The Politics of Popular Culture
On-site in Tartu 1-7 August 2022
Though often dismissed as “just a bit of fun” (Way, 2021), popular culture’s role in influencing and reflecting broader political developments is finally starting to receive the academic attention it deserves.
From Banksy’s street art, to the Olympic games, via Eurovision song contest and even our favourite food, popular culture is the medium through which we most often experience and consume politics as part of the “taken for granted everyday world” (Machin, 2013). Yet it is precisely this inseparability from the ideologies and power relations with which it is infused (Machin, 2013), that makes popular culture such a challenging and important subject for academic research.
Perhaps nowhere is this more evident than in Ukraine, where cultural fields including sport, art and music have been described by the British government as a crucial “third front” in the ongoing war with Russia (BBC, 2021).
| Focus area: | Political Studies | Coordinating unit at UT |
Faculty of Social Sciences |
| Study Field: | Political Studies | Course Leader | Michael Cole, University of Tartu |
| Format | Summer course | Location | Tartu, Estonia |
| Course dates: | 1-7 August 2022 | Apply by: | 19 June 2022 |
| ECTS: | 2 | Fee: | 250 € |
| Study group | MA/PhD and advanced BA | Language | English |
Application period has ended. See you in 2023!
Two weeks prior to the start of the programme an information file will be sent to all participants. This file contains the daily schedule and relevant contact information of the programme managers.
Students are responsible for their travel, accommodation and travel insurance (visa arrangements if needed) from their home country to Tartu and back to their home country. It is recommended to visit the Tartu Welcome Centre website and arrival and housing section to find accommodation opportunities.
The University of Tartu will offer 20 tuition waivers (scholarships) altogether for citizens of Ukraine for all summer courses. It will cover the course fee and cultural programme. Accommodation and daily expenses are not included.
The selection process is going to be based on the motivation letter. In order to apply for the scholarship please submit your application to the summer course and upload a motivation letter (no longer than approx 1 A4 page).
