In this seminar, we will examine the history and development of global and local infrastructure, transport networks, and logistics. These processes shape our everyday lives in various ways. In fact, we only notice them when they are disrupted or prove unreliable. Disruptions can be caused by weather conditions, attacks, accidents and industrial action, as well as protests, piracy and military and state intervention. During the seminar, we will explore the relationship between the state and infrastructure, the role of borders and transit zones, and the extent to which violence and wars are channelled through infrastructure. This seminar takes a materialist understanding of the state and a critical logistical lens as its starting point. We will consider political, economic, human geographical and sociological perspectives on statehood, infrastructure and transport. In the final part, we will trace disruptions and social conflicts relating to infrastructure, transport and logistics.
Larkin, Brian (2013): The Politics and Poetics of Infrastructure. In: Annual Review of Anthropology 42(1): 327-343.
Rodrigue, Jean-Paul (2004): Straits, Passages and Chokepoints: A Maritime Geostrategy of Petroleum Distribution. In: Cahiers de géographie du Québec 48(135): 357-374.
Ziadah, Rafeef; Henderson, Christian; Jabary Salamanca, Omar; Plonski, Sharri; Chua, Charmaine; Al Sanah, Riya; El Khazen, Elia (2026): Disruptive Geographies and the War on Gaza: Infrastructure and Global Solidarity. In: Geopolitics 31(1): 453-491.
| Rhythmus | Tag | Uhrzeit | Format / Ort | Zeitraum | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| wöchentlich | Di | 10-12 | X-E0-234 | 12.10.-01.12.2026 | |
| wöchentlich | Di | 10-12 | S1-149 | 08.12.2026-05.02.2027 |
| Modul | Veranstaltung | Leistungen | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30-M-PW-M4 World Politics | World Politics a | Studienleistung
|
Studieninformation |
| World Politics b | Studienleistung
|
Studieninformation | |
| - | benotete Prüfungsleistung | Studieninformation |
Die verbindlichen Modulbeschreibungen enthalten weitere Informationen, auch zu den "Leistungen" und ihren Anforderungen. Sind mehrere "Leistungsformen" möglich, entscheiden die jeweiligen Lehrenden darüber.
As part of the seminar, you will be required to complete a seminar assignment and a term paper. The seminar assignment involves summarising the previous session in a report of no more than two pages (ideally in a group of two). You will also need to draw a connection to a contemporary news event and present its source and content during the seminar. Please upload your minutes to the folder of the fitting seminar.
The exam involves independently preparing a term paper based on the seminar, either thematically or theoretically. The paper should be between 20 and 30 pages long. Use Calibri, Arial or Times New Roman in size 11, with 1.15 line spacing and a 2.5 cm margin. A cover page, table of contents, bibliography and declaration of originality should also be included, in which you should list how and to what extent you have used AI. You should use at least ten academic sources or secondary literature.
I recommend visiting my office hours at least once per term to discuss your progress on the term paper with me (e.g., narrowing the topic, formulating the research question, creating an annotated outline, selecting literature, and addressing uncertainties and questions). I will also provide feedback on drafts. The paper can be written in English or German.