(in Polish) Politics, International Relations, and Popular Culture

elective monographs
obligatory courses

Classroom

The course is aimed at discussing selected aspects of the way socio-political phenomena as well as international relations are presented in popular culture.

The course is aimed at discussing selected aspects of the way socio-political phenomena as well as international relations are presented in popular culture

Specific social and political problems of contemporary world will be discussed in class along with the analysis of their coverage in selected pieces of popular culture.

Main topics:

1. Politics and International Relations in Popular Culture (Political Fiction)

2. War and War on Terrorism in Popular Culture

3. Politics, Ideology, and Comic Books: ‘V for Vendetta’

4. Enhancing National Identity. Nationalism in Popular Culture

5. Hidden Reality: Conspiracy Theories in Contemporary Societies and Popular Culture

6. Brexit: Perspectives of Contemporary British Politics

Popular Culture Texts

24, created by Joel Surnow, Robert Cochran, 2001-2010. Imagine Television, 20th Century Fox Television. TV series.

A Bridge Too Far, directed by Richard Attenborough. 1977. United Artists and Joseph E. Levine Productions. Film.

Brubaker, Ed (w), and Steve Epting (a). 2007. Captain America Omnibus. Vol. 1. New York: Marvel Publishing.

Ennis, Garth (w), Peter Snejberg (a). “Dear Billy.” In The Complete Battlefields. Volume 2, Garth Ennis (w), Peter Snejberg (a). Mt. Laurel: Dynamite Entertainment, 2009.

Ferguson, John (w), Gary Welsh (a), and Tone Juskjaer (a). 2013. Saltire. Invasion. Dundee: Diamondsteel Comics.

Millar, Mark (w), and Steve McNiven (a). 2007. Civil War. New York: Marvel Publishing.

Moore, Alan (w)., and David Lloyd (a). 2008.V for Vendetta. New York: DC Comics.

Saving Private Ryan, directed by Steven Spielberg, 1998. DreamWorks Pictures, Paramount Pictures. Film.

Spiegelman, Art (w&a). 2011. The Complete Maus. 25th Anniversary Edition. New York: Pantheon Books.

V for Vendetta, directed by James McTeigue. 2006. Warner Bros. Productions. Film.

Vaughan, Brian K. (w), and Niko Henrichon (a). 2008. Pride of Baghdad. New York: DC Comics.

Waters, Roger. The Dark Side of the Moon (1973), The Wall (1979), The Final Cut (1983), Radio K.A.O.S. (1987), Amused to Death (1992). Albums’ lyrics. Online.

Essential readings:

Crick, Bernard. 2006. “Justifications of Violence.” The Political Quarterly 77 (4): 433–438.

Davidson, James F. 1961. “Political Science and Political Fiction.” The American Political Science Review 55 (4): 851–60.

Dittmer, Jason. 2011. “Captain Britain and the Narration of Nation.” The Geographical Review 101: 71–87.

Hoyer, Anne. 2009. “National Identity in a Popular Scottish Comic.” Journal of Linguistic and Intercultural Education 2 (2): 115–124.

Keller, James R. 2008. V for Vendetta as Cultural Pastiche. A Critical Study of the Graphic Novel and Film. Jefferson, NC, London: McFarland & Company, Inc., chap. 1–2.

Lewandowski, Wojciech. 2016. “SuperScots. Superheroes and Scottish Identity.” In Scottish Culture: Dialogue and Self-Expression, edited by Aniela Korzeniowska and Izabela Szymańska, 380–88. Warszawa: Wydawnictwo Naukowe Semper.

O’Mathuna, Donal P. 2008. “The Ethics of Torture in 24: Shockingly Banal.” In 24 and Philosophy: The World According to Jack, edited by Jennifer Weed Hart and Ronald Weed, 91–104. Malden: Blackwell Publishing.

Prince, Michael J. 2015. “‘Whose Side Are You on?’: Negotiations between Individual Liberty and Collective Responsibility in Millar and McNiven’s Marvel Civil War.” Journal of Graphic Novels and Comics 6 (2): 182–92.

Scott, Cord. 2007. “Written in Red, White, and Blue: A Comparison of Comic Book Propaganda from World War II and September 11.” The Journal of Popular Culture 40 (2): 325-43.

Stohl, Michael. 2006. “The State as Terrorist: Insights and Implications.” Democracy and Security 2 (1): 1–25.

Storey, John. 2009. Cultural Theory and Popular Culture. An Introduction. Pearson. Longman: 1–16.

van Zoonen, Liesbet. 1998. “A Day at the Zoo: Political Communication, Pigs and Popular Culture.” Media, Culture & Society 20 (2): 183–200.

