The Humanities and Social Sciences

Sociology
The course will provide a basis for understanding society and the social, as it offers students the most important theoretical inputs from the history of sociology as well as current social problems and questions. Students will be informed about most influential sociological thinking and thinkers and will analyse social processes and phenomena. The relationship between the individual and society will be explored; the role and the place of individual in different social situations (with a special emphasis on childhood and adolescence) in different social institutions (with a special emphasis on family and school). The course will include analysis of the core sociological agenda: social inequalities, social exclusion, poverty, social policy which as it is important to the individual and to society. It will also analyse the needs and options for the study of religions as value systems to which a differentiated approach has to be developed within ethical and democratic citizenship education in a pluralist society.

Philosophy:
The course presents various trends, fields, etc. of contemporary philosophy, as well as the philosophical basis of the humanities and social sciences. It pays special attention to everyday life and the educational process. Students get to know the basic concepts, conceptual contexts and debates in culture, ethics, education etc. in the framework of existentialism, hermeneutics, structuralism, psychoanalysis, debates on the Enlightenment, postmodernity etc. Philosophical concepts and conceptual contexts are furthermore described in relation to science, art, religion etc., as well as to everyday life and education practices.
Besides providing a basic acquaintance with philosophical concepts and conceptual contexts of various traditions, the course aim to connect and comparatively evaluate different approaches as well as showing their ethical dimensions etc. The accent is on the acquisition of on-going knowledge about developing philosophical concepts, reflection on the humanities and the ethical dimensions of life in a contemporary culture.