Universität Wien

240105 FS FM1 - Research Seminar (Part 1) - Research Design (2025S)

Upheavals and new departures in international development: Trumpism, climate heating, technological progress and transformation

5.00 ECTS (2.00 SWS), SPL 24 - Kultur- und Sozialanthropologie
Continuous assessment of course work
Moodle
Mo 23.06. 09:45-11:15 Seminarraum 9, Kolingasse 14-16, OG01

Registration/Deregistration

Note: The time of your registration within the registration period has no effect on the allocation of places (no first come, first served).

Details

max. 20 participants
Language: German, English

Lecturers

Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N

Please note: The second part of the course in the winter semester 2025/26 will most likely take place on Friday mornings!

Language: The research seminar is generally held in German, however, students can communicate, present and write assignments and the research design in English language.

  • Monday 10.03. 09:45 - 11:15 Seminarraum 9, Kolingasse 14-16, OG01
  • Monday 17.03. 09:45 - 11:15 Seminarraum 9, Kolingasse 14-16, OG01
  • Monday 24.03. 09:45 - 11:15 Seminarraum 9, Kolingasse 14-16, OG01
  • Monday 31.03. 09:45 - 11:15 Seminarraum 9, Kolingasse 14-16, OG01
  • Monday 07.04. 09:45 - 11:15 Seminarraum 9, Kolingasse 14-16, OG01
  • Monday 28.04. 09:45 - 11:15 Seminarraum 9, Kolingasse 14-16, OG01
  • Monday 05.05. 09:45 - 11:15 Seminarraum 9, Kolingasse 14-16, OG01
  • Monday 12.05. 09:45 - 11:15 Seminarraum 9, Kolingasse 14-16, OG01
  • Monday 19.05. 09:45 - 11:15 Seminarraum 9, Kolingasse 14-16, OG01
  • Monday 26.05. 09:45 - 11:15 Seminarraum 9, Kolingasse 14-16, OG01
  • Monday 02.06. 09:45 - 11:15 Seminarraum 9, Kolingasse 14-16, OG01
  • Monday 16.06. 09:45 - 11:15 Seminarraum 9, Kolingasse 14-16, OG01
  • Monday 30.06. 09:45 - 11:15 Seminarraum 9, Kolingasse 14-16, OG01

Information

Aims, contents and method of the course

Various crises dominate the international political economy. The hegemony of the USA is eroding, its model of an “open-door globalism” has been challenged by “Trumpism” from within (that seems to be gaining momentum with the new US administration).

This changing environment raises many questions for development studies. What are the consequences for a political-economic model that is based on functional integration into commodity chains (controlled by transnational corporations) and whose perspective of development seems to aim at “upgrading” within this hierarchy?

While global social inequality remains at a very high level, transformative dynamics are driven by upheavals in the global economy, climate heating and technological progress. Researchers in development studies are faced with the puzzle that precarious living conditions for so many are becoming even more radicalized, fed - among other issues - by geopolitical conflicts (above all between the USA and China).

Based on models from development studies, the research seminar offers students the opportunity to design and implement a research project, which is accompanied and guided by the lecturer through feedback. The research seminar provides an environment for reflections that lead to a concrete research project.

Research projects can, for example, deal with the role of actors (such as transnational corporations or commodity chains), aspects of regional or national development (especially in Europe or the European Union), core-periphery relations (case studies), political-economic technology assessment (e.g. AI, I 4.0), or questions of socio-ecological transformation and possible alternatives (and its aspects, e.g. circular economy, workers' self-management, participatory economy, self-reliance).

In this two-part course, a research design will first be developed (SS 2025), which will be implemented in an individual research project in WS 2025.

The research designs are developed in a discussion based on joint reading of theoretical and methodological texts.

Assessment and permitted materials

* Consistent class attendance
* Active participation (presentation and discussions)
* Reading/excerpting and communicating course literature
* Teamwork (in small groups)
* Research design: 30,000 characters

Minimum requirements and assessment criteria

Students should be able to read, communicate and discuss complex social science texts.

Participation and presentation, and the research design, respectively, must be positive in order to pass the seminar. Points awarded: 50% research design, 25% participation/assignments and 25% presentations. The plagiarism software turnitin is used for submissions via moodle.

Examination topics

Reading list

Comprehensive 'reserve shelf' (Handapparat) in the C3 library, literature on and via the learning platform (Moodle).

Association in the course directory

FM1

Last modified: Fr 07.03.2025 10:26