 13980.2614

Time/Date: Fri, 10:00 - 11:30

Location:  105, Hörsaal A2

Credit Points: 3

Lecturer: Prof. Dr. Angelika Nußberger

Course Nr: 139802052

Time/Date: Mon, 16:00 - 17:30

Location:  100, Hörsaal XVIII

Credit Points: 3

Die Vorlesung führt in den Internationalen Menschenrechtsschutz ein und betrachtet neben den internationalen auch die regionalvölkerrechtlichen Menschenrechtssysteme. Dabei werden sowohl die Ideengeschichte, die Entwicklung und Bedeutung als auch die institutionelle und die materiell-rechtliche Seite des Menschenrechtsschutzes besprochen. Ein Schwerpunkt wird auf der Europäischen Menschenrechtskonvention und der Charta der Grundrechte der Europäischen Union liegen. Ein Abschlusstest wird angeboten. 
 

Lecturer: Prof. Dr. Sven Bernecker

Course Nr: 142130300

Time/Date: Tues, 16:00 - 17:30

Location:  105, Hörsaal G

Credit Points: 3

Lecturer: Prof. Dr. Claudia Blöser

Course Nr: 142130301

Time/Date: Wed, 10:00 - 11:30

Location:  100, 4.016

Credit Points: 3

Climate change is undoubtedly one of the greatest socio-political challenges of our time. Rising temperatures, rising sea levels and more extreme weather are threatening us, our environment and, even more so, future generations. While there is broad consensus that something needs to be done about climate change and its consequences, the details are controversial. This seminar will explore the ethical dimensions of the climate crisis. We will examine questions such as: • What is climate ethics and why does climate change pose unique moral challenges? • Do we have obligations to future generations? • Are individuals morally responsible for climate change, even if their actions do not make much difference? • How does climate change affect our duties to animals and non-human life? • What ethical concerns arise from climate-induced migration and displacement? • Can climate activism and civil disobedience be morally justified?

Lecturer: Frau Clara Günther

Course Nr: 142130403

Time/Date: Thur, 12:00 - 13:30

Location:  100, Seminarraum 4.016

Credit Points: 3

This course is held by Clara Günther and Lou Thomine. It has two objectives. The first is to provide future teachers with basic knowledge in epistemology and its social aspect. The second is to explore practical applications of these theoretical tools to make sense and develop a critical attitude to our everyday life. To do so, we will consider knowledge as it is transmitted in institutionalized places, from school to museums. The course is divided into three blocks: The first sessions are dedicated to theoretical knowledge and focus on the understanding of the concept of epistemic injustice(s), as it has been recently and largely developed in analytic epistemology. In the second part, we apply our understanding of epistemic injustice to explore the meanings and implications of the philosophical canon. We will engage with recent research on this topic, analyse school books and try to understand the injustices that are produced by canon and hear out about strategies to deal with them. In the last sessions of the course, we propose another practical application of the theoretical tools provided during the semester. We explore the idea of the museum as a place of knowledge transmission and the injustices it can rise. More specifically, we examine the relationship between colonialism and ethnographic museums, supported by diverse materials (documentaries, visits, etc.)

Lecturer: Prof. Dr. Stephan Packard

Course Nr: 142271111

Time/Date: Mon, 12.00 - 13.30 

Location:  106, S16

Credit Points: 3

Many different kinds of media do seem to tell stories: Movies, TV series, books, comics, computer games, memes, online videos, and many more. In this course we will discuss analytical approaches that take this quality of media as their starting point in order to understand and examine media and place them in historical contexts: What follows from the fact that a media artifact tells a story, what is narrative structure, and how do various ways to tell stories with media differ from one another? 

In the now well-established research field of transmedia narratology, some clear analytical approaches have proved their potential for clarifying structures and functions of many media types. As we discuss and employ these concepts in our own narrative media analyses, we will be interested in questions such as: How do media convey the temporal structure relevant to narratives? How are events, happenings, and subjective experiences constructed? What are narrative instances, and can we do without them? How are storytelling and sense-making related? What distinguishes fiction from factual narratives? Which narrative structures are typical for different media, such as language, writing, images, sculptures, films, television, radio plays, theatre, comics and computer games – and which ones may apply across media?

At the same time, current research is faced with a number of challenges that reflect interesting new but also traditional phenomena in media production and usage: How is canonicity negotiated in transmedia storytelling universes such as Star Wars or the MCU? What is gained and lost when a plot travels from one media adaptation to the other – and what even makes two plots ‘the same’? How can we understand transmedia characters that travel between media and answer questions like, ‘Is Batman a Holmes?’ How can we conceive of fiction and of imaginary stories in contradistinction to lies, propaganda, and ‘fake news’? Why do we experience suspense even when we see a movie for the second time? How does participatory narration happen in fandom, in ergodic computer games, but also in table top roleplaying? What is an unreliable narrative, and why does ti delight even as it frustrates?

In addition, we also want to address historical questions: it has not always been self-evident that images can tell stories as well as language, that narratives can provide access to the subjective experiences of strangers, or that stories can be freely invented. Some specific narrative techniques also have a clear historical index; they are invented, spread, and then fall out of fashion.

