This concentration area will cover a key arena of contemporary debates on the role of inequality for social and political cohesion, economic and social sustainability. The concentration area runs over two semesters, with a two-hour unit running in summer semesters followed by four-hour units running in winter semesters. Although the two units are assessed separately, they should be interpreted as an integrated unit where lessons from the two-hour unit carry over to the four-hour unit course.

In this second term, the concentration area focuses on the design, the feasibility and implementation of student led group projects on various forms of political economy of inequalities. Students projects will be based on the topics presented and discussed in course I – be it standard work on earnings, wage and wealth inequality, the causes of and consequences for individuals and society, critical examination of various forms of group inequality (gender, ethnic, territories, neighborhoods) and none-monetary forms of inequality, power relations, the role of the media, and the decisive role of institutions.

In line with the overall aim and socio-economic approach of this concentration area, the students’ projects are expected to follow a trans-disciplinary focus, drawing on topics like economics, sociology, political science, philosophy, feminist theory and geography.

At the end of this course, students should acquire the following outcomes:

• Design and implement an (empirical) research project related to a topic on inequality
• Develop an in-depth understanding of your particular topic the political economy of inequality
• Analysis of economic inequality, and economic policies regarding inequality
• Critical empirical implementation of core concepts and themes related to a topic on inequality
• Contextualisation of economic approaches and policies towards inequality
• Strengthen research skills
• Improve team work skills

Students may miss one session without penalty.

There are three portions to students’ grades:

• Presentation and discussion of methodology 15% (Deadline for submission: 11-12-2021)
• Group project (implementation and written report) 70% (Deadline for submission: tba)
• Presentation of project results 15%

Grading rubric:

1: 90+ points

2: 75-89 points

3: 60-74 points

4: 50-59 points

5: 0-49 points

juergen.essletzbichler@wu.ac.at; andrea.grisold@wu.ac.at; hendrik.theine@wu.ac.at