Online Teachers Seminar: Whose Voice Matters? Inequality and Media in the United States

One year before the next presidential elections, we will take a look at the United States and some of the challenges that the country is currently facing. The Republican Party further morphs into an illiberal and radicalized political player and social inequality continues to exclude many Americans from true forms of participation in their democracy and society. In addition, the media system is changing and news and facts seem to be up for debate. What do these developments mean for the future of America? Whose voice is being heard and responded to in this democracy? Amidst all this, how can young people be empowered in the United States to participate in civics, make their voice heard and what lesson can we learn for Germany?

is a political scientist and postdoc at the University of Aarhus. Her research is focused on housing policy, social inequality and comparative perspectives of the welfare state. She is part of the “New Politics of the Housing Market” project where the causes and consequences of housing market inequality in advanced democracies are studied. 

coordinates a group of teaching consultants and continuous professional development conferences in foreign languages at the Pedagogical Institute of Rhineland-Palatinate. She is also the author of teaching units for advanced EFL classrooms.

promovierte an der FU Berlin über rechtskonservative Medien in den USA. Anschließend arbeitete er als Postdoc an der School of Media and Public Affairs der George Washington University (USA). Seine Forschung befasst sich mit politischer Kommunikation im Mediensystem der USA, den politischen Folgen von Digitalisierung und Medienfragmentierung in westlichen Demokratien und Framing-Konflikten in digitalen Kommunikationsumgebungen.

is an Associate Professor of Political Science at Salisbury University. Her academic research focuses on environmental policy related to waste management, comparative civic education, and participatory democratic engagement. For more than twenty years, Surak has worked in the field of sustainability, holding professional positions managing and consulting for public and private recycling, composting, and sustainability programs. She serves as a Senior Fellow at Salisbury University’s Institute for Public Affairs and Civic Engagement.