The Politics of Popular Culture
Author:
Andrea Margó Rotenberg
Author:
Andrea Margó Rotenberg
The Politics of Popular Culture
On-site in Tartu 28 July - 8 August 2025
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 the 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 popular cultural fields including sport, art and music have been described as a geopolitical battlespace (Saunders, 2024), shaping perceptions and representations of Ukraine in the public sphere (Gaufman and Kurylo, 2024).
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.
In 2025, the course will take full advantage of the interactive and immersive learning environment in Tartu to reflect on the legacy of the city’s year as European Capital of Culture. Through meetings with leading experts and practitioners in the Estonian cultural sphere, students will come away with a strong awareness of some of the most important issues affecting the relationship between politics and popular culture in Estonia and beyond, as well as a solid basis from which to explore their own areas of interest further.
During this course, the students will deepen their understanding of the ways politics and everyday culture interact, and be encouraged to explore specific case studies including the use of football as a political tool by populist leaders, music as a means of integration for Estonia’s Russian speakers and expressions of national identity through everyday food products. The learners will also develop their knowledge of these case studies further through a group class project and written assignment.
Information about the course
Focus area: | Politics, culture | Coordinating unit: | Johan Skytte Institute of Political Studies |
Study Field: | Political Science | Course Leaders: | Michael Cole, University of Tartu |
Format: | Summer Course | Location: | Lossi 36, Tartu |
Course dates: | 28 July - 8 August 2025 | Language: | English |
ECTS: | 3 | Study group: | MA/advanced BA/early stage PhD students |
Lecturers
Michael Cole | Guest lecturers |
| PhD Candidate in Political Science at the Johan Skytte Institute of Political Studies. His research focuses on understandings of national identity and populism in Ukraine and Georgia. He has published academic articles and book chapters about the relationship between politics and football, politics and art and politics and music. | TBA |
Application deadline: 30 April 2025
Application period: 1 April - 30 April 2025
NB! All of the applicants are required to pay a non-refundable application fee of EUR 25. Your application will only be processed after the University has received the fee. The application fee is required to facilitate the admissions process and will not be refunded, regardless of the admission result.
Course fee: 550EUR
Includes:
Study materials
10 days of academic work with lecturers
Certificate of completion (3 ECTS)
5 cultural events in the evenings
Ticket to University of Tartu museums
NB! Transportation and accommodation costs are not included. The course fee does not cover participant's lunch during the summer school.
Photo Gallery
Check out the photos from previous years
Are you wondering how to get to Tartu and where to stay? Tartu is the second biggest city in Estonia and is, therefore, quite easily reachable. Tartu is famous for its sustainable transportation methods which make moving around the city very quick, cheap and convenient. In the City of Education there are many options of accommodation. You'll get to choose between a cheap stay at the dormitory with other international students or pick a fancier option in a hotel or apartment.
While the academic course is broaden your knowledge and learning skills, the cultural programme offers a range of fun and engaging cultural activities, introducing you to Estonia and the opportunity to interact and network with other participants in a lively environment. Students will have the opportunity to enjoy a range of day trips and events offered through the programmes and their experience in Tartu! Please scroll down to see the information about the social programme events, fees, refund policy, etc.