2024–25
The Far Right in Europe and beyond
15069 | Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München
This course introduces students to far-right socio-politics in Europe and beyond. We 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 consider explanations for the rise and success as well as decline and failure of the far right across these areas. Crucially, this course covers these topics from a comparative perspective, underscoring the commonalities and variations between different contexts (primarily in Europe, but encompassing other areas). In addition to considering the empirical substance of far-right phenomena, students are 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 acquire knowledge about far-right activity in diverse social spheres and hone analytical skills used to research and evaluate the far right.
Case-Based Research
15123 | Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München
This course introduces and provides basic training for students in case-based methods for social scientific research. Such methods encompass a wide array of single-case and small-N comparative case research designs, as well as techniques like qualitative comparative analysis (QCA). All of these methods (especially compared with many forms of statistical analysis) place great emphasis on cases. By covering a range of techniques, the course informs students about the diverse possibilities for case-based research, piques their interest to learn more and develop expertise. More importantly, the course is designed to help students develop their own research work. Students considering the use of case-based methods for their theses will find the course a constructive forum for fine-tuning their research design.
- Summer 2025
Political Violence in Germany
15035 | Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München
This course introduces students to the major aspects of (non-state) political violence by presenting research covering violent extremism and terrorism, radicalisation and deradicalisation, repression, demobilisation. We consider why people and groups use political violence and how, its range of effects, how states and others react. Students acquire both substantive knowledge of these research fields---especially through the repeated examination of important cases, such as political violence in Germany and in other countries---and the ability to evaluate research therein.
- Winter 2024
Social movements in Germany
15037 | Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München
Social movements, long an area of inquiry in the social sciences, have attracted a great deal of attention in recent years. How and why do people engage in collective action? In what ways do they organise and mobilise? What tactics and strategies do they use? How do movements succeed---and how do they fail? This course introduces students to the scholarship that addresses these questions. We draw on literature about social movements generally and about specific movement cases, especially (but not exclusively) in Germany. Students acquire detailed knowledge about the theories guiding past and present social movement research as well as expertise about specific cases of social movement activity.
- Winter 2024
2023–24
Case-Based Research
15044 | Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München
This course introduces and provides basic training for students in case-based methods for social scientific research. Such methods encompass a wide array of single-case and small-N comparative case research designs, as well as techniques like qualitative comparative analysis (QCA). All of these methods (especially compared with many forms of statistical analysis) place great emphasis on cases. By covering a range of techniques, the course informs students about the diverse possibilities for case-based research, piques their interest to learn more and develop expertise. More importantly, the course is designed to help students develop their own research work. Students considering the use of case-based methods for their theses will find the course a constructive forum for fine-tuning their research design.
- Summer 2024
The Far Right in Europe and beyond
15030 | Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München
This course introduces students to far-right socio-politics in Europe and beyond. We 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 consider explanations for the rise and success as well as decline and failure of the far right across these areas. Crucially, this course covers these topics from a comparative perspective, underscoring the commonalities and variations between different contexts (primarily in Europe, but encompassing other areas). In addition to considering the empirical substance of far-right phenomena, students are 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 acquire knowledge about far-right activity in diverse social spheres and hone analytical skills used to research and evaluate the far right.
- Summer 2024
Political Violence in Germany
15588 | Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München
This course introduces students to the major aspects of (non-state) political violence by presenting research covering violent extremism and terrorism, radicalisation and deradicalisation, repression, demobilisation. We consider why people and groups use political violence and how, its range of effects, how states and others react. Students acquire both substantive knowledge of these research fields---especially through the repeated examination of important cases, such as political violence in Germany and in other countries---and the ability to evaluate research therein.
- Winter 2023
Social movements in Germany
15589 | Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München
Social movements, long an area of inquiry in the social sciences, have attracted a great deal of attention in recent years. How and why do people engage in collective action? In what ways do they organise and mobilise? What tactics and strategies do they use? How do movements succeed---and how do they fail? This course introduces students to the scholarship that addresses these questions. We draw on literature about social movements generally and about specific movement cases, especially (but not exclusively) in Germany. Students acquire detailed knowledge about the theories guiding past and present social movement research as well as expertise about specific cases of social movement activity.
- Winter 2023
2022–23
Comparative Political Research
300458 | Universität Bielefeld
This course familiarises students with the fundamentals of performing comparative research, introducing the main approaches and introducing exemplary research from important topical fields
- Summer 2023
Political Violence
300459 | Universität Bielefeld
This course introduces students to the major aspects of political violence by presenting research covering violent extremism and terrorism, radicalisation and deradicalisation, repression, demobilisation.
- Summer 2023
Case-based Methods for Social Science
300479 | Universität Bielefeld
This course introduces and provides basic training for students in case-based methods for social scientific research
- Winter 2022
Far-right Politics and Protest
300478 | Universität Bielefeld
This course familiarises students with the social scientific research of far-right politics and protest, and provides students with the conceptual tools and methodological clues to investigate for themselves.
- Winter 2022