300454 Interdisciplinary approaches to global inequalities: global reports and fiction (S) (WiSe 2026/2027)

This seminar employs an interdisciplinary approach, combining social sciences with literary and cultural studies in order to discuss contemporary narratives and illustrations of global inequalities. Our team teaching draws on the expertise of Alexandra Kaasch, a political scientist with a focus on global social policy studies, and Ellen Grünkemeier, a scholar in British and postcolonial studies; we share an interest in questions of social inequality and global imbalances in the distribution of wealth and power. The seminar brings together these often unconnected perspectives.
In the first part of the seminar (sessions 1-4), the approaches of the different disciplines shall be introduced at first separately and then discussed alongside and against each other. Jointly with students, we plan to develop questions that can serve as a guideline for the second part of the seminar (sessions 5-13), in which we will study and compare reports and novels. We will focus on different topic areas (e.g. poverty/ wealth, migration, gender) within the broad frame of global inequalities.

Requirements for participation, required level

The readings will consist of select global reports, anglophone literary texts, esp. novels, as well as original documents, journal articles and secondary literature. The course language will also be English. A (very) good command of English is therefore essential for participating in this course.
We hope for a diverse group of students with different disciplinary and national backgrounds and international experience.

Bibliography

One of the novels that we will discuss and that students are expected to purchase and to bring to class is Chris Cleave, The Other Hand (title of the UK edition)/ Little Bee (title of the international and US-American edition) - any edition will do