Labour, Economy and Society | University of Hamburg

The MA in Labor, Economy, Society consists of interdisciplinary theory and research-based modules that prepare sociology and economics students for scientific work in a variety of social fields. The program focuses on the socioeconomic analysis of structural shifts in labor, economics, and society, and their causes and effects.

How does the programme provide content to ensure students achieve an understanding of a reasonably diverse set of perspectives on understanding economies?

Knowledge of sociology and economics is imparted in equal measure on a wide range of topics. The curriculum offers an interdisciplinary approach to theory, methodology, and research.

How does the programme ensure students understand the interaction between economic and ecological systems?

The wide range of topic covered by the curriculum included aspects of environmental, social and financial sustainability and problems of ecological and societal transformation.

How does the programme ensure students understand how to critically explore real-world evidence, both qualitative and quantitative?

Students acquire knowledge in the subjects of sociology and economics to a high and internationally recognized level, and further benefit from the interdisciplinary approach to the fields of labor, economics, and society. They learn to apply scientific methods independently, take a problem-solving approach, and reflect critically on their work. 

What pedagogical approaches does the programme use to ensure that students examine the historical context, assumptions and values in all economic thinking?

As part of the curiculum, students will not only take an interdisciplinary, critical perspective on economic thinking but will also be introduced to the historical roots of the economic disciplin and will have to look into the seminal work of at least one economic and one sociological thinker at greater depth.  

How does the department ensure that the teaching culture and capacity to deliver economic pluralism are continually improving?

The programme is continually quality controlled and students are actively invited not only to request a plural stance in teaching but will be required to do so in their own work particularily as part of the learning requirements in the Lernwerkstatt  - a three-semester-course in which students very indepentently and autonomously inquiry in the various aspects of a societal problem or challenge explicitly from a pluralist and interdisciplinary perspective.