Undergraduate Course: Pop Culture Politics (PLIT10174)
Course Outline
| School | School of Social and Political Science |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 10 (Year 3 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | The course is placed at the intersection of popular culture and politics. We explore the intrinsic political narratives in fictional works of literature, television, film, or video games. We investigate how these stories mirror or challenge the political climates of their times, and ask whether fiction can not only reflect but can also influence public opinion and real-world political dynamics. |
| Course description |
Politics permeates our lives, including the realm of popular culture. Whether it is in movies, TV shows, books, or video games, political dynamics are both depicted and influenced by these narratives.
The course is structured around three primary dimensions of politics and pop culture. Firstly, it examines the 'internal' politics within fictional media, analysing the political landscapes, actors, and ideologies presented in works like Game of Thrones and The Handmaid's Tale, or video games such as Civilization and Call of Duty. This involves understanding the portrayal of political systems, power dynamics, and societal challenges.
Secondly, the course investigates the 'external' politics of fiction, questioning how these narratives might be influenced by, or reflect, the political contexts of their creation. For instance, we may consider how Star Trek's evolving narrative mirrored Cold War sentiments, or why dystopian themes dominated young adult fiction such as The Hunger Games in the 2000s.
Lastly, the course probes the potential of fiction for 'catalytic' politics: to shape public opinion and political discourse. We may contemplate the influence of seminal works like the Iliad on how the Greek world thought about the price of war, or how Orwell's 1984 impacted views on state surveillance.
While the specific media, political concepts, and theoretical approaches may vary from week to week, a recurring theme is understanding fiction as a mirror of real-world political dynamics. Each session will spotlight a particular piece of fiction or a set of works related to the same topic, with some sessions allowing students to choose between media within a wider theme.
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Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | Visiting students should have at least four Politics/IR courses at grade B or above (or be predicted to obtain this). Only university/college level courses will be considered. |
Course Delivery Information
| Not being delivered |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Demonstrate a critical understanding of how politics and fictional media interact.
- Be able to identify and analyze the internal politics of a piece of fiction.
- Relate aspects of a piece of fiction to the external politics of its creation.
- Bring theoretical perspectives to bear to understand the relationship between internal and external politics in fiction.
- Collaboratively analyse fictional politics, and communicate this effectively to others.
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Reading List
Clapton, William / Shepard, Laura (2017). 'Lessons from Westeros: Gender and power in Game of Thrones'. Politics 37(1): 5-18.
Dyson, Stephen (2015). Otherworldly Politics: The International Relations of Star Trek, Game of Thrones, and Battlestar Galactica. Johns Hopkins University Press.
Hassler, Donald / Wilcox, Clyde (eds.) (2011). Political Science Fiction. University of South Carolina Press.
Milkoreit, Manjana (2019). 'Pop-cultural Mobilization: Deploying Game of Thrones to Shift US Climate Change Politics' International Journal of Politics, Culture, and Society 32:61-82.
Rollins, Peter / O'Connor, John (eds.) (2003) The West Wing - The American Presidency as Television Drama. Syracuse University Press.
Ruane, Abigail / James, Patrick (2012) The International Relations of Middle-earth. University of Michigan Press.
Valeriano, Brandon / Habel, Philip (2016) 'Who Are the Enemies? The Visual Framing of Enemies in Digital Games'. International Studies Review 18(3): 462-486 |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
The course will help students develop the following attributes:
- analysing facts and situations and applying creative thinking to develop the appropriate solutions;
- evaluating information thoroughly; identifying assumptions, detecting false logic or reasoning and defining terms accurately in order to make an informed judgement;
- understanding of contextually relevant ethics and values, self-awareness, mental flexibility and openness, resilience and a commitment to life-long learning;
- recognising and addressing ethical dilemmas, social responsibility and sustainability issues, applying ethical and their own/organisational values to situations and choices;
- thinking outside the box;
- having the capacity to thrive in a globalised society and economy, and an awareness of other cultures. |
| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Patrick Theiner
Tel:
Email: patrick.theiner@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | |
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