Teaching

@ Austrian Universities and at Universities of Applies Sciences 

A main focus of my work is teaching.

As of today I have held courses at three major Austrian universities (Innsbruck, Linz and Salzburg) in the fields of education research, (political as well as theoretical) sociology and communication research.

I have done seminars, research oriented courses, lectures and courses and completed the "Hochschul didaktischen Lehrgang +" (trans.: "University level training for didactics and teaching") at the University of Salzburg amounting 8 ECTS.

Further I organize and coordinate the responsible university lectors for the quantitative methodology courses at the department of Communication at the University of Salzburg.

Students can complete bachelor's thesis in political sociology under me and in the last two terms 7 students completed their thesis with my help. Most of those concern supranational politics or the intersection of media and democracy.

My students give me the feedback that they enjoy the close working relationship I build with them and the amount of time I invest in each and everyone of them. I strive to improve my teaching each term and look forward to each new semester.

Coming winter I will teach at the Universities of Salzburg and Linz, as well as the University of Applied Sciences in Kufstein.

An overview of my teaching experience can be seen here (Slides are in German)
Quotes and evaluations are available on demand!

Supervised Bachelor Thesis that were marked with the best grade "Sehr Gut" (Political Sociology)

Arnold Pohn / Summersemster 2012: Das Verständnis von sozialer Gerechtigkeit in den Augen von Politikern – Eine qualitative Analyse (The understanding of social justice from a political point of view – A qualitative analysis)

Abstract:

This work surveys the thinking about social justice of the Austrian members of parliament from the governing parties. Therefore, a qualitative empirical study (e-mail questioning, interviews) was made. The objective has been to find out which understanding of social justice politicians have, how they argue that and what kind of (political) method they just consider for realization. The analysis makes clear that the political essence is a combination of an implicit scheme of acting and an explicit expressed framework of imaginations. While the implicit scheme is carried by a formal (politically controlled) communication structure, that connects citizens and politicians mutually via formal contents, - is the explicit expressed framework of imaginations is a one-sided, personal, argumentative and informal (self)representation.

In practice, the informal content of argumentation and the formal content of communication get mingled and become a single message, which is consistent  (in politicians understanding).

There is also a logical system which can be discovered and within each policy operates. Furthermore this logic system includes a dynamic moment. The reason therefore is a dialectic between the daily grind content of social justice and their transformation in a social contract.

A further study may research the reasons about social injustice. - Insofar as the democratic concept of indirect democracy could be checked, if the dialectical functioning of a political logical system (moral design – media design – societal idea – bill – moral design – and so on…) leads to a self-serving and self-running item. We could also ask if the one-sided power about argumentation and communication is used to exclude citizens successively from political participation.   

Daniela Dahlke / Summersemester 2012: Zum Selbstverständnis privater RundfunkjournalistInnen in Oberösterreich und ihr demokratiepolitischer Einfluss (Selfperception of Broadcastingerjournalists in Upperaustria and their influence on regional politics)

Abstract:

This paper focuses on the relatively seldom-researched subject of journalism in private radio. In particular, the way in which editorial staff see themselves, the way in which they work and the way in which they behave in journalistic matters has hardly been investigated so far in the private radio sector. This sector has developed rapidly in recent years and has undergone a number of radical changes. With reference to historical developments, this paper views the current situation from a sociological viewpoint in relation to the Province of Upper Austria. The scope of the investigation is described as well as an internal and external view of the effect private radio journalists have on society and the quality of the work that they deliver from day to day. The interaction between politics and journalism is of particular interest, which is why both sides are represented. Analysing these issues in a qualitative investigation provides very personal in­sights from one point of view, while from another point of view it reveals processes relevant to society as a whole steered by this still relatively new and yet far-reaching medium. Various sociological theories are taken into consideration that explain the balance of power within this social network on the one hand, and through discourse analysis take account of the level of society and audience on the other. The results of studies already carried out in this area are also integrated into the analysis. This is intended to provide an overall and critical view of the way journalism works in private radio.