Cross-faculty elective subjects WS 2015/2016

'How to take better pictures' is the topic of endless photography self-help books. This immediately raises a series of questions: But what is good picture? What purpose does it serve? Is virtuosity still a relevant term in a contemporary art/photography discourse? Does a good or better picture contribute to a better life?
This module explores these questions through a series of photography exercises and through discussing work of contemporary artists. Photography is understood as a performative act, a way to relate to others, to the surrounding world.

Of paramount importance for every presentation is the personality of the presenter, which can create an atmosphere of trust and real interest.
In this elective course, students will learn how to enter a room with presence and charisma and make a convincing first impression. In addition, body language plays a very important part and, very often, is used only unconsciously.
With the help of feedback, students will improve their presentation skills, learn how to structure their presentations and use media.
Another important theme we will explore is personal "Status". Usually, "Status" is connected with a certain position or power, which someone enjoys in an organization or in society. However, in everyday life, we constantly play with our personal Status, which is somewhat independent from our professional Status. Everyone prefers a certain Status. To raise your own Status yields more authority and assertiveness. To lower your own Status, thereby increasing the Status of someone else, conveys empathy and sympathy. Both raising and lowering your own Status are important and useful in different situations. Students will learn their preferred status and how to change it, if necessary.
In this course, students will also work with the methods of improvisational theater to enhance their spontaneity, creativity and ability to deal with unknown situations.

Im Modul "DIE EXPERIMENTELLE KREATIVWERKSTATT" geht es um das freie Experimentieren und das Schärfen einer wachen Wahrnehmung für die Ideen die uns umgeben.

"Es gibt kein Leben und keinen gesellschaftlichen Ort jenseits der Kultur" Marchart, Oliver (2003: 9)
Der komplexen Thematik Kultur begegnen wir in allen wissenschaftlichen Disziplinen, in der Praxis und im Alltag. In diesem Kurs setzen wir uns mit verschiedenen kulturwissenschaftlichen Zugängen auseinander und nehmen gegenwärtige, alltagsweltliche Fragen zu Kultur unter Berücksichtigung historischer, sozialer und materieller Zusammenhänge in den Blick.

• Einführung in theoretische und praktische Dimensionen von Kultur und Kulturen
• Kennenlernen von unterschiedlichen kulturwissenschaftlichen Perspektiven zur Thematik
• Auseinandersetzung mit unterschiedlichen Verständnissen des Kulturbegriffs
• Erörterung gegenwärtiger Prozesse und Kontexte u.a. zu Stadtkultur, Kreativkultur, Raumkultur-Kulturraum, Kulturpolitik, etc.
• Kennenlernen von kulturanalytischen Werkzeugen und Feldforschungsmethoden
• Durchführung einer kleinen, eigenen Kulturanalyse.

This course looks at a wide range of philosophical topics that deal with human relations to the world from an ethical perspective. Those relations concern here in particular: the environment, political authority, art, and culture. Hence, topics touch on mainly environmental ethics (sustainability), aesthetics (beauty and goodness), political ethics (legitimacy of the state, ethics of redistribution), ethics of culture (cultural relativism vs. universalism, dialogue across cultures), etc.
Our focus will be on cornerstone philosophical theories and insights that are useful for understanding not only our relations to the world, but also our obligations and responsibility. To achieve that we'll engage with great philosophers and assess their arguments against the background of our contemporary questions.
Challenging reading materials will help access deep philosophical insights that are needed to understand complex moral and socio-political issues.

NB:
This course is meant to bring forth the relevance of a philosophical thinking in matters that concern our everyday practical lives. By investigating the foundations of the above-mentioned issues, we'll be better equipped to understand the world around us and formulate clear and well-articulated answers and opinions about matters that concern us all.

What shapes our attitudes? Why are some people such great leaders? What leads us to like one person and dislike another? How do conflicts and prejudices develop, and how can they be reduced? These are just a few of the questions examined in the field of social psychology. This course looks at a wide range of social topics, including group behavior, social perception, leadership, nonverbal behavior, conformity, aggression, decision making, prejudice, and factors that promote health and well-being.

Our focus will be on surprising, entertaining, and intriguing concepts and research findings that are useful and applicable in our daily lives. Exercises and assignments in class and in home study will encourage you to experiment with your life, observe the results, and analyze what took place.

The course will deepen and enrich your enjoyment and understanding of art through engagement with some of the key theories and approaches that art historians have developed for interpreting and explaining works of art.

• Learn about Art Periods
• Get to know the highlights of European art from the 15th to the 21st century
• Explore fascinating questions about works of art, their function in society, their various meanings for viewers of the past and of the present
• Meet works of art within their social and cultural context
• Learn about methods used by art historians to analyse, interpret and explain works of art: Biographical approach, socio-economic/cultural approach, sociological approach, Iconographic approach, Iconological interpretation, architectural history, formalist/stylistic approach, aesthetic approach, semiotics, gendered approach
• A special focus is on social history of art since 1970