Weinstein, Deena. 2002. “Progressive Rock as Text: The Lyrics of Roger Waters.” In Progressive Rock Reconsidered, edited by Kevin Holm-Hudson, 91–110. New York & London: Routledge.

Further readings:

Conners, Joan L. 2013. “Laughing and Learning: Using Political Cartoons to Teach Politics.” In Teaching Politics Beyond the Book Film, Texts, and New Media in the Classroom, edited by Robert W. Glover and Daniel Tagliarina, 67–86. London: Bloomsbury Academic.

Dillinger, Johaness. 2015. “Tyrannicide from Ancient Greece and Rome to the Crisis of the Seventeen Century.” In The Routledge History of Terrorism, edited by Randall D. Law, 15–27. London–New York: Routledge.

Eatwell, Roger. 1994. “Fascism.” In Contemporary Political Ideologies, edited by Roger Eatwell, and Anthony Wright, 169-191. London: Pinter Publishers.

Fiske, John. 1995. Understanding Popular Culture. London-New York: Routledge.

George, David. 1988. “Distinguishing Classical Tyrannicide from Modern Terrorism.” The Review of Politics 50 (3): 390–419.

Gray, Maggie. 2010. “‘A Fistful of Dead Roses...’: Comics as Cultural Resistance: Alan Moore and David Lloyd’s ‘V for Vendetta’.” Journal of Graphic Novels and Comics 1 (1): 31–49.

Hamilton, Caitlin, and Laura J. Shepherd, eds. 2016. Understanding Popular Culture and World Politics in the Digital Age. London & New York: Routledge.

Hart, Jennifer Weed. 2008. “President Palmer and the Invasion of China: The Beginning of a Just War.” In 24 and Philosophy: The World According to Jack, edited by Jennifer Weed Hart and Ronald Weed, 57–66. Malden: Blackwell Publishing.

Hurka, Thomas. 2005. “Proportionality in the Morality of War.” Philosophy & Public Affairs 33 (1): 34–66.

Jennings, Jeremy. 1994. “Anarchism.” In Contemporary Political Ideologies, edited by Roger Eatwell, and Anthony Wright, 127–146. London: Pinter Publishers.

Kendrik, James. 2008. “Representing the Unrepresentable: 9/11 on Film and Television.” In Why We Fought: America's Wars in Film and History, edited by Peter C Rollins and John E. O’Connor, 511–28. Lexington: The University of Kentucky Press.

Kohns, Oliver. 2013. “Guy Fawkes in the 21st Century. A Contribution to the Political Iconography of Revolt.” Image [&] Narrative 14 (1): 89–104.

Kowalski, Dean A. 2008. “R for Revolution. Hobbes and Locke on Social Contracts and Scarlett Carsons.” In Homer Simpson Goes to Washington. American Politics through Popular Culture, edited by Joseph J. Foy, 19–40. Lexington: The University Press of Kentucky.

Lewandowski, Wojciech. 2016. “Political Monologue vs. Political Dialogue in Graphic Novels." Przegląd Europejski 4 (42):76–87.

Lukin, Joshua. 1997. “I’m not Your Boss: The Paradox of the Anarchist Superhero.” Anarchist Studies 5 (2): 131–155.

Negash, Girma. 2004. “Art Invoked: A Mode of Understanding and Shaping the Political.” International Political Science Review 25 (2): 185–201.

Rech, Matthew F. 2014. “Be Part of the Story: A Popular Geopolitics of War Comics Aesthetics and Royal Air Force Recruitment.” Political Geography 39: 36–47.

Rollins, Peter C. 2008. “Using Popular Culture to Study the Vietnam War.” In Why We Fought: America’s Wars in Film and History, edited by Peter C. Rollins and John E. O’Connor, 367–389. Lexington: The University of Kentucky Press.

Strinati, Dominic. 2000. An Introduction to Studying Popular Culture. London: Routledge.

Strömberg, Fredrik. 2010. Comic Art Propaganda: A Graphic History. Lewes: ILEX.

Testa, M. 2017. “’A Good Deal of Disorder’ or the Anarchists & Anti-Fascism in the UK.” Anarchist Studies 25 (2): 9–25.

Tinwell, Angela. 2013. “The Impact of Thatcherism in Popular Culture.” Journal of European Popular Culture 4 (2): 123–37.

van Zoonen, Liesbet. 2007. “Audience Reactions to Hollywood Politics.” Media, Culture & Society 29 (4): 531–47.

Woodcock, Pete. 2006. “The Polis of Springfield: the Simpsons and the Teaching of Political Theory.” Politics 26 (3): 192–99.

Wright, Bradford W. 2003. Comic Book Nation. the Transformation of Youth Culture in America. Baltimