230131 UE M5 Economic Inequality and Policies (2026S)

Presence is mandatory in all sessions. Before each session of the course, students are required to read the assigned literature and, if applicable, watch dedicated videos. Students are also expected to organize and participate in collective debates, particularly on policy solutions to excessive economic inequality. Students will be asked to prepare a written analytic paper or book review during the course approximately 1800 words.
They will also be asked to prepare short introductive input presentations to each session.
For the last session, participants will be working in groups and will be asked to present, discuss and comment on a research and/or policy question provided a month ahead.

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Note from the Director of Studies (SPL) Sociology:
The lecturer may establish regulations regarding the scope of compulsory attendance. Students do not have a fundamental right to a fixed quota of permitted absences, regardless of the reasons. Compliance with the attendance requirement is a minimum prerequisite for a positive assessment. If students are unable to attend class sessions for important reasons and/or if partial assessments cannot be completed due to illness, the lecturer may grant substitute assignments.
With regard to registration and deregistration for (or withdrawal from) courses with continuous assessment, § 10 of the study law applies.
All partial achievements must be completed in order to be able to obtain a positive grade.
If the result of the central written partial assessment leads to the threat of a negative assessment of the entire course, an opportunity to improve will be granted. The criteria and an appropriate deadline for improvement will be announced in the course.
As part of the assessment process, plagiarism-detection software (Turnitin) may be used. To ensure good academic practice, the lecturer may require an oral clarification to verify plausibility. Students are obliged to cooperate.
Any performance obtained by dishonest means (plagiarism, cheating, etc.) will be recorded as such on the transcript of records (entry of an "X") and counts as an examination attempt.
The use of AI tools is only permitted if explicitly authorized by the lecturer. Any use of AI must be documented, and the University of Vienna’s Guidelines on the Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Teaching must be complied with: https://phaidra.univie.ac.at/detail/o:2092606
If a partial assessment is obtained by dishonest means such as cheating in an exam or test, plagiarizing in written work, using AI abusively or without documentation, or forging signatures on attendance sheets the entire course will be recorded and counted as "not assessed".
These and other provisions can be found in the study law: https://satzung.univie.ac.at/en/study-law/.
Students who have already failed a course with continuous assessment three times and wish to register for a fourth attempt: please contact the Sociology StudiesServiceUnit during the registration period (see the additional information "Third repetition in courses with continuous assessment": https://soziologie.univie.ac.at/info/pruefungen/#c56313)