PLT2030

Inventing reality: The politics of propaganda, states and publics

Proposed to be offered next in 2000

Peter Lentini

8 points - 3 hours per week - Clayton

Objectives Upon completing this subject students should be able to develop a comparative understanding of the role of propaganda and the media in contemporary politics; develop a comparative understanding of the role of states, elites and publics and their relationships to the media and other organs of propaganda; appreciate the political importance of mass and popular culture as tools reinforcing dominant stereotypes and serving as 'soft propaganda'; develop skills to read various forms of text critically (audio-visual materials, scholarly literature, internet sources) and incorporate them in their assessed work; continue the development of critical skills and an ability to communicate effectively - in particular: develop a topic for investigation; familiarise themselves with a wide range of sources; recognise and be able to present a logically ordered argument.

Synopsis The subject investigates the role of propaganda in state formation, support for military campaigns, attaining political objectives and constructing 'the acceptable' and 'the unacceptable'; 'us' and 'the other'. This subject proposes to analyse the use of propaganda in a comparative perspective. The subject will be organised around several core themes: key theories of media and propaganda (Chomsky, Herman, Keane, Kellner, Lasswell, Orwell); propaganda and the formation of totalitarian societies (Fascist Italy; Nazi Germany; the USSR); Wartime Propaganda; the Cold War and the Use of Propaganda; Propaganda and the New World Order (the Gulf War; the Yugoslav conflict; anti-drug campaigns); Terrorism and the Media; Propaganda, Race and Sexuality and finally, dissent and the political use of alternative media.

Assessment One 3000-word essay: 50% - A take-home exam (equivalent of 3000 words): 50% - The instructor will assign third-year students essays and projects demanding higher conceptual and analytical standards than second-year students and he will assess them based on how well they demonstrate evidence of the aforementioned criteria.

Recommended texts

Subject reader to be available when subject commences.

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