Area of Concentration: Society

Learning Objectives

Students learn to

• better understand social developments and social contexts historically and systematically, analyse them in a differentiated way, reflect on them and assess them;
• evaluate democratic action and differentiate between democratisation and de- democratisation processes;
• critically question their own perceptions, judgments and actions and possibly change perspectives;
• apply empirical methods correctly and develop strategies for overcoming current challenges in practice.

“There is no such thing as society  ” – this is the famously infamous statement of a British politician. However, society exists. It has political, religious, social, economic, and cultural significance, among other things. Humans are social beings. They cooperate and compete. They are embedded in practices, power structures, discourses, and lifeworlds, forming organiszations and institutions, subject to constraints, setting common goals, following rules, and having the ability to question and change them for legitimacy.

The courses in this area of concentration raise, among others, the following questions: How are societies organised? What holds them together? What form of living together is desired, and why? What did social change mean in former times? Where are the major challenges today, and what are the strategies, transformations, and ideas to tackle them? How is social justice negotiated? What defines democracies? How are values of plurality, diversity and inclusion practised in institutions, organisations, and social life? How does a ‘citizen-consumer’ think? What conditions are essential for a successful conversation? How much explosive and driving force is there in globalisation?

This area of concentration connects everyday experiences and theoretical questions by using and developing concepts, perspectives, and methods that enable analysis. The focus is on individual lifestyles and institutional processes, personal relationships and social bonds, private interests, and public engagement. Concrete topics are addressed, such as the market, power, social responsibility, equality/inequality, work, migration, family, identity, gender, forms of violence and nonviolence, society and science, socio-political connections, interactions, or complicity. The methodological toolkit comes from the repertoire of social science, cultural studies, and philosophy.

The spectrum of this area of concentration covers a range from reflective competencies to action competencies. It spans from the analysis of fundamental theories to empirical social research to practical exercises in the design and transformation of social processes.

Bachelor: Students are introduced to relevant questions on societal spheres. The courses impart the ability to carefully read texts and to use methods of investigating social phenomena and their contexts. Students are trained to understand and use philosophical arguments, cultural concepts, theories, and to some extent also research methods. Students learn to independently conceptualise and formulate questions in preparation for their bachelor’s theses.

Master: The courses are more specialised than at the bachelor’s level in terms of the topics offered. High- profile HSG lecturers and lecturers from other universities offer courses at this level. Students can choose from a broad range of advanced courses, in which topics of great significance for our lives as citizens and professionals are analysed, and public debates with a social and/or political dimension are critically examined. The content and form of the courses prepare students to thoroughly engage with the challenges and transformation of society and to independently and successfully write master’s theses on these topics.

Key Topics:

• Social Organisation
• Equality/Inequality
• Violence/Non-Violence
• Legality/Illegality
• Political and Social Philosophy
• Sociology of Economics