240046 VO+UE VM1 / VM3 - Introduction to Critical Agrarian Studies (2022S)

From a political-economic perspective critical agrarian studies focus on the structural transformation of the countryside under conditions of globalization. Researchers from the field analyze agrarian social classes, how they are called into being by political-economic forces, the relationship between capitalism and agriculture, the emergence and transformation of food regimes, property and labour relations in the agrarian sector, the politics of rural class struggles and the creation of alternatives to capitalism in the countryside. The seminar introduces into the field of critical agrarian studies. We will learn about its origins, core theories and concepts, epistemologies and methodologies and contemporary debates within the field.
In this seminar we will read and discuss fundamental texts of Critical Agrarian Studies. We deepen selected aspects such as work, class and gender relations and systematically analyze self-chosen cases of agrarian change and rural transformation in working groups from the perspective of Critical Agrarian Studies.
After attendance, participants will
- have an overview the research field of critical agrarian studies, including basic theories and empirical fields of research;
- know basic concepts, categories and contemporary debates within critical agrarian studies with regard to agrarian and rural transformation;
- know current challenges for agrarian transformation and politics, and be able to critically reflect on them;
- be able to independently formulate research questions using theoretical perspectives and concepts from critical agrarian studies and be able to develop research strategies for answering them.