Free University of Berlin

The current uncertain times are marked by political upheavals, rapid technological change, and ecological loss and crisis. Yet, this perception of uncertainty is not unique to the present. How have people made sense of the unknown in the past? How have they tried to predict, control, or survive uncertain futures? This seminar explores how individuals, communities, and institutions have historically responded to uncertainty, in North America and beyond. Seminar topics therefore include religious beliefs and prophecies, narratives of destiny and utopia, science and statistics, social planning, bureaucracy and record-keeping, violence and exclusion, art, sports, as well as turns to history itself. Furthermore, the class discusses how historians themselves deal with uncertainty in their work: from gaps in the archives and collective memory, to epistemological questions, biases in historical research, and contested interpretations of the past. Through these themes, students are introduced to the foundational skills of studying history: how to ask critical questions, develop an argument, read primary and secondary sources, and how to write (about) history. A field trip to a local archive offers practical insights into what it means to work as a historian, and the uncertainties that come with it.

This course introduces key economic principles such as trade-offs, opportunity cost, supply and demand, and market structures. Students learn how markets function, how government policies influence economic outcomes, and how macroeconomic indicators like national income and trade shape the global economy. Emphasis is placed on applying economic reasoning to real-world issues and thinking critically about the limits of economic models.

This seminar examines American cities over the past 150 years through major theoretical traditions and empirical themes. It explores housing markets, racial segregation, immigration, suburbanization, gentrification, policing, gender, finance, education, and urban politics. Throughout, it maintains a comparative lens, juxtaposing American patterns with European experiences. The course has two goals. First, to familiarize students with major theoretical frameworks in urban sociology, building a conceptual toolkit for analyzing cities. Second, to develop critical analytical skills through engagement with classic texts and contemporary research.

This course examines the language of, about, and surrounding food. It explores the role of food (and its discursive enactment) in community-building, lifestyles, and the creation of social elites. Other topics include food performances (e.g., cooking and eating shows), dinner talk and socialization, and food and language in the public landscape. Special emphasis lies on the entanglements of language, food, and the digital realm.

This course covers homology, cohomology and applications, CW-complexes, and basic notions of homotopy theory.