The professorship teaches the newly developed module Sociology of Rural Areas. It is a compulsory elective module in the Master’s programme Sustainable Agricultural Systems and can also be elected by interested students from other programmes within the Faculty of Agriculture, Civil and Environmental Engineering as well as by students from other faculties of the University of Rostock. In addition, the professorship participates with thematic offers in the module “Research practice in the working groups”, which is an integral part of the Master’s programme Sustainable Agricultural Systems.

The teaching focuses on topical issues of rural development with a focus on social and material structures as well as of images and self-descriptions of rural areas. Besides, basic concepts of the social sciences and of rural studies are considered, such as village, community, services of general interest or equivalence of living conditions. The course also deals with methodological issues of empirical social research. Using concrete examples and small exercises, qualitative methods of rural research are dealt with in particular. 

The module is offered in every summer semester as a four-hour course consisting of an interactive combination of lectures, seminars and exercises.