Lecturer: Prof. Dr. Stephan Packard

Course Nr: 14227.1411

Time/Date: Thur, 10.00 - 11.30 

Location:  106, S11

Credit Points: 3

Lecturer: Prof. Dr. Peter Marx

Course Nr: 142271421

Time/Date: Tues, 10.00 - 11.30 

Location:  106, S01

Credit Points: 3

Theatre and Performance Studies have long transcended the narrow idea of a discipline dealing only with artistic theatre. Rather, concepts like performativity, theatricality, or spectatorship have been imported in other academic fields as much as Theatre and Performance Studies have grown in interest in phenomena and developments beyong the confinements of traditional theatre. This years World Conference of the International Federation for Theatre Research (IFTR) in June (9-13) in Cologne, offers an opportunity to learn more about these developments. The seminar includes joint readings and discussions as well as visiting the conference and meeting some of the protagonists in this field.

Lecturer: Peter Breuer

Course Nr: 142770703

Time/Date: Wed, 13.00 - 16.00 

Location:  101, S244

Credit Points: 3

This course explores the transformative role of AI in Germany’s leading corporations and the broader European industrial landscape. It addresses how AI-driven innovations can provide competitive advantages through customer value enhancement and operational profitability. By examining real-world case studies and learning directly from industry leaders, students will gain both a foundational understanding of AI transformation and insight into practical implementation strategies within various sectors.

Lecturer: Prof. Dr. Thomad Widlok

Course Nr: 145012011

Time/Date: Tues, 14.00 - 15.30 

Location:  103, S54

Credit Points: 3

Comparison is inevitable in scholarly work. Even in case studies there is always a comparative reference point, minimally with regard to the background of the researcher conducting the study or the presumptions that frame the research. Considering its importance, it is striking how little attention is given to comparison in research proposals, and also in field research projects and when presenting the results. This seminar seeks to change this state of affairs by enabling students to be clearer about various comparative methods but also about the implicit comparisons they inevitably get involved in. The seminar is devoted to both, to "frontal comparison" in field research situations and also to "lateral comparisons" when consulting the existing literature. Most examples are taken from Africa (but not exclusively) and many refer to ethnographic studies in anthropology (but, again, not exclusively).

Lecturer: Julia Brekl

Course Nr: 145063003

Time/Date: Tues, 16.00 - 17.30 

Location:  106, S23

Credit Points: 3

How can anthropological research be designed to ensure safety and usefulness for researchers, collaborators, and participants? What can "safe" and "useful" mean for different stakeholders? Based on the book "Inclusive Ethnography: Making Fieldwork Safer, Healthier, and More Ethical" by Caitlin Procter and Branwen Spector (2024), this seminar addresses the various ethical challenges and risks encountered during (anthropological) fieldwork from an intersectional perspective and discusses strategies for promoting inclusion throughout the research process. How can researchers plan their projects in a reciprocal and ethically conscious manner – also including non-human beings -  and what challenges might they face in the field? What role do identity, positionality and mental health play in this context? Contrary to traditional narratives that portray strenuous anthropological fieldwork as “rites de passage” for becoming an anthropologist, we will collaboratively reflect on what field research can mean beyond this narrative. We will read ethnographies, field research reports and conceptual literature on ethics and inclusion and review them critically from an intersectional perspective. In addition to reviewing theoretical and reflective literature, the seminar will provide a safe space for discussion and exchange of experiences, doubts and open questions, making it suitable for both the preparation and follow-up of field research. The aim of the seminar is for students to be able to conduct research ethics debates and weigh up the risks involved in planning and conducting field research, so regular attendance in the course is required. Students from other disciplines than Anthropology are welcome as well.

Lecturer: Friederike Schoppa

Course Nr: 145695201

Time/Date: Wed, 16.00 - 17.30 

Location:  103, S66

Credit Points: 3

This course explores the broad topic of internet culture. We will examine how users construct their digital identities and use humor and politeness in online exchanges. We will investigate the extent to which specific lexis, structures, and extra-linguistic materials (e.g. memes) are exclusively used within the digital sphere. Toward the end of the course, we will consider both the challenges and opportunities of online communication.

Lecturer: Sally Katharine Ridge

Course Nr: 145695204

Time/Date: Tues, 12.00 - 13.30 

Location:  103, S55

Credit Points: 3

When Philippe Ariès claimed in 1962 that conceptions of childhood vary throughout history and between cultures, he challenged the notion of childhood as a universal, fixed stage of life. Instead, he argued it is a product of the power structures within a particular society. This reappraisal in turn revealed children’s literature to be shaped by the ideological assumptions adults make about what children are and how children should be. In order to explore how literature written for and about children both reflects and reinforces a society’s conceptualisation of childhood, we will ask ourselves: how constructions of childhood emerge and evolve; how contradictory definitions of childhood coexist and interact; what the study of children’s literature reveals about how a society conceptualises children. This course integrates the study of children’s literature with the study of childhood. While the focus will be on contemporary Anglophone children’s prose, we will examine the development of modern constructions of childhood from the 18th century to the present day. In doing so, we will examine a plurality of discourses of childhood, examining the relationship between notions of childhood and alterity, power, agency, family, gender, class and race.