Cultures of Conspiracy Interdisciplinary Course at the University of Amsterdam

The PI Boris Noordenbos will coordinate Cultures of Conspiracy course as an elective offered by the Institute for Interdisciplinary Studies (UvA) in the second semester of 2022-2023 academic year. The course is based on the winning proposal of Leonie von Platen (PPLE) for the UvA Create a Course challenge. It is open to second-year and third-year UvA Bachelor's students and Master’s students (when available).

Description:

In a world overflowing with suspicion, traditional anchors of knowledge (scientists, politicians, mainstream media) are no longer taken for granted. How do we differentiate between healthy skepticism and dangerous paranoia?

In this course, we take a curiosity-driven approach to understanding conspiracy theories. How do we define and delineate them? What is their rhetorical and emotional appeal? And what are their real-life repercussions? We explore to what extent current conspiracy cultures are historically unique and investigate the complex interdependencies between their social, psychological, and political dimensions. Which individuals and groups are susceptible to conspiracy thinking and how is their suspicion co-opted for (populist) politics in different national contexts?

We also look at cultural and technological mediation, as conspiracy theories now typically come to us through social media. Does online communication amplify and accelerate (global) conspiracy thinking, or does it merely render the conspiratorial worldview more visible? Can we distinguish new, tech-enabled variations from its offline predecessors?

Discussing these and other questions with experts from various fields, we explore new, interdisciplinary understandings of conspiracy theories and ways to respond to them.