The United States was founded upon the notion that "all men are created equal" and that they are endowed with "with certain unalienable Rights." The promise that the ideas might be the guidelines for life in America has been a source of pride for Americans and a reason for generations of immigrations to want to become part of a country with such high-minded ideals. In reality, however, the promises of the Declaration of Independence have not always been fulfilled for everybody. An attentive observer of American life can discover a variety of issues which counteract and undermine the laudable values expressed in the nation's founding document. Whenever political democracy, personal freedom, tolerance, and peace  – all basic principles of American culture – have been under attack, concerned Americans have spoken out and stood up to remind the nation of its foundational principles and to try to correct the political course.

From the struggle against slavery and the efforts to achieve women's rights to the most recent forms of resistance against social injustice and environmental degradation in the era of Trump, Americans from a broad societal spectrum have made their lives, in the words of Henry David Thoreau, "a counter-friction to stop the machine" of an unjust government. In this way, they have dedicated themselves to America's founding spirit.

By examining selected examples of resistance to injustice at different moments in American history, this class explores the ways in which American citizens have struggled to address and rectify problematic and contentious issues in their culture. Drawing on various types of primary documents, including speeches, legislative acts, letters, essays, as well as research literature, this course will familiarize students with a central aspect of American history and culture.

Students interested in signing up for this class must be prepared to participate actively in class and to commit themselves to weekly reading and writing assignments. Reading material will be made available in the course of the semester.

Please use Stud.IP to register for this class. ILIAS will be used as an online communications platform during the semester.

Journalism and the media are often seen as important elements in a democratic society. Protected and supported by laws guaranteeing free speech, the media are supposed to provide the general public with reliable information so that voters can make sensible decisions in the context of democratic elections. Often regarded as a check on political power, the media and the journalists that represent them have been called the "fourth estate," a social force that was meant to serve as the voice of the people, speaking truth to power and keeping governments accountable.

Such a view of the media may have always been too idealistic, the political events in the most recent past, however, have clearly raised more urgent questions about  the role that contemporary media play in the current political context. This class is designed to help students get a more comprehensive view of the position that media occupy in American life. At a time, when questions about the accuracy of information and the trustworthiness of the purveyors of information are perhaps more urgent than ever, the class will offer opportunities to study media phenomena in the context of propaganda and media manipulation. One segment of the class will rely on the book Manufacturing Consent by Edward S Herman and Noam Chomsky (1988), therefore participants may find it helpful to familiarize themselves at least with chapters one ("A Propaganda Model") and seven ("Conclusions"). Additional reading material dealing with historical perspectives, scholarly analyses, and practices of critical media literacy will be made available in the course of the semester.

Students interested in signing up for this class must be prepared to participate actively in class and to commit themselves to weekly reading and writing assignments.

Please use Stud.IP to register for this class. ILIAS will be used as an online communications platform during the semester.

This seminar provides students working on their final thesis with a forum to present their research plans, report on the progress of their work, and discuss research-related questions relevant to their theses. The class aims at supporting students in developing their initial ideas, improving the design of their projects, and exploring further ramifications of their respective topics. The format chosen for this class creates opportunities to exchange ideas with other students and faculty members, and allows students to practice their presentation skills in a friendly and supportive academic setting. Further details will be announced during the first session.

Please use Stud.IP to register for this class.