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240514 PR MM2 The Social Lives of Vienna’s Infrastructures (2026W)
Continuous assessment of course work
Labels
Participation at first session is obligatory!The lecturer can invite students to a grade-relevant discussion about partial achievements. Partial achievements that are obtained by fraud or plagiarized result in the non-evaluation of the course (entry 'X' in certificate). The plagiarism software 'Turnitin' will be used.
The use of AI tools (e.g. ChatGPT) for the attainment of partial achievements is only allowed if explicitly requested by the course instructor.
The use of AI tools (e.g. ChatGPT) for the attainment of partial achievements is only allowed if explicitly requested by the course instructor.
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).
- Registration is open from Tu 01.09.2026 00:01 to Mo 21.09.2026 23:59
- Deregistration possible until Mo 19.10.2026 23:59
Details
max. 20 participants
Language: English
Lecturers
Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N
Attendance of the first meeting on October 6 is mandatory. If you do not attend, you will be dropped from the list of participants
Enrolment in the course "SE MM2 Anthropological Fieldwork Methods (2026W)" taught by Dr. Olga Povoroznyuk in parallel to this course is mandatory.Enrolment in the course "SE MM3 The Social Lives of (Rail)roads (2026W)" is recommended but not mandatory.For students whose admission to the Master’s program is subject to conditions ("Ergänzungsprüfungen"): Enrollment in these courses requires that any supplementary requirements have already been fulfilled.- N Tuesday 06.10. 11:30 - 14:45 Seminarraum A, NIG 4. Stock
- Tuesday 13.10. 11:30 - 14:45 Seminarraum A, NIG 4. Stock
- Tuesday 20.10. 11:30 - 14:45 Seminarraum A, NIG 4. Stock
- Tuesday 10.11. 11:30 - 14:45 Seminarraum A, NIG 4. Stock
- Tuesday 15.12. 11:30 - 14:45 Seminarraum D, NIG 4. Stock
- Tuesday 19.01. 11:30 - 16:30 Übungsraum (A414) NIG 4. Stock
Information
Aims, contents and method of the course
The main aim of the course is to provide students with on opportunity to conduct short-term fieldwork in Vienna. Thus, the main activity of this course will be fieldwork in or around Vienna, which can take place between October 2026 and January 2027, although most of it will happen in November and December 2026. The overarching topic will be “The Social Lives of Vienna’s Infrastructures”, that is the focus will be on anthropological inquiries of urban infrastructure. The first few meetings will cover the theoretical and conceptual side of the topic, in order to enable students to pick their specific research topic by early November. The remaining meetings before Christmas serve the purpose of providing instructor and peer feedback during field work. A final, long meeting in January will be devoted to the presentation of results. The methodological aspects of fieldwork will be treated in a separate course – SE MM2 Anthropological Fieldwork Methods (2026W)" taught by Dr. Olga Povoroznyuk – and its attendance is mandatory. A separate follow-up course devoted to in-depth analysis, interpretation and write-up of empirical data resulting from the Feldpraktikum will be offered in summer semester 2027.
Assessment and permitted materials
The first 20% of the grade will be awarded for preparatory activities (such as short conceptual presentations in October and early November). Once fieldwork has started, at least two updates on research progress (most likely, between mid-November and early January) will be required. Together, they count for another 20% of the grade. An oral presentation summarizing the main aspects of fieldwork (in January) will count for 20% of the grade. The final assignment will be a seminar paper presenting and discussing these empirical results in more detail and in written form. It will count for 40% of the grade.
Minimum requirements and assessment criteria
In order to receive a passing grade, you need at least 60 points. A 'sehr gut' requires at least 90 out of 100 points (a 'gut' at least 80 points, etc.). While attendance is required throughout the semester, you can miss one meeting if approved by the instructor. The lecturer can invite students to a grade-relevant discussion about partial achievements. Partial achievements that are obtained by fraud or plagiarized result in the non-evaluation of the course (entry 'X' in certificate). The plagiarism software 'Turnitin' will be used. The use of AI tools (e.g. ChatGPT) for the attainment of partial achievements is only allowed if explicitly requested and/or approved by the course instructor.
Examination topics
There will be no exams.
Reading list
Literature from the parallel course on “The Social Lives of (Rail)roads” will be a good starting point, which will be augmented with more general readings from the anthropology of infrastructure and with specific readings on Vienna’s infrastructure.
Association in the course directory
Last modified: Fr 14.08.2026 07:06