The small class sizes and approachable staff created a welcoming and engaging environment for discussion and debate, and I always felt that there was ample opportunity to share my thoughts and insights.
Shivaani Harmsen
Alumna Politics & Society
The master ‘Politics & Society’ is an intriguing programme for anyone interested in how people interact with politics. I have always been curious about why people vote for a particular party, or why some have more trust in politics than others. The master allows you to analyse such questions, and delve into the complex but fascinating interplay between contemporary politics and society.
Upon starting the master programme, I quickly realised that this field was much more complex and nuanced than I had initially thought. Throughout my time in the master programme, I learned about a wide range of current and important issues in contemporary political sociology, including the rise of populism, the effects of globalization and immigration on political parties, socio-economic influences and much more. The courses provided valuable insights into the behaviour of the masses and helped me to think more critically about the world around me. The small class sizes and approachable staff created a welcoming and engaging environment for discussion and debate, and I always felt that there was ample opportunity to share my thoughts and insights.
During the thesis, we got the chance to test the theories in the ‘real world’. I had the pleasure of encountering many interesting people while studying the political behaviour of second-generation migrants in the Netherlands. The interviews allowed me to appreciate how contexts and social bubbles contribute to one’s world views and interaction with politics to a greater degree. Outside of the master programme too, the theories and insights remain relevant and fascinating. Reading the newspaper has become more intriguing, and my views on political discussions have become more nuanced.
Overall, I would highly recommend the Politics and Society master programme to any critical-minded students interested in the complex interplay between politics and society. The programme provides valuable insights into understanding wider contexts and social patterns that influence attitudes and behaviour, and such an understanding can be applied into consideration different perspectives to analyse issues. Not only did this programme provide me with valuable academic experience, but it also helped me to become more analytical, critical, and open-minded - skills that will no doubt serve me well in my future professional career.