Course Information

Course Code: 1.07.062
Schedule: Wednesdays 16:00–18:00
Location: A01 0-010
Institution: Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg
Semester: Winter 2024/2025
Instructor: Dr. Timur Ergen (te@mpifg.de)

This seminar builds on the lecture Sociological Theory(1.07.061). It deepens central concepts and arguments through joint discussion of latest applications and developments of sociological theory within a concrete social problem space – the social conditions of (in)effective climate policy. The seminar centers on Jens Beckert’s monograph “Verkaufte Zukunft.”

The seminar emphasizes active engagement with primary theoretical texts and the development of analytical skills for reading, analyzing, and classifying sociological theory in the context of contemporary climate challenges.

Course Materials
  • Complete Syllabus — Full course syllabus with detailed information and requirements

Assessment

Students complete a portfolio consisting of:

  • Short test (45 minutes) covering lecture content and required readings
  • Essay (6-7 pages) on core arguments of texts discussed in the seminar

Essays should not only reproduce seminar discussions but further develop, critique, and relate them to other areas. Essay submission deadline: February 13, 2025. Short test date: February 19, 2025, 10:00 (Hörsaal G). Students can improve their grade by voluntarily writing a session protocol. A well-evaluated 1.5-page session protocol improves a passing essay grade by one grade step (0.3).

Session 1: Klimawandel als soziologisches Problem

October 23, 2024

Tasks: Listen to the Lage der Nation podcast with Jens Beckert: https://lagedernation.org/podcast/ldn392-spezial-wie-geht-wirksame-klimapolitik-jens-beckert-max-planck-institut-fuer-gesellschaftsforschung/

Bring a news or other media communication about climate change.

Session 2: Nicht-handeln als empirisches Puzzle

October 30, 2024

Required Text:

  • Beckert, J., 2024. Verkaufte Zeit. Suhrkamp. Chapter: Wissen ohne Wandel (9–23).

Skim:

  • Kotz, M., A. Levermann & L. Wenz, 2024. The economic commitment of climate change. Nature 628, 551–557.

Watch the short documentary ‘COP28’: https://www.arte.tv/de/videos/113043-134-A/cop28-ist-ein-austieg-aus-fossilen-energien-moeglich/

Prepare questions and comments on the documentation and text.

Session 3: Klimawandel & Kapitalismus

November 6, 2024

Required Text:

  • Beckert, J., 2024. Verkaufte Zeit. Suhrkamp. Chapter: Kapitalistische Moderne (24–45).

Guiding questions for text discussion: How does Beckert characterize relationships of capitalist societies to nature in contrast to pre-capitalist ones? What does Beckert mean by spheres of action and how are they interconnected?

Watch the panel discussion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfZYbI6Bo6s

Session 4: Klimawandel & Fossile Machtstrukturen

November 13, 2024

Required Text:

  • Beckert, J., 2024. Verkaufte Zeit. Suhrkamp. Chapter: Big Oil (46–65).

Watch the documentary ‘The Power of Big Oil’ (PBS 2022):

Session 5: Klimawandel & die Evolution der COPs

November 20, 2024

Required Text:

  • van Asselt H., Huitema D. & A. Jordan, 2018. Global Climate Governance after Paris: Setting the Stage for Experimentation? S. 27–46 in: B. Turnheim, P. Kivimaa and F. Berkhout (eds.), Innovating Climate Governance: Moving Beyond Experiments. Cambridge University Press.

Watch the film ‘Guardians of the Earth’: https://www.filmsforaction.org/watch/guardians-of-the-earth-a-film-about-the-paris-agreement/

Session 6: Klimawandel & Politik

November 27, 2024

Required Text:

  • Beckert, J., 2024. Verkaufte Zeit. Suhrkamp. Chapter: Der zögernde Staat (67–90).

Please bring press news pieces on climate change and policy that you ran into in recent weeks (preferably about current climate COP).

Session 7: ‘Entwicklung’ und internationales System

December 4, 2024

Required Text:

  • Beckert, J., 2024. Verkaufte Zeit. Suhrkamp. Chapter: Wohlstand Weltweit (91–110).

Listen to the following podcasts (both begin with a review of COP and then change topics):

Please bring press news pieces on climate change and policy that you ran into in recent weeks (preferably about current climate COP).

Session 8: Klimawandel & Konsumgesellschaft

December 11, 2024

Required Text:

  • Beckert, J., 2024. Verkaufte Zeit. Suhrkamp. Chapter: Konsum ohne Grenze (111–135).

Session 9: Klimawandel & Grünes Wachstum

December 18, 2024

Required Text:

  • Beckert, J., 2024. Verkaufte Zeit. Suhrkamp. Chapter: Grünes Wachstum (136–165).

Session 10: Planetare Grenzen

January 8, 2025

Required Text:

  • Beckert, J., 2024. Verkaufte Zeit. Suhrkamp. Chapter: Planetare Grenzen (166–177).

Session 11: Stranded Assets

January 15, 2025

Required Texts (please skim and understand key statements):

  • Semieniuk, G.. et al., 2022. Stranded fossil-fuel assets translate to major losses for investors in advanced economies. Nature Climate Change 12, 532–538.
  • Oman, W., M. Salin, & R. Svartzman, 2024. Three tales of central banking and financial supervision for the ecological transition. WIREs Climate Change, 15 (3), e876.

Session 12: Verkaufte Zukunft?

January 22, 2025

Required Text:

  • Beckert, J., 2024. Verkaufte Zeit. Suhrkamp. Chapter: Wie weiter? (178–200).

Session 13: Abschlussbesprechung und Prüfungsvorbereitung

January 29, 2025

Please prepare questions about the seminar, essay, and lecture.