Course Description

In the strive towards a just social-ecological transformation, systemic knowledge taught and learned within one discipline is more and more required to be placed in interdisciplinary contexts to address the challenges societies are facing today. This means, that the knowledge that you learn in university courses needs to be made more accessible and applicable to the questions and challenges that come up when designing the social-ecological transformation in a just and equitable way.

 

Diversity, in this context, is a concept that is used across disciplinary and academic boundaries in society, media, the arts, and politics with divergent understandings. In this course, the multi-perspectivity of the concept of diversity will be made tangible and experienced in teaching by tracing the respective logics from within the disciplines but also from non-academic actors, expanding them in the sense of an inter- and transdisciplinary perspective, and hence making them available for the transformation towards a just sustainable future.

 

The course is structured along interdisciplinary discussions with researchers from different disciplines during the sessions of the ZIN Brownbag Colloquium. Interdisciplinarity is to be exemplified in a comprehensible way and is not only to be perceived as an individual integration achievement but rather as a lively, creative, and fruitful process of discussion. In each colloquium, two researchers will be invited to give a 15-20 minutes input on diversity from their interdisciplinary perspective: (1) sociology & cultural sciences, (2) psychology, philosophy & communication sciences, (3) landscape ecology & microbiology, (4) plural economics and labor studies, (5) political and educational sciences. The Brownbag Colloquium will be framed by introductory courses by the course organizers in interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary learning and research, and science communication.

 

During the course, the group will investigate "diversity" in the context of the social-ecological transformation and develop a joint understanding and expression of diversity, in which you will reflect on the learnings of the course through creative and reflective tasks. In this way, the course does not only impart content from the natural sciences, social sciences, and the humanities but also methods, on the one hand for the individual development of the students and researchers and the other hand "in-between ", for the further development of interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary social-ecological research. The course will end with a public event in Münster where you can present the results of your project work, as a panel discussion, poster exhibition, presentation, performance, or alike.

 

The course is organized as part of the living lab ”biocultural diversity” which is organized in the realm of the research project ”SUNRISE LAB – Sustainable University Landscape Münster”. The course content will be subject to anonymized evaluation for research purposes.

 

 

Performance Requirement

In addition to attendance at course meetings, reading of preparatory texts and active participation in the LearnWeb Course is expected and required as course credit. Examination credit: Students from General Studies can earn a maximum of 5 credit points. For both, General Studies and students who do not attend the BA-seminar as part of the General Studies, the examination credit consists of a term paper (to be submitted by 30/09/2024) in accordance with the examination regulations.

 

 

Organizational Matters

The BA Seminary is also open to students who seek to acquire credit points in General Studies. Students from General Studies can earn a maximum of 5 credit points. If you would like to take the course as part of General Studies, please register informally by mail (rebecca.froese@uni-muenster.de). The first ten people will be admitted to the course.

 

 

Session Overview

Session

Date

Topic

1

11.04.2024

12-14 c.t.

Introduction to the Lecture and the Seminar

Overview, Examination Requirements, Online Modalities

Introduction to the Seminar Topic

2

18.04.2024

12-14 c.t.

Brownbag Colloquium 1: Diverse People, Diverse Knowledges

The perspective from sociology and the cultural sciences

Julia Wiethüchter & TBC

3

25.04.2024

12-14 c.t.

Introduction to Interdisciplinary and Transdisciplinary Learning and Research

In search for diversity inside and outside of academia

4

02.05.2024

12-14 c.t.

Brownbag Colloquium 2: Diverse Beliefs, Norms, and Value Systems

The perspective from the psychology, philosophy & communication sciences

Janna Hämpke & Prof. Sigrid Kannengießer?

 

 09.05.2024

Public Holiday, no course

5

16.05.2024

12-14 c.t.

Brownbag Colloquium 3: Biodiversity and Bio-Cultural Diversity

The perspective from microbiology and landscape ecology

Prof. Bodo Philipp & Prof. Tillmann Buttschardt

 

 23.05.2024

Holidays, no course

 

 30.05.2024

Public Holiday, no course

6

06.06.2024

12-14 c.t.

Brownbag Colloquium 4: Diverse Lifestyles, Work, and Livelihoods

The perspective from plural economics and labor studies

Dr‘in Pia Mamut (& Halliki Kreinin, PhD) & Prof. Tobias Brandt

 

 13.06.2024

Self-study period for project work

 

 20.06.2024

Self-study period for project work

7

27.06.2024

12-14 c.t.

Brownbag Colloquium 5: Diverse Arenas of Political and Social Participation and Learning

The perspective from the educational and political science

Prof. Christian Fischer, Dr. David Rott & Prof. Antonia Graf?

8 - 10

29.06.2024

12-14 c.t.

Block Course 9 am - 15 pm

Introduction to Science Communication

Development of Presentations and Outputs

Preparation for Closing Event

 

 04.07.2024

Self-study period for project work

11

11.07.2024

12-14 c.t.

Closing Session

Recap, Evaluation, Preparation for Closing Event

12

11.07.2024

(evening)

Closing Event with Panel Discussion / Performance / Exhibition of Results

Closing event, organized by the students and open to the public

 

Kurs im HIS-LSF

Semester: SoSe 2024