Food security has been a global concern for decades. The question of how to feed nations has been addressed by governments and international organisations but has, paradoxically, not been resolved up to this day despite increasing knowledge and experience. One in seven people world-wide do not have access to sufficient and/or sufficiently nutritious food. Continued population growth in some parts of the world, striking global inequalities between those who consume too much and those who have too little food, as well as the acceleration of climate change induced deterioration of livelihoods add urgency. This seminar approaches the topic of food security as a field of international politics that links to issues of poverty and development, global institutions and knowledge production, human rights and global justice, as well as land grabbing and international trade.
The course will begin by defining the key concepts and exploring some technicalities around measuring food security at individual and aggregate levels. It will then take stock of the actors who are involved in the global politics of food security, including the UN, research think tanks, NGOs and national governments, as well as their definitions of, and envisaged solutions to the problem. The seminar will subsequently delve into debates around the role of national policy responses vis-à-vis global agreements and humanitarian assistance. The past and future of green revolutions will be discussed with an eye to the potential of agrarian reforms in the context of growing concerns of ecological sustainability and climate protection. The seminar is meant to provide an introduction to the topic as well as to point out several avenues for further in-depth research. Readings will comprise theoretical as well as empirical literature and a mixture of academic and policy papers and reports. Ultimately, the precise set up of the class will be agreed upon with participating students in the first session.

The concept of soft power occupies a special position between academia and political practice. It has entered the parlance of political leaders around the world and is often used as a metaphor to describe a certain set of foreign policy measures. In academia it has been embraced by many as a term that intuitively captures a category of practice, although many more have dismissed the concept as fuzzy and ambiguous. Actually, uses of the concept as a category of analysis to help explain the dynamics of power relations in world politics have been few and far between. The aim of this seminar is to engage students with questions of power in international relations and to explore the utility of the distinction between soft and hard power in the analysis of world politics. In-class discussions will challenge students to engage critically with different conceptions of soft power and to assess its added value both as an analytical tool and a political term. The course is designed for students who have already covered the basic curriculum in the discipline of international relations and are keen to deepen their analytical skills.

This class focusses on the non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and their activities in world politics. After dealing with some definitional work, we examine the different ways for NGOs to engage with global governance organizations (like the United Nations), multinational corporations and national governments. The class helps us to understand determinants for NGO effectiveness in advocating for specific policies or principles, from human rights advocacy to the representation of specific group interests. Crucially, we deal with the challenges that NGOs face including a backlash against "foreign influences" in some places and more widespread criticism that (some) NGOs lack accountability. During the second half of the class, we will investigate the activities of selected NGOs in specific policy fields, including environmental governance, Internet governance and migration.

The course deals with theories and practices of development economics, politics and cooperation as one central aspect of international relations. The class scrutinizes the most influential development theories since World War II, among them modernization theory, dependency theory, neoliberalism and post-development theory. These abstract concepts are linked to particular practices, such as “white elephant” projects that aim to provide a shortcut to progress. It also looks at the regular repackaging of development cooperation as something more effective than “to give man a fish”. Contemporary emphasis on minimal welfare provisions for the absolute poor is contrasted with competing neo-modern investments into roads, railways and raw materials. Besides establishing an overview over the field, the course aims at a deeper understanding of the theoretical foundations, the history, and the different approaches towards development as an international endeavour.
The course’s main language is English. Some German-language literature is also included.

Literatur zur Vorbereitung:
Edelman, Marc & Angelique Haugerud (eds.). 2005. The Anthropology of Development and Globalization: From Classical Political Economy to Contemporary Neoliberalism. Malden: Blackwell.
Martinussen, John. 1999. Society, State and Market: A Guide to Competing Theories of Development. London: Zed.


Art der Prüfungsleistung (CP):
6 CP: Full paper & 4 excerpts of basic literature.
3 CP: Presentation & written synopsis & 2 excerpts of basic literature.

This class provides an introduction to the American political system and to contemporary American politics. It offers a deeper theoretical understanding of the structural and long-lasting forces in American politics which help to interpret current political trends. The first part of the course deals with the US constitution and the three branches of government it lays out. The second part of the class deals with important concepts and challenges in American politics that transcend daily politics and are deeply rooted within political culture. This includes discussions related to elections and political parties, ethnicity/race in politics, and the role of money in US politics. Finally, the third part of the class invites us to engage with current topics in American politics. Here, historical and conceptual insights from previous weeks should help us better understand today's debates.

The foundation of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) in 1951 has fostered an ongoing process of economic integration in Europe with spillover effects on social policy. Based on international relations-, European integration- and welfare state theories, we will trace back the historical origins of social policy making at the European level and ask the following questions: How has social policy making at the European level evolved and changed over time? Which instruments does the European Union have at its disposal to steer social policy making of its member states, and in how far are these instruments effective? Moreover, we take a specific look at different social policy fields in order to determine in how far domestic (welfare) state structures inhibit the implementation of European social policy ideas. Finally, we take a look at the effects of the European economic crisis and its repercussions on social policy.
The seminar pursues two goals: First, it should vest students with a sound toolkit of theories to analyze social policy making at the European level. Secondly, it should give students a critical understanding of the power and limitations of the European Union to affect welfare decisions of its member states.

Form of assessment: Exam (3 or 6 CP)

Historically, states have played a major role in fostering economic and social development. In nowadays-industrialised countries, public economic, agricultural, industrial and social policies were key for directing investments, upgrading economic activities and (re-)distributing national resources. In many parts of Sub-Saharan Africa, state-led development existed in the immediate post-independence period, but soon faced problems due to severe budget constraints, debt crises and aid dependence. Today, some argue that developmental states are back, such as in Ethiopia or Rwanda. But how much space is there for states in the contemporary world of global capitalist and political interconnectedness to steer their own national development?
This seminar will be based on theoretical and empirical literature on state-led development in the African context and elsewhere. It will begin by theorising states and development, as the two key concepts around which most of our discussions will centre. Developmental states’ experiences from East Asia will be discussed against a background of the wider history of state-market debates in development. Based on those considerations, we will then move on to African states and their trajectories since the end of colonial rule. Based on country case studies, periods of state-led development, state retrenchment and a supposed re-emergence of public interventions will be analysed under the rubric of assessing past and present possibilities for development planning. All that said, there will be room to add or drop any issues depending on students’ preferences and interests.

This seminar will address the relationship between social class and gender-based forms of stratification in modern societies and in historical perspective. Overall, the question of interest is why the inequalities at the intersection of class and gender in paid and unpaid work persist across industrialized societies despite some impressive policy achievements over the past half century. The primary literature source will be the book “Gender-Class Equality in Political Economies”. In this book, Lynn Prince Cooke places gender inequality in a context that is historically shaped by the intersections of multiple inequalities and the particularities of six countries: Germany (East and West), Spain, Australia, the UK and the US. Gender-class inequalities persist in paid work hours, wages, and the division of housework. The study shows how values, choices, and behaviors of individual men and women in various national contexts are enabled and constrained by state policies that effectively structure relative group advantage and disadvantage from birth through old age.

As part of the International Module Social Sciences, this spotlight lecture is held by visiting Professor Dr, Grigol Julukhidze from Ilia State University in Tblissi, Georgia. There will be 3 sessions and a short quiz in the end in order to secure the CP/ECTS-point.
In dieser Veranstaltung kann eine englischsprachige Prüfungsleistung erbracht werden.