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Faculty of Arts and HumanitiesDean's Office, Faculty of Arts and HumanitiesJakobi 2, r 116-121 51005 Tartu linn, Tartu linn, Tartumaa EST0Institute of History and ArchaeologyJakobi 2 51005 Tartu linn, Tartu linn, Tartumaa EST0Institute of Estonian and General LinguisticsJakobi 2, IV korrus 51005 Tartu linn, Tartu linn, Tartumaa EST0Institute of Philosophy and SemioticsJakobi 2, III korrus, ruumid 302-337 51005 Tartu linn, Tartu linn, Tartumaa EST0Institute of Cultural ResearchÜlikooli 16 51003 Tartu linn, Tartu linn, Tartumaa EST0Institute of Foreign Languages and CulturesLossi 3 51003 Tartu linn, Tartu linn, Tartumaa EST0School of Theology and Religious StudiesÜlikooli 18 50090 Tartu linn, Tartu linn, Tartumaa EST0Viljandi Culture AcademyPosti 1 71004 Viljandi linn, Viljandimaa EST0Professors emeriti, Faculty of Arts and Humanities0Associate Professors emeriti, Faculty of Arts and Humanities0Faculty of Social SciencesDean's Office, Faculty of Social SciencesLossi 36 51003 Tartu linn, Tartu linn, Tartumaa EST0Institute of EducationJakobi 5 51005 Tartu linn, Tartu linn, Tartumaa EST0Johan Skytte Institute of Political StudiesLossi 36, ruum 301 51003 Tartu linn, Tartu linn, Tartumaa EST0School of Economics and Business AdministrationNarva mnt 18 51009 Tartu linn, Tartu linn, Tartumaa EST0Institute of PsychologyNäituse 2 50409 Tartu linn, Tartu linn, Tartumaa EST0School of LawNäituse 20 - 324 50409 Tartu linn, Tartu linn, Tartumaa EST0Institute of Social StudiesLossi 36 51003 Tartu linn, Tartu linn, Tartumaa EST0Narva CollegeRaekoja plats 2 20307 Narva linn, Ida-Virumaa EST0Pärnu CollegeRingi 35 80012 Pärnu linn, Pärnu linn, Pärnumaa EST0Professors emeriti, Faculty of Social Sciences0Associate Professors emeriti, Faculty of Social Sciences0Faculty of MedicineDean's Office, Faculty of MedicineRavila 19 50411 Tartu linn, Tartu linn, Tartumaa ESTInstitute of Biomedicine and Translational MedicineBiomeedikum, Ravila 19 50411 Tartu linn, Tartu linn, Tartumaa ESTInstitute of PharmacyNooruse 1 50411 Tartu linn, Tartu linn, Tartumaa ESTInstitute of DentistryL. Puusepa 1a 50406 Tartu linn, Tartu linn, Tartumaa ESTInstitute of Clinical MedicineL. Puusepa 8 50406 Tartu linn, Tartu linn, Tartumaa ESTInstitute of Family Medicine and Public HealthRavila 19 50411 Tartu linn, Tartu linn, Tartumaa ESTInstitute of Sport Sciences and PhysiotherapyUjula 4 51008 Tartu linn, Tartu linn, Tartumaa ESTProfessors emeriti, Faculty of Medicine0Associate Professors emeriti, Faculty of Medicine0Faculty of Science and TechnologyDean's Office, Faculty of Science and TechnologyVanemuise 46 - 208 51003 Tartu linn, Tartu linn, Tartumaa ESTInstitute of Computer ScienceNarva mnt 18 51009 Tartu linn, Tartu linn, Tartumaa ESTInstitute of GenomicsRiia 23b/2 51010 Tartu linn, Tartu linn, Tartumaa ESTEstonian Marine Institute0Institute of PhysicsInstitute of ChemistryRavila 14a 50411 Tartu linn, Tartu linn, Tartumaa EST0Institute of Mathematics and StatisticsNarva mnt 18 51009 Tartu linn, Tartu linn, Tartumaa EST0Institute of Molecular and Cell BiologyRiia 23, 23b - 134 51010 Tartu linn, Tartu linn, Tartumaa ESTTartu ObservatoryObservatooriumi 1 61602 Tõravere alevik, Nõo vald, Tartumaa EST0Institute of TechnologyNooruse 1 50411 Tartu linn, Tartu linn, Tartumaa ESTInstitute of Ecology and Earth SciencesJ. Liivi tn 2 50409 Tartu linn, Tartu linn, Tartumaa ESTProfessors emeriti, Faculty of Science and Technology0Associate Professors emeriti, Faculty of Science and Technology0Institute of BioengineeringArea of Academic SecretaryHuman Resources OfficeUppsala 6, Lossi 36 51003 Tartu linn, Tartu linn, Tartumaa EST0Area of Head of FinanceFinance Office0Area of Director of AdministrationInformation Technology Office0Administrative OfficeÜlikooli 17 (III korrus) 51005 Tartu linn, Tartu linn, Tartumaa EST0Estates Office0Marketing and Communication OfficeÜlikooli 18, ruumid 102, 104, 209, 210 50090 Tartu linn, Tartu linn, Tartumaa EST0Area of Vice Rector for Academic AffairsOffice of Academic AffairsUniversity of Tartu Youth AcademyUppsala 10 51003 Tartu linn, Tartu linn, Tartumaa EST0Student Union OfficeÜlikooli 18b 51005 Tartu linn, Tartu linn, Tartumaa EST0Centre for Learning and TeachingArea of Vice Rector for ResearchUniversity of Tartu LibraryW. Struve 1 50091 Tartu linn, Tartu linn, Tartumaa EST0Grant OfficeArea of Vice Rector for DevelopmentCentre for Entrepreneurship and InnovationNarva mnt 18 51009 Tartu linn, Tartu linn, Tartumaa EST0University of Tartu Natural History Museum and Botanical GardenVanemuise 46 51003 Tartu linn, Tartu linn, Tartumaa EST0International Cooperation and Protocol Office0University of Tartu MuseumLossi 25 51003 Tartu linn, Tartu linn, Tartumaa EST0Area of RectorRector's Strategy OfficeInternal Audit Office
The Politics of Popular Culture
On-site in Tartu 28 July - 11 August 2024
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).
This course provides an overview of the methodological tools required to assess a diverse range of research questions related to politics and popular culture, including Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) and Multi-modal Discourse Analysis (MMDA). Interactive seminars and lectures on the course introduce students to the key theoretical, practical and methodological issues affecting the ways politics interacts with popular culture. Students will also have numerous opportunities to apply the relevant theoretical knowledge and analytical frameworks to analyse concrete case studies in both group and individual tasks.
In 2024, the course will also take full advantage of the interactive and immersive learning environment in Tartu during the city’s year as European Capital of Culture, enabling students to explore some of the most important issues affecting the relationship between politics and popular culture in Estonia and beyond.
| 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: | 28 July - 11 August 2024 | Apply by: | 30 April 2024 |
| ECTS: | 3 | Fee: | 550 EUR |
| Study | MA/PhD and advanced BA | Language | English |
Lecturer:
- Michael Cole, University of Tartu
Preliminary Course Schedule
Sunday, 28 July
Arrival
Monday, 29 July: What is the politics of popular culture?
- Class Introduction and Welcome
- Lecture and Seminar "What is the politics of popular culture?" (Focus on Ukraine)
- Biopolitics and Popular Culture (Focus on Georgia and Poland)
Tuesday, 30 July: The politics of popular music
- Lecture and Seminar - The politics of music part 1 (Focus on Narva, Estonia)
- Lecture and Seminar - The politics of music Part 2 (Using CDA and MMDA)
- Introduction to group project work
Wednesday, 31 July: The politics of music continued
- Lecture and Seminar – The politics of music part 3 (Focus on Tallinn Music Week)
- Introduction to course assignment – how to write a popular science article
- Individual consultations and time for group work
Thursday, 1 August: The politics of street art
- Lecture and Seminar - The politics of street art (Focus on Poland)
- Lecture and Seminar - The politics of street art part 2 (Using MMDA)
- Political street art “treasure hunt” in Tartu
Friday, 2 August: The politics of street art continued
- Group task – (Examining Tartu Street Art)
- Exploring Intertextuality (Focus on Tartu Street Art)
- Guest Speaker(s) or Tartu2024- based activity
Saturday, 3 August: free day
Sunday, 4 August: free day
Monday, 5 August: The politics of sport
- Lecture and Seminar – The politics of sport part 1 (Focus on populism and football)
- Lecture and Seminar - The politics of sport part 2 (Focus on football and the far right)
Tuesday, 6 August: The politics of sport continued
- Lecture and Seminar - The politics of sport part 3 (Focus on the 2024 Olympics)
- Discourse (Post-foundationalism and critical discourse theory)
- Group Work
Wednesday, 7 August: The politics of popular culture in Estonia (Music and Arts of Survival)
- Excursion to Viljandi or Tartu 2024-based activity (TBC)
Thursday, 8 August: The politics of food
- The politics of food (Focus on populism and social media)
- The politics of food and identity (Focus on Estonia)
- Group Work
Friday, 9 August: Presentations and course end
- Group project presentations
- Course summary and feedback
Saturday, 10 August/Sunday, 11 August
Departure
Individual work will be given to the students before and during the course.
Entry requirements:
- Online application form
- Motivation letter (up to 1 page) that demonstrates the applicant’s motivation to participate, his/her expectations about the programme, how participation in the summer programme relates to his/her studies and interests, and how the applicant plans to use the gained experience and knowledge in the future.
- Transcript of academic records
- Copy of passport
PS: Only complete applications including all annexes submitted by the deadline will be considered for selection.
Learning Outcomes
Students completing the course will:
- Gain an overview of the ways politics and popular culture interact in a wide range of contexts.
- Be introduced to methodological tools, which can be used to examine relationships between popular culture and politics in academic research, including Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), and Multi-Modal Discourse Analysis (MMDA)
- Explore specific case studies of their own interest through a class project.
- Produce an optional written assignment with the opportunity to publish with an established online media outlet.
Assessment format: Group exercise (pass/fail): Students will give a presentation on a case study of their choice, which demonstrates and explores an aspect of the relationship between politics and culture.
For additional course credits, students can produce a short op-ed style assignment (Max 2000 words) on the same or a related topic for submission to a suitable outlet for publication.
In collaboration with DAAD, the University of Tartu offers 5 scholarships for the course The Politics of Popular Culture for German students.
More information and the application form are on the DAAD scholarship page.
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 programme provides in-depth knowledge about core topics of political science such as modern political institutions, elections, political behaviour and ethics, combined with data-driven governance, e-democracy and critical thinking in the digital society. This is reinforced by training in data analytics, research methods and quantitative and qualitative analysis techniques.