Course Introduction
30228 - Sociology of conspiracy theories - summer-term 2023
Philipp Wunderlich
Institute of sociology, Freie Universität Berlin
2023-04-20
Introduction
Introduction to the topic
Learning goals
Syllabus
Requirements
Technicalities
This seminar
Preconceptions
What is a conspiracy theory? How would you define the term?
Think of one or two examples of conspiracy theories. Why do you think people believe in them?
Learning goals
What are conspiracy theories?
Who believes in conspiracy theories?
What are psychological motives and micro-level predictors?
Which macro-level and cultural or political factors contribute to conspiracy beliefs?
What are consequences of conspiracy theories?
Focus on writing.
Course plan
Session plan
Note
Mandatory readings are marked with a star \((\star)\).
Note
Many of the course readings are chapters taken from the following handbook:
Butter, M., & Knight, P. (Eds.). (2020). Routledge Handbook of Conspiracy Theories. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429452734
Overview
General approaches (4 weeks)
Weekly reading responses
Develop research questions!
Writing task (1 week)
Studies & applications (5 weeks)
Weekly reading responses
Write first drafts!
Paper drafts (2 weeks)
Introduction
1) Introduction (2023-04-20)
Introduction to the topic.
Syllabus
Requirements
Approaches to researching conspiracy theories
- In the following four sessions, basic theoretical or empirical approaches to studying conspiracy theories will be revisited.
- Read the mandatory readings and submit reading responses
2) Traditional accounts (2023-04-27)
\((\star)\) Hofstadter, R. (1996). The paranoid style in American politics, and other essays (1st Harvard University Press pbk. ed). Harvard University Press. https://faculty.washington.edu/jwilker/353/Hofstadter.pdf
3) Micro-level: Psychological motives (2023-05-04)
\((\star)\) Douglas, K. M., Cichocka, A., & Sutton, R. M. (2020). Motivations, Emotions and Belief in Conspiracy Theories. In Routledge Handbook of Conspiracy Theories. Routledge.
4) Macro-level: Structural predictors (2023-05-11)
\((\star)\) Smallpage, S. M., Drochon, H., Uscinski, J. E., & Klofstad, C. (2020). Who are the Conspiracy Theorists?: Demographics and conspiracy theories. In Routledge Handbook of Conspiracy Theories. Routledge.
5) Cultural perspectives: Identification and labeling (2023-05-25)
\((\star)\) Husting, G., & Orr, M. (2007). Dangerous Machinery: “Conspiracy Theorist” as a Transpersonal Strategy of Exclusion. Symbolic Interaction, 30(2), 127–150. https://doi.org/10.1525/si.2007.30.2.127
Harambam, J., & Aupers, S. (2017). ‘I Am Not a Conspiracy Theorist’: Relational Identifications in the Dutch Conspiracy Milieu. Cultural Sociology, 11(1), 113–129. https://doi.org/10.1177/1749975516661959
Assignment
Post 750 words essay to discussion forum!
The theory essay should address on of the essay questions
Collaborative writing practice
6) Feedback & writing practice (2023-06-01)
In groups of 3-4:
Read each other’s essays (before class).
Provide structured feedback to each other.
Task
You have two weeks to incorporate the feedback and upload finalized essays to the discussion forum.
Studies and applications
In the following 5 sessions, we will cover specific empirical cases and theoretical aspects.
One goal of this block of sessions is to collect ideas for final seminar papers / essays.
7) COVID-19 / Mass media and misinformation (2023-06-08)
COVID-19, public health and compliance:
\((\star)\) Imhoff, R., & Lamberty, P. (2020). A Bioweapon or a Hoax? The Link Between Distinct Conspiracy Beliefs About the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Outbreak and Pandemic Behavior. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 11, 1110–1118. https://doi.org/10.1177/1948550620934692
Peitz, L., Lalot, F., Douglas, K. M., Sutton, R., & Abrams, D. (2021). COVID-19 conspiracy theories and compliance with governmental restrictions: The mediating roles of anger, anxiety, and hope. Journal of Pacific Rim Psychology, 15, 18344909211046650. https://doi.org/10.1177/18344909211046646
Mass media and online misinformation:
\((\star)\) Bronner, G. (2015). Why are conspiracy theories doing so well? The case of Charlie Hebdo. Diogenes, 62, 8–16. https://doi.org/10.1177/0392192120924532
Rooke, M. (2021). Alternative media framing of COVID-19 risks. Current Sociology, 69(4), 584–602. https://doi.org/10.1177/00113921211006115
8) Alt-right conspiracy theories / Populism (2023-06-15)
The alt-right and QAnon:
\((\star)\) Bleakley, P. (2021). Panic, pizza and mainstreaming the alt-right: A social media analysis of Pizzagate and the rise of the QAnon conspiracy. Current Sociology, 00113921211034896. https://doi.org/10.1177/00113921211034896
DiMaggio, A. R. (2022). Conspiracy Theories and the Manufacture of Dissent: QAnon, the ‘Big Lie’, Covid-19, and the Rise of Rightwing Propaganda. Critical Sociology, 48(6), 1025–1048. https://doi.org/10.1177/08969205211073669
Political ideology and populism:
\((\star)\) Bergmann, E., & Butter, M. (2020). Conspiracy theory and populism. In M. Butter & P. Knight (Eds.), Routledge Handbook of Conspiracy Theories (pp. 292–303). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429452734
van der Linden, S., Panagopoulos, C., Azevedo, F., & Jost, J. T. (2021). The Paranoid Style in American Politics Revisited: An Ideological Asymmetry in Conspiratorial Thinking. Political Psychology, 42(1), 23–51. https://doi.org/10.1111/pops.12681
Assignment
Submit revised 750 words essay
9) CTs in authoritarian regimes (2023-06-22)
Turkish case:
- \((\star)\) Nefes, T. S. (2017). The impacts of the Turkish government’s conspiratorial framing of the Gezi Park protests. Social Movement Studies, 16(5), 610–622. https://doi.org/10.1080/14742837.2017.1319269
Post-soviet cases:
\((\star)\) Yablokov, I. (2020). Conspiracy theories in Putin’s russia—The case of the ‘new World order.’ In M. Butter & P. Knight (Eds.), Routledge Handbook of Conspiracy Theories (pp. 582–595). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429452734
Ortmann, S., & Heathershaw, J. (2012). Conspiracy Theories in the Post-Soviet Space. The Russian Review, 71(4), 551–564. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9434.2012.00668.x
10) Gender and Sexuality / Antisemitism (2023-06-29)
Gender and sexuality:
\((\star)\) Goetz, J. (2021). ‘The Great Replacement’ – Reproduction and population policies of the far right, taking the Identitarians as an example. 16.
