Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin - Comparative Political Sciences and Political Systems of Eastern Europe

Einführung in die Qualitativen Methoden der Sozialforschung (Begleitseminar)

Attendance at an accompanying seminar for the Qualitative Methods lecture is mandatory for students of the Mono BA according to the new STPO 2024. Minor students cannot attend these courses.

In order to ensure that all students can participate in a companion seminar, distribution among the courses offered is centrally controlled via AGNES. You can specify priorities, but there is no guarantee that these will be taken into account.

All courses deepen the material covered in the lecture (from the 2025 summer semester) and provide practical training in qualitative methods. Depending on the instructor, different emphases will be placed; these are indicated in brief comments for each group.

Due to the change in the study regulations and the resulting increase in demand, additional accompanying courses will also be offered in the summer semester 2026 if necessary.

Fridays 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., Room 005

BA-, MA- und Doktorand*Innenkolloquium Vergleichende Demokratieforschung und politische Systeme Osteuropas

The research colloquium serves to prepare and support BA, MA, and doctoral theses written in the context of the Comparative Democracy Research and Political Systems of Eastern Europe teaching area. Participants present their own research projects and discuss all other theses presented. Regular attendance and active participation in the colloquium discussion (based on reading the exposés) is expected.

The research colloquium serves to prepare and support BA, MA, and doctoral theses written in the context of the Comparative Democracy Research and Political Systems of Eastern Europe teaching area. Participants present their own research projects and discuss all other theses presented. Regular attendance and active participation in the colloquium discussion (based on reading the exposés) is expected.

• Inquiry as to whether the topic can be supervised
• Discussion of the specific idea outline during office hours (Further information can be found here: https://www.sowi.hu-berlin.de/de/lehrbereiche/osteuropa/services)
• Exposé & presentation in the colloquium

The dates for the presentation in the colloquium will be assigned in the first session. Therefore, you should ideally complete the first two points before the first session, but at least bring a specific topic (point 1) to the first session.

In addition to registering in AGNES, you must consult with Gülcin Balamir Coskun (guelcin.coskun@hu-berlin.de) and Silvia v. Steinsdorff (steinsds(at)sowi.hu-berlin.de) beforehand in order to participate.

Fridays: 12:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m., Room 005

Gerichte und Demokratie: Überschätzte Retter?

An independent judiciary is one of the cornerstones of democratic systems of government worldwide. However, courts are classic “non-majoritarian institutions,” meaning that their decisions are not (directly) legitimized by majority rule. This is one reason why their independence is increasingly being challenged by authoritarian political actors. The attacks by the current US President Donald Trump on his country's judiciary, which he claims is dominated by “extreme left-wing ideologues,” are a particularly drastic example of this widespread practice. At the same time, many political actors and citizens who defend liberal, constitutional democracy against such autocratic tendencies—not only in the US—place particular hope in the courts: it is hoped that their rulings could stop the autocrats and thus “save democracy.”

The study project course analyzes these positions and critically questions them: From what exactly should the judiciary be independent? From democratically elected representatives? From the influence of the executive branch? From public (majority) opinion? Or from “politics” in general—and what does that mean in concrete terms? Who then controls the controllers? Hasn't the triumph of constitutionalism and non-majoritarian institutions (i.e., the courts) provoked the populist counter-movement that demands flexibility and rapid action from the government without the hindering constraints of the separation of powers? It is also important to explore whether and how court decisions can protect democracy against its enemies – and where the limits of these expectations lie, both in terms of (democratic) theory and in practical terms.

Based on shared readings, participants develop their own research projects in which they examine specific aspects of the topic from different conceptual and methodological perspectives in (comparative) case studies.

Thursdays: 12:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m., Room 002

Literature Review

The seminar is designed for BGSS doctoral students and advanced MA students who will work on their own research projects during the term. We will explore strategies of writing a literature review for different purposes (qualification theses, research papers, monographs…). By positioning the students’ projects within current research and defining the respective research gap(s), we will also focus on (re)formulating research questions in light of the existing literature.

PLEASE NOTE:

Parts of the course will be blocked (in December and February) in order to discuss draft versions of the literature reviews prepared and presented by the PhD and MA students.

The seminar is open to doctoral candidates of the BGSS and advanced MA students planning or already writing their MA thesis. Potential MA participants are asked to e-mail the lecturer with a brief outline (1/2 page) on their thesis and, upon approval by the lecturer, enroll to the class via Agnes. 

mittwochs 14:00 - 16:00, Raum 002, 14täglig

Democracy Undone: Inside the Toolkit of Modern Autocrats

This course explores the strategies and mechanisms through which contemporary authoritarian regimes consolidate and exercise power without overt reliance on military force or open violence. Focusing on the rise of “new autocrats,” we will examine how elected leaders and dominant parties manipulate democratic institutions and norms to entrench their rule. Topics include media capture, judicial control, patronage networks, the erosion of checks and balances, the co-optation and repression of civil society, and the intimidation of political opponents. The course also investigates how authoritarian regimes construct and enforce gender regimes to bolster conservative social orders, discipline dissent, and reinforce their ideological legitimacy. Through comparative case studies and theoretical readings, we will interrogate how these regimes maintain legitimacy, suppress dissent, and manage political competition in the 21st century.

dienstags 14:00-16:00 Uhr, Raum K12a (Untergeschoss)

Dozentin: Dr. Gülçin Balamir Coşkun