Teaching

Project / Carsten Keller, Iuliia Eremenko/ Details on HisPos

This project explores the roles of women populist leaders across the political spectrum, from the far-right to the far-left, in shaping urban spaces and local governance. While much scholarly attention has focused on national-level male populist figures, this project centers on the gendered dimensions of populist leadership in the context of cities, asking how women in populist politics govern, plan, and reshape urban environments. We thereby adopt an international perspective.

After a brief introduction to the topic, students will work in small groups on a research question of their own choosing. The research techniques range from exploring political strategies, rhetoric, programs and planning documents, for example in the field of housing policy, to investigating the political careers of the actors and explorative empirical research on the implementation and effects of the plans. One guiding question will examine the extent to which gender operates as a strategic element in political positioning, versus its impact on actual urban development practices. In the project, we communicate in English and a willingness to read English-language texts is desired.

Seminar / Jonas Jehnichen, Iuliia Eremenko, Carsten Keller / Details on HisPos

Suburbia, i.e. settlements in urban peripheral locations and suburbs, are discussed in urban research under various aspects: suburbanization, reurbanization, social and functional diversification, up to the talk of a "new suburbanity", as researched in the research network of the same name at the University of Kassel, among others. In the context of climate change and urban growth, suburban spaces are becoming increasingly important - both as places of residence for growing population groups and as spaces of social negotiation and transformation.

The seminar approaches the topic of suburbia from an urban and regional sociological perspective. It offers the opportunity to get to know and deepen various theoretical approaches and empirical research approaches. It is therefore aimed at both Bachelor's and Master's students. Methodologically, the seminar is based on reading academic texts, research assignments, writing short text inputs, discussions and presentations (in German and English).

The structure of the seminar is divided into three thematic blocks: an introduction with definitional, theoretical and historical aspects; political sociology of Suburbia with the topics of participation and right-wing populism; and finally cultural sociological approaches (including cultural heritage and film sociological perspectives). 

The seminar will be conducted by three lecturers, who will organize the sessions partly together and partly alternately. Some sessions will be held in English. Fluency in English is not necessary, but a willingness to read English texts and communicate in English is required.

The learning objectives of the seminar include:
-acquiring a deeper understanding of the social dimensions of suburban spaces
-familiarity with different sociological perspectives and methods
-the ability to reflect on social science reading and research techniques in German and English

Carsten Keller / Details on HisPos

The colloquium is intended to give students the opportunity to present their own theses and/or to gain an insight into the processes of academic work (e.g. by discussing texts). It is open to Bachelor's, Master's and doctoral students, provided that they are interested in academic work, discursive exchange and the reflection of research work with regard to its relevance to urban and regional sociology.

Lecture / Anna Growe, Carsten Keller, Jens Knissel, Gert Rosenthal, René Sahm and Britta Jänicke / Details on HisPos

The module consists of four sub-modules in which lecturers from different disciplines explain current challenges and the fundamentals of architecture, construction and planning. A central concept is the notion of sustainability, which is explained in the lecture from an ecological, economic and sociological perspective. In this way, the complex connections and dependencies between society and the environment that must be taken into account in planning, Design and building processes become visible.

In the sub-module "Ecological Principles of Planning and Building" (Knissel), the main ecological consequences of planning and building and the relevant methodological and technical elements are dealt with. From the settlement to the building, questions of energy-efficient and sustainable planning and construction are discussed and examined in depth. Current developments and reactions form a bridge to understanding the necessity of this knowledge.

The sub-module "Ecology and Environment" (Jänicke, Rosenthal, Sahm) introduces the basics of ecology and explains current challenges and the concept of sustainability in relation to different ecosystems such as forest and urban ecosystems. 

The sub-module "Economic Principles of Planning and Building" (Growe) introduces economic thinking. It begins with general economic principles such as the functioning of markets and pricing. Spatial dimensions of economic principles are then examined, such as regional structural change processes. Finally, new trends in economics that deal with the concept of sustainability are presented. 

The sub-module "Sociology" (Keller) provides basic knowledge of a social science perspective on architecture and planning. Based on the question of what constitutes the sociological perspective on space, models of urban development, urban and regional types as well as social theory and methodological approaches are explained. Current challenges are explained on the basis of various developments such as socio-spatial segregation, gentrification processes and participation procedures.