Thiem, A. (2020). Conspiracy theories and gender and sexuality. In M. Butter & P. Knight (Eds.), Routledge Handbook of Conspiracy Theories (pp. 292–303). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429452734
Antisemitism:
\((\star)\) Simonsen, K. B. (2020). Antisemitism and Conspiracism. In M. Butter & P. Knight (Eds.), Routledge Handbook of Conspiracy Theories (pp. 357–370). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429452734
Allington, D., & Joshi, T. (2020). “What Others Dare Not Say”: An Antisemitic Conspiracy Fantasy and Its YouTube Audience. Journal of Contemporary Antisemitism, 3(1), 35–54. https://doi.org/10.26613/jca/3.1.42
11) Modernity and Counter-knowledge (2023-07-06)
Modernity and post-truth:
\((\star)\) Aupers, S. (2012). ‘Trust no one’: Modernization, paranoia and conspiracy culture. European Journal of Communication, 27(1), 22–34. https://doi.org/10.1177/0267323111433566
Lewandowsky, S., Ecker, U. K. H., & Cook, J. (2017). Beyond misinformation: Understanding and coping with the “post-truth” era. Journal of Applied Research in Memory and Cognition, 6(4), 353–369. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jarmac.2017.07.008
Counter knowledge:
- \((\star)\) Gosa, T. L. (2011). Counterknowledge, racial paranoia, and the cultic milieu: Decoding hip hop conspiracy theory. Poetics, 39(3), 187–204. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.poetic.2011.03.003
Assignment
Brainstorm 2-3 research questions for your final paper / essay
Research questions and seminar papers / essays
In this last block of sessions, we will work individually and collectively towards your seminar papers or final essays.
12) Research questions (2023-07-13)
Students work in groups on their research questions. Then each groups briefly presents the research questions to the others for discussion.
Students can use the remaining time to work on abstracts.
@home work on abstract and introduction
Assignment
Prepare abstracts until next session
13) Term paper writing session (2023-07-20)
Peer review of abstracts.
Time for questions.
Assignment
Prepare seminar paper drafts / second essays
Requirements
Regular participation credit
- Attend all class meetings.
Active participation credit
Read the mandatory readings.
Active participation in class discussions.
Complete the weekly reading responses in time.
Complete the writing tasks (theory essay, 1st paper draft)
Grade (Seminar paper / oral exam)
Regular participation
You may miss up to 2 sessions without a doctor’s note.
I will not control your presence regularly, but:
You have to attend regularly, to be able to fulfill active participation
Active participation
Reading response submission each Tuesday (end of day).
- Miss no more than 2.
Writing tasks
Writing tasks
| Module 5 | Module 8 (ungraded) | Module 8 (graded) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| mid-term | theory essay | theory essay | theory essay |
| after last session | paper draft | second essay | paper draft |
| end of semester | seminar paper OR oral exam | - | seminar paper |
Module exam
In M5: either seminar paper or oral exam.
Seminar paper recommended in this writing-focused course.
Oral exam: Your term paper draft will serve as the basis of the oral exam.
in M8: ungraded seminar paper (optional)
Seminar papers will be developed throughout the course
Submit final paper until September 30st. (>3.000 words, excluding references, tables, title page)
Technicalities
Syllabus
Blackboard
Blackboard
Session readings
Upload of reading responses
Submission of research questions, first drafts, and final papers
self-enrollment is enabled.
external students need to register as auditors
self-enrollment
Or search for the course ID: POLSOZ_V_30228_23S
Literature
You should be able to access all course readings in one of three ways:
Log in to eduroam or the VPN network and use the DOIs of the papers to find and download them.
Within eduroam or the VPN network you can use the PRIMO library catalog to access digital versions of the literature.
In rare cases in which books are not accessible online, I will provide copies in due time.
Questions?
Review these slides:
