Winter Semester 2018/2019

Time and Place: Wednesday, 12:00 – 14:00 am, Henkestraße 91, House 8, Room 02.276

ECTS: 2 ECTS

Synopsis: This lecture in comparative anthropology focuses on the influence of cultural factors in decision-making with a focus on Asia but also in a wider perspective. The first part of the course will expose the differences between anthropological and behavioral sciences’ approaches in assessing cultural factors in decision-making. We will then address how religious worldviews and notions of fate and agency shape individual decision-making in various cultural settings. Lastly, the lecture will focus on concrete cases of social institutions build to deal with uncertainty in collective decision-making (through the example of earthquake prediction in China and Japan) as well as on cultural and social tools available for individual and collective decision-making such as divination rituals and drawing lots rituals.

Additional Information: Mandatory class. No registration is required for this lecture.

Lecturer: Prof. Dr. Alexander Smith, JProf. Dr. Stéphanie Homola, Dr. Martina Gottwald-Belinic, Sven Grundmann, Anna Schneider

Time and Place: Thursday, 08:00-10:00 am, Henkestraße 91, House 8, Room 02.276

ECTS: 2 ECTS

Synopsis: This course will focus on the topic of data within the context of interdisciplinary research. Students will work closely with specialists in multiple academic disciplines, who will address qualitative and quantitative approaches to data collection and analysis. In particular, students will be encouraged to engage with questions related to ‘meaning’. How, for example, is data treated differently across the Social Sciences? and how do different disciplines assess data in order to create meaning? “Interdisciplinary Methodologies” is intended to familiarize students with a variety of approaches to research in the humanities, including branches of Political Science, Economics, Sociology, and Social and Cultural Anthropology.
Additional Information: Mandatory class. No registration is required for this lecture.

Time and Place: Monday, 10:00-12:00 am, Henkestraße 91, House 8, Room 02.276

ECTS: 3 ECTS

Synopsis: Classes will consist of lectures, discussion of assigned readings and exercises illustrating the main concepts – theoretical frames application into the practice and applied game cases. As an important characteristic of this class, students will be systematically asked to identify and generate original marketing and business applications of the concepts met in class. Students will be expected to get familiar with the literature presented in class, to think critically and analytically and to present and defend ideas clearly and rigorously. This implies a lot of reading, so students will be presenting at least one paper (problem set -case study) from the reading list in class (depending on the number of students in class).
These tools/ models will be taught from scratch and no existing knowledge of game theory, economics, or mathematics is required.
Theory of Decision-Making will be mostly focused on application into industrial organisation (or managerial economics).

I- Introduction into the Game Theory and application into industrial organisation
Game theory is the theory of independent and interdependent decision making. The lectures will focus on decision making within the (business) organisations where the outcome depends on the decisions of two or more autonomous players and where no single decision maker has full control over the outcomes. The game theory model is constructed around the strategic choices available to players, where the preferred outcomes are clearly defined and known. Game theory distinct among cooperative game (the players need to signal their intentions to one other), zero-sum non-cooperative game (players need to conceal their intentions from each other), mixed-motive game (the players’ interests are simultaneously opposed and coincident). Besides we will talk about the three categories of games: games of skill; games of chance; and games of strategy.

We will employ standard games such as the prisoner’s dilemma, coordination, hawk-dove, and costly signalling, and use standard game theory tools such as Nash Equilibria, Subgame Perfection, and Perfect Bayesian Equilibria. These tools will be taught from scratch and no existing knowledge of game theory, economics, or mathematics is required.
Further following interdisciplinary application in managerial economics will be given:

1. 1. Preference Relations (Utility and Utility Maximization Problem; Expenditure Minimization Problem; Duality; Welfare Analysis)
   2. Producer Theory (Production Sets, Production with a Single Output, Cost Minimization
   3. Choice Under Uncertainty (Lotteries; Expected Utility Theory; Utility for Money and Risk Aversion; Stochastic Dominance; State-dependent Utility; Non-expected utility theory)
   4. Simultaneous-Move Games (Dominance Solvability; Nash Equilibrium; Bayesian Nash Equilibrium)
   5. Dynamic Games (Subgame Perfection and Sequential equilibrium)
   6. As supplementary topics: The “shapley” value in cooperative games, social justice (decision making in democratic society), The (mathematical) matching Problem.

Additional Information: Elective course. Final registration is required until the end of the second week of the Semester (26.10.18).

Time and Place: Thursday, 12:00-14:00, Henkestraße 91, House 8, Room 02.276
ECTS: 3 ECTS

Synopsis: In the early 1970s, design theorist Horst Rittel and urban planner Melvin M. Webber published their treaty “Dilemmas in a General Theory of Planning” in which they discuss why the planning of policies and social, cultural or environmental problem solving cannot succeed. Problems faced by policy-makers are entirely different from problems natural scientists or engineers have to deal with. Many policy problems are wicked problems, which are principally undecidable and for which no scientifically “right” or “wrong” solution exists. Decision-making processes in public policy often follow the course of normative judgments where distinctions between “good” and “bad” dominate the debate. In this course, we discuss approaches of reasoning which could supplement evidence-based decision-making concepts. This form of argumentation enables decision-makers to consider cultural and normative values in their assessment of policy alternatives. Policy advising is more an art and craft rather than a scientifically rigorous technique. Therefore, we will practice ethical reasoning by discussing some specific cases of wicked policy problems.

Additional Information: Elective course. Final registration is required until the end of the second week of the Semester (26.10.18).

Time and Place: Monday, 12:00-14:00, Henkestraße 91, House 8, Room 02.276
ECTS: 3 ECTS

Synopsis: This course offers an introduction into Cultural Sociology and Cultural Studies, generally concentrating on understanding the concept of culture and how it is formed. Key concepts and approaches to culture in Sociology will be introduced starting with the works of classical sociological theorists like Norbert Elias, Alfred Schütz or Theodor Adorno.
To get a better understanding of a socially constructed culture the course will analyze the example of the United States focusing on their myth based process of nation building. By investigating the foundational role of myths in this context students will get an understanding of a nation as an imagined community and the influence of symbolism in creating social societies.
By the end of the class students will be able to explain cultural concepts, have become sensitive to open and hidden symbolism and have developed techniques to critically assess existing cultures and nations.

Additional Information: Elective course. Final registration is required until the end of the second week of the Semester (26.10.18).

Sven Grundmann M.A.
Time and Place: Individual Appointments

ECTS: 2 ECTS

Synopsis: The Lectures- and Seminar Series goes beyond the classes taught in the framework of the Master’s program “Standards of Decision-Making Across Cultures” and provides the students with insights from practitioners and selected scholars. Some of the sessions will have the character of workshops, where students can develop and train new sets of skills. Other sessions will introduce the students to new fields of applied research and the frontier of scientific development. In the upcoming winter semester, we offer a diverse program which covers an introduction into behavioral economics, a workshop in Design Thinking and a seminar on artificial intelligence and decision-making in games. At the begin of the semester the topics of the Lecture Series and the times and venues are published online on the SDAC website and offline on posters in our facilities.

Additional Information: Mandatory class.registration is required for ( SDAC Students)to recieve ECTS points.

Time and Place: From October – To February (Individual Appointments)

ECTS: 1 ECTS

Synopsis: The SDAC program maintains a strong partnership with the International Consortium for Research in the Humanities “Fate, Freedom and Prognostication” (IKGF) at FAU. Every semester, IKGF Visiting Fellows (http://www.ikgf.uni-erlangen.de/people.shtml) present their ongoing research during the regular IKGF Lecture Series (Tuesdays, 6-8 pm, schedule to be confirmed). Students are strongly encouraged to attend these lectures to get insight into the academic world and get into contact with international scholars. To foster exchanges with Visiting Fellows, students will work on an essay (3-5 pages) based either on the topic of one of the IKGF Lecture Series, or on a topic of expertise of one of the IKGF Visiting Fellows. Prof. Homola will introduce students to IKGF Fellows and help them choose a relevant topic.

Additional Information: Mandatory class. No registration is required for this lecture. Please discuss the details with your individual Mentor.

For information about IKGF activities and members, check the IKGF website: http://www.ikgf.uni-erlangen.de/

Time and Place: Monday and Wednesday, 08:00-10:00 am from October 24th – December 14th, Henkestraße 91, House 8, Room 02.276.

ECTS: 2 ECTS

Synopsis : This course comprehensively examines aspects of modern Chinese history and popular culture.  The first component on history introduces the history of China from 1800 to the present day. This period marked some of the greatest triumphs and tragedies of China’s long history: from the glories of the Qing empire to the degradation of famine, internal dissent and foreign occupation. It pays close attention to the People’s Republic of China, which began as a vast socialist experiment, and later emerged as one of the great capitalist powers. It closes by asking how China’s historical experience might help us to understand the challenges facing the country today. The second component on popular culture provides a critical examination of the structure of Chinese popular culture, and explores its global socio-cultural significance in the contemporary world. From film to literature, from music to theatre, it will trace the political and aesthetic impact of popular culture on modern societies. This component also explores the relationship of popular culture to social change, public space, the state and the individual, national identity, and globalization.

Time and Place: Monday, 16:00-18:00 pm, Henkestraße 91, House 8, Room 02.276

ECTS: 5 ECTS

Synopsis: While globalization mainly is a standardizing program, the comparison issue in cross-cultural aspects has become more and more important. But to compare cultural values or attitudes, we have to assume that defined values representing the particular culture exist and that attitudes are based on reasonable conceptions. The Lecture will focus on different cultural key values from distinct cultural perspectives as well as key problems related to comparing. Besides, suggestions to solve the comparing problem will be discussed too.

Additional Information: Elective course. Final registration is required until the end of the second week of the Semester (26.10.18).

Time and Place: Tuesday, 10:00-12:00 am, room A 401, Bismarckstraße 1, 91054 Erlangen

ECTS: 5 ECTS

Synopsis: Human rights are rights held by all human beings equally. They claim universal validity across national, regional and cultural boundaries. Without the aspiration of universalism, the very concept of human rights would cease to make much sense. In retrospect, however, it seems obvious that the historical human rights declarations, starting from the Virginia Bill of Rights (1776), have always displayed aspects of particularism. While headlines, such as “rights of man” or “droits de l’homme” betray an androcentric bias, experiences of people from lower social strata, persons with disabilities, religious and ethnic minorities, indigenous peoples and others may have had merely limited, if any, impact on the formulation of human rights declarations. Moreover, the very idea of human rights has attracted objections that it one-sidedly reflects a European worldview or a Western way of life, which allegedly fail to meet the demands of people from other parts of the world. Do we have to conclude that the aspiration of universal human rights is but an empty illusion? Before tackling that central question, we have to define the claims of human rights and their inherent limitations. Subsequently, we will deal with the “textbook version” of the genesis of human rights in comparison to more critical, innovative readings of their historical development. We will analyse the relationship between individual rights and communitarian solidarity and explore the specific “secularity” of human rights claims as opposed to notions of divine rights. Another subject of investigation will be the interrelatedness of civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights. A question that has found increasing attention is how freedom of religion or belief can be reconciled with claims of gender-equality or the emancipation of sexual minorities. The lecture will furthermore explore possible tensions between human rights and democracy. If there is any time left towards the end, we might also deal with controversial ideas of an evolutionary self-transcendence of humanity towards a “post-humanist” stadium and possible dangers arising from such futuristic visions. The lecture series belongs to the mandatory module “human rights” within the Masters programme “Political Science”. It is also part of the “Human Rights Master” syllabus. Students will have access to background material through “StudOn”.
Additional Information: Elective course. Additional registration via studon is required.

Time and Place:
Tuesday, 11:30 am – 13:00 pm in Nuremberg

ECTS: 5 ECTS (Lecture 4 ECTS and Seminar 1 ECTS)

Synopsis:The participants understand and analyze typical management problems of international firms. The participants will get to know modern theories and methods of international management and will be able to apply these to practical problems. They get a detailed overview of the current state of international management research and are able to evaluate theoretical and empirical studies in this area critically.

Additional Information: Elective course. Final registration is required until the end of the second week of the Semester (26.10.18).

Lecturer:  Michael Whittall

Time and Place:
Wednesday, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm, room 01.055, Kochstraße 4, 91054 Erlangen

ECTS: 5 ECTS

Synopsis:

• In the search of management?
• The employment contract and problem of commitment.
• Leadership – do we need it?
• Involvement and Participation: two sides of the same coin?
• Management in the UK – Goodwill principle.
• Challenging British Voluntarism – the Legal Right to Information and Consultation.
• Management in Germany – Stakeholder or shareholder value?
• Can legal rights in Germany sustain stakeholder value?

Additional Information: Elective course. Final registration is required until the end of the second week of the Semester (26.10.18).

Lecturer: Dr. Martina Gottwald-Belinic

Time and Place: Monday, 14:00-16:00 pm, Henkestraße 91, House 8, Room 02.276

ECTS: 5 ECTS

Synopsis:This course will give a systematic and insightful view of China’s transformation road on becoming an important player for the global economy. This includes the challenges in labour transformation and readiness of Chinese economy, firms and society in general for economic absorption of new technology trends and catch up with the changes the world economy is facing up to date. The aim of the course is to provide the students the framework understanding of China’s economy, structural and institutional changes in China and readiness for the new challenges ahead in sustaining past accomplishments and moving towards the modern Chinese economy. Special focus will be given onto determinants of labour productivity in China, including migration and demographic development, as well as the cultural integration into the world economy over organisational and leadership development and value differences between China and Western business practice.

Starting with introduction on the pre-1949 economy, the focus of historical development will be the period of last two decades, a period characterised by structural reforms, urbanisation, industrialization and trade liberalisation that have taken place during this transition. These include, among others: ownership reforms and privatizations, changes made within financial markets, international trade and foreign investment developments after WTO accession, human capital accumulation and managerial capability developments, housing market developments as well as resource price reforms. The new technology trends influenced around computarisation – digitalisation, commonly known as the fourth industrial revolution will bring new products and services and will request huge structural and market changes for Chinese economy as well. These will require further input factor market reforms and influence the future of employment, but might be the answer to Chinese stagnating growth in labor productivity, aging population and increasing labor costs in China. Efficiency and better resource utilization will be enabled over input factor optimisation as well as incentives to increase labour productivity and sustainable environmental-friendly production, stimulated over continuous innovations and new technology applications. China`s government already started with the agenda for catching up with strategy China Manufacturing 2025, the initiative modelled on German`s Industry 4.0 scope. The course will conclude by assessment of readiness and potentials for Chinese firms and economy in general.

The course will provide different case studies, research papers or panel discussions like for example 1. Readiness for Chinese firm’s capabilities to capitalize on the “fourth industrial revolution” on its output and productivity growth; 2. Digitalization as the answer to declining labour productivity, aging population and increasing labour costs over input factor substitution; 3. Placing China’s economy in interesting comparative contexts, discussing it in relation to other transitional or developing economies and to such advanced industrial countries; 4. Cultural effects on leadership values in China, management challenges in a multicultural context, differences in leadership and human resource management and worker efficiency within different ownership structure among Chinese firms; 5. Innovation Capability Management among Chinese Firms; 6. Labour migration and urbanisation trends influencing Chinese society values and life style. Students can also propose topics for case study or research paper based on field of interest.

Additional Information: Elective course. Final registration is required until the end of the second week of the Semester (26.10.18).

Time and Place: Wednesday, 14:00-16:00 pm, Henkestraße 91, House 8, Room 02.276

ECTS: 5 ECTS

Synopsis: This course will provide an introduction to the Anthropology of Magic from the late 19th century to the present day. We will focus, in particular, on the concept of rationality as it has been constituted and politicized in Western representations of the non-European “Other”. In exploring this theme, we will ask two main questions: (1) How did European discourses on rationality and magic adapt to incorporate the experiences of colonization and exposure to ‘primitive’ societies? and (2) how and why have magical practices persisted in spite of (and sometimes in combination with) empirical observations and scientific beliefs. Drawing from numerous ethnographic sources, we will problematize the idea that magic and rationality are incompatible and highlight the intellectual historical development of the ‘rationality debate’ in broader anthropological literature.
Additional Information: Elective course. Final registration is required until the end of the second week of the Semester (26.10.18).

Time and Place: Thursday, 18:00-20:00 pm, Henkestraße 91, House 8, Room 02.276
ECTS: 5 ECTS

Synopsis: Following the end of the Cold War new possibilities of comparing distinct cultures around the world came up. At the same time the possibilities turned to become a need of comparison due to the dramatic development of the global markets. These challenges became the starting point for complete different reflections on cultures. In addition to these contextual constraints postmodern thinking and in its consequence the reappraisal of European colonialism were further notions laying the ground for an intensive discussion on several cultural aspects.
The seminar will mainly focus on three areas that are in discussion for the moment; (a) substantial knowledge of Cultures as e.g. terminological regulations concerning cultural expressions, representations of cultural expressions [rituals, aesthetics, politics], functions of cultures, etc., (b) different models of Cultural Evolution, and (c) such speculations about the further development of cultures (one single, uniform culture? culture of western civilization?)

Additional Information: Elective course. Final registration is required until the end of the second week of the Semester (26.10.18).

Time and Place:
Thursday, 11:30 am- 13:00 pm in Nuremberg
ECTS: 5 ECTS (Lecture 4 ECTS and Seminar 1 ECTS)

Synopsis:The participants understand and analyze typical management problems of international firms. The participants will get to know modern theories and methods of international management and will be able to apply these to practical problems. They get a detailed overview of the current state of international management research and are able to evaluate theoretical and empirical studies in this area critically.

Additional Information: Elective course. As there is an overlap of this course with Prof. Smith’s course which might lead to a small change in schedule, please register for this course during the first week of the semester.