Description
Students choose (one of) the thesis seminar(s) offered within their specialisation. It is strongly recommended that students start thinking about the topic of their thesis before the start of the classes. Attendance is compulsory for all classes. Detailed information about the study material and the writing process can be found on Brightspace.
Course Objectives
Objective 1. To deepen the understanding of theories and methods related to research on the theme of the Master Specialisation.
Objective 2. Applying them to a specific topic as part of the student’s Master thesis project.
General Introduction Meeting
See 'Information and Deadlines' for the time and date of the introduction meeting.
Thesis Seminar Theme:
Theme 101: Political Legitimacy and Justice (Dr. A.V. Agoglossakis Foley)
This seminar is a requirement for students who take the specialisation ‘Political Legitimacy and Justice’. Throughout this thesis seminar, the aim is to guide you as you complete your thesis, step-by-step. Starting with a draft proposal that gets extensive feedback, the students then develop their ideas further until they have completed their full research proposal, which will provide the blueprint for the thesis to come. The nature of this seminar is quite broad, as it must cater to a wide variety of student interests. For their thesis, the students can pick a specific subject that they are interested in, as long as it fits within the theme of political legitimacy and justice. Most students will end up with a topic in the fields of political theory, philosophy or history of political thought. The students are welcome to choose a wide range of theoretical approaches, from more traditional to more critical theoretical backgrounds. In this seminar, a preference lies with critical approaches that explore normative aspects of political theory. The methodologies that can be used are wide ranging, and dependent on each individual thesis. They can be anything from a Foucauldian genealogy to a mixed-methods approach. Students are expected to do their own research into their topic in depth, allowing them to provide a well-rounded and informative argument. Overall, the thesis seminar will focus both on individual and on interactive work. The students will be expected to provide feedback for their peers, as well as attend one-to-one sessions with the instructor.
Theme 102: Political Legitimacy and Justice (Dr. G. Schaafsma)
Gerrit Schaafsma holds a PhD in philosophy from the University of Amsterdam. His research focuses on climate change and civil disobedience. He works in the public philosophy tradition of James Tully, taking inspiration from those directly involved in political action while also drawing from the academic debates that have shaped public ideas about what civil disobedience is and its role in a democratic society. Gerrit is also well-versed in the history of social and environmental movements and is deeply involved in research on how academics and institutions can effectively respond to the climate crisis. His other research interests include environmental philosophy (particularly climate justice), global justice, and liberal theories of justice. He teaches at Leiden University College.
Thesis supervision:
This thesis seminar will supervise projects that engage critically with questions of climate change, justice and democracy, broadly understood. He particularly welcomes theses on climate justice (for example, responsibilities of states, corporations and individuals; loss and damage; intergenerational justice), civil disobedience and political protest (including movements such as Extinction Rebellion, Fridays for Future, Indigenous resistance), and the ethics and strategy of climate activism. He is also keen to supervise work on climate obstructionism, corporate lobbying, greenwashing, and the politics of climate denial.
Beyond climate-specific topics, Gerrit supervises theses in environmental political theory, global justice (e.g. migration, borders, global inequality, postcolonial critiques), and liberal theories of justice, especially where students connect more theoretical work to concrete political practices and institutions. He is also open to supervising interdisciplinary projects that combine philosophy with empirical work (such as case studies of movements or institutions).
Additional Information
A substantive readings list will be available on Brightspace two weeks before the seminar starts. Students are highly recommended to give it a look.
Registration
See 'Information and Deadlines'
Examination
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.
Master Thesis
The MSc thesis needs to comply with high standards of academic research. The thesis must be between 8.000 and 10.000 words, including tables, footnotes and bibliography. 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.
Timetable
See 'MyTimetable'