General information meetings on the Thesis Seminar Fall: See tab Information and Deadlines
Theme 101: Researching the Fractured: Power, Identity and theState - (dr. V. Tsagkroni)
This thesis seminar investigates the intricate intersections of nationalism, ethnic conflict, and development across both contemporary and historical settings, offering a critical foundation for students engaged in thesis research on the political, social, and economic dynamics of divided societies. Adopting an interdisciplinary approach, the seminar explores the processes through which national identities are constructed and contested, the conditions under which ethnic divisions escalate into conflict, and the ways in which development policies can either alleviate or intensify societal fractures. Central to the course are explorations of the evolution of nationalism, the mechanisms and legacies of ethnic violence, the role of state and international actors in governing diversity, and the broader political economy of development in multiethnic contexts. Core concepts include nationhood and identity formation, ethnic mobilization and intergroup conflict, post-colonial state-building and developmental nationalism, political exclusion and resource competition, and strategies for conflict resolution and inclusive development. Emphasizing theoretical engagement, methodological rigor, and comparative analysis, the seminar is designed to support students in formulating researchable and policy-relevant thesis questions. Ultimately, the seminar equips students with the analytical tools to critically examine phenomena such as grassroots nationalism, elite manipulation of ethnic identities, and the unintended consequences of development interventions, fostering the capacity to design impactful, context-sensitive research.
Theme 102: Identity Politics and Migration - (dr. M. Burmeister - Rudolph)
This thesis seminar on Identity Politics and Migration aims to support students throughout the process of writing a master’s thesis within these interconnected fields. It provides guidance on the various steps needed to develop a coherent and systematic research proposal, ensuring the successful completion of the final thesis. The seminar covers issues broadly related to identity politics, such as the intersections between ethnicity and nationalism, nationhood and statehood, citizenship and identity, colonialism and nation-building, and the dynamics of migration. How do nationalism and ethnic conflict relate? What are strategies that states use to accommodate (ethnic) minorities? What is the role of non-state actors, such as migrants, in ethnic conflicts? How is nationalism used to create categories of inclusion and exclusion? Specific topics might include everyday nationalism and ethno-popularism, the effect of economic and social crises on the rise of nationalism, the transnationalisation of conflicts through diasporas, identity-led regional independence movements (e.g., Catalonia (Spain); Punjab (India), Maluku (Indonesia), ethnic federalism and redistribution of resources. Students participating in this seminar are encouraged to define their own focus, regional, theoretical, or thematic, within these broadly outlined areas. They will refine their focus into a research proposal, ultimately leading to an MSc thesis. The seminar emphasizes qualitative research methods.
Description
This thesis seminar investigates the intricate intersections of nationalism, ethnic conflict, and development across both contemporary and historical settings, offering a critical foundation for students engaged in thesis research on the political, social, and economic dynamics of divided societies. Adopting an interdisciplinary approach, the seminar explores the processes through which national identities are constructed and contested, the conditions under which ethnic divisions escalate into conflict, and the ways in which development policies can either alleviate or intensify societal fractures. Central to the course are explorations of the evolution of nationalism, the mechanisms and legacies of ethnic violence, the role of state and international actors in governing diversity, and the broader political economy of development in multiethnic contexts. Core concepts include nationhood and identity formation, ethnic mobilization and intergroup conflict, post-colonial state-building and developmental nationalism, political exclusion and resource competition, and strategies for conflict resolution and inclusive development. Emphasizing theoretical engagement, methodological rigor, and comparative analysis, the seminar is designed to support students in formulating researchable and policy-relevant thesis questions. Ultimately, the seminar equips students with the analytical tools to critically examine phenomena such as grassroots nationalism, elite manipulation of ethnic identities, and the unintended consequences of development interventions, fostering the capacity to design impactful, context-sensitive research.
Course objectives
Critically analyze the dynamics of identity, conflict, and governance in divided societies, with an emphasis on how national identities are constructed and contested, how intergroup tensions escalate into conflict, and how political and development interventions shape outcomes in multiethnic contexts.
Engage with interdisciplinary theories and core concepts—including nationhood, political exclusion, post-colonial state-building, and resource competition—to understand the historical and contemporary mechanisms that sustain or resolve social and political fragmentation.
Develop methodological competence and research design skills, equipping students to employ qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods in formulating rigorous, original, and policy-relevant thesis projects rooted in comparative or case-based inquiry.
Strengthen academic communication and peer feedback practices, through the iterative development of thesis proposals, structured in-class discussion, and critical reflection, fostering the ability to articulate, refine, and defend complex research questions with clarity and precision.
Mode of instruction
Students complete their Master’s programme by writing a Master’s thesis. Although the MSc thesis is completed individually, students receive guidance while working on the thesis by means of a thesis class, which starts in term 1 and continues into term 2. The classes are arranged around themes in accordance with the focus areas of the Master’s programme. In consultation with the lecturer, students develop a research question that is related to the wider theme of their thesis seminar.
The course will alternate lectures, seminars and group work, reviewing the research on politics and international relations. Theoretically, we review on-going debates and think about how to pose important questions. Methodologically, we discuss how to design a research proposal, paying attention to research questions, concept formation, object selection and research strategies. The first half of
the class will focus on the research question – or the ‘problem’ that the student will seek to ‘solve’ – with an emphasis on borders and migration (although substantive readings will not be highlighted in class). The second half will focus on methods training – a quickfire ‘bootcamp’ of sorts – covering a number of specific qualitative and interpretive methods: including case studies, process tracing, and a more intensive, hands-on focus on interviews and ethnography. Given the nature of this seminar, these classes are meant to serve as guideposts; students will have to read extensively on the side to develop an approach sufficient to meet the demands of their project. Regardless of the method selected, students are expected to engage original research, either by analysing primary documents or doing fieldwork.
The MSc thesis is a reflection of the knowledge and research skills obtained in the field of Politics. In addition, the MSc thesis is designed to further train students’ ability to develop, conduct and report on a theoretically informed, practically relevant, empirical study. Students are expected to provide constructive criticism to their colleagues in the working group in the form of proofs with comments in the margins or shot memos to be shared. Students are expected to actively participate in the seminar discussions.
Assessment method
The thesis seminar is composed of a research proposal (first 8 weeks) and a thesis (remaining of the course). The research proposal ensures that the student is on the right track to carry out the research and write the thesis. It must be approved by both readers (see below), but is not awarded a grade. The grade of the thesis corresponds to 100% of the grade of the thesis seminar.
Research Proposal
The research proposal includes a problem statement, theoretical foundation, conceptualization as well as a sound explanation of the methods and techniques for data collection and analysis.The proposal must be approved by the supervisor and a second reader. The second reader will be designated by the Director of Studies. Please note that teachers are not obliged to provide thesis supervision if the proposal is not approved. The research proposal is not graded, it receives only a pass/revise/fail evaluation.
Master Thesis
The MSc thesis needs to comply with high standards of academic research. The formal requirements of the Master thesis are stated on the page ‘Thesis seminar information and deadlines’. The thesis evaluation form with the evaluation criteria will be published on Brightspace.
Students that drop or fail the course have to retake the complete thesis seminar (in the 2nd semester of the next academic year). Students should contact the Exam Committee if they are unable to complete the master thesis by the deadline due to circumstances beyond their control.
Reading list
We will be reading a selection of academic book chapters and journal articles. Students are responsible themselves for locating the assigned journal articles, using the library’s online catalogue. A detailed reading list is provided below.
There are two kinds of readings for this course: substantive and methodological. Students are advised to consult one of several handbooks that focus on conceiving, drafting and writing research papers in political science. The process of writing up will be discussed in class but students are expected to work on this autonomously and engage in substantive reading on their own.
Alexander, G. and Bennett A. (2006). Case Studies and Theory Development in the Social
Sciences. MIT Press.
Baglione. L. (2012). Writing a Research Paper in Political Science: A Practical Guide to Inquiry, Structure, and Methods. Washington: Sage.
Barakso, M., Sabet, D.M. & Schaffner. B. (2014). Understanding Political Science Research Methods: The
Challenge of Inference. London: Routledge.
Geddes, Barbara (2003). Paradigms and Sand Castles. Theory Building and Research Design in Comparative
Politics, Ann Arbor: Michigan University Press.
Panke, Diana (2018) Research Design and Method Selection. Making Good Choices in the Social Sciences,
London: Sage Publications.
Parsons, Craig (2007) How to Map Arguments in Political Science. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Schatz E. (ed). (2009). Political Ethnography: What Immersion Contributes to the Study of Power. Chicago:
University of Chicago Press
Silbergh, D. M. (2001). Doing Dissertations in Politics. A Student’s Guide, London: Routledge.
Yanow, D. and Schwartz-Shea P. (2013). Interpretation and Method: Empirical Research Methods and the Interpretive Turn. London: Routledge
Registration
See 'Practical Information
Timetable
See 'MyTimetable