Vienna Faculty Spotlight, February: Ralph Schoelhammer

Dr. Ralph Schoellhammer has served as an advisor and faculty member in the Department of International Relations at Webster Vienna Private University and as coordinator of the ECON Reading Group since 2014. He holds a Ph.D. in Political Science with concentrations in Political Theory, International Relations, and Comparative Politics, and an M.A. in Political Science. His research and interests focus on the intersection of politics and culture.

Today we spotlight Dr. Schoellhammer to talk about his interests and teaching methods and to offer some recommendations for our students.

1. What are you research interests?

I am mainly interested in the intersection of politics and culture. I strongly believe that our political attitudes are shaped much more by the cultural environment in which we have been socialized than we are often willing to admit. Contrary to what traditional political science believed for a long time, political life takes place not only on the level of rational decision making but has a strong emotional component. This also helps explain polarization and why people tend to get so upset about certain issues. The psychologist Jonathan Haidt has written a very interesting book on this topic that I can highly recommend: “The Righteous Mind. Why Good People are Divided by Religion and Politics.” I also use it in my class on political psychology.

2. What classes will you be teaching this Spring 2022 semester? Can you tell us a bit about them?

I am teaching quite a bit this semester, including my favorite subject, which is Political Theory. Other courses are Model UN and a class on the emergence of political order. What all these classes share is the underlying theme that the world as it is today must not necessarily stay this way. Permanence is the illusion of every age, and I really want students to understand that the only constant in human history is change. Whether this change will be good or bad is something everyone must evaluate on their own, but I strive to make clear that there is no guarantee that things are always getting better, and that political decay is just as possible as political progress.

3. As a university student, what was your favorite class?

I always enjoyed classes on political theory, which is also my favorite area of teaching.

4. What recommendations would you give new and current International Relations students?

First get a Kindle or another e-book reader. They are easy on the eye and allow you to have a permanent library with you wherever you go. Secondly, get a subscription to a high-quality newspaper that you like. If you consider yourself more of a conservative, you might want to look into the Wall Street Journal, if you identify more to the left maybe the New York Times is your newspaper of choice. Both a Kindle and a Newspaper subscription will cost you less than USD 100 per year, but it will pay off in having an information edge on others. Reading is the most essential tool for any IR student, because it is the best (and only) way to stay on top of what is going on in the world.

If you follow that advise and actually do the readings of both books and newspapers everything else will come easier. The more you know, the better your chances are for an internship and on the job market. I am still hoping that maybe one day we can strike a deal with Amazon, so every incoming student gets a brand-new Kindle.

5. In the International Relations field, what topic/area would you say interests you the most and why?

Geopolitics. The connection between international and domestic politics and how they interact with each other.

6. Any hidden talents you would like to share with the WVPU community?

I am actually a pretty good baker – my cheesecake has not yet gone international, but enjoys a great reputation among friends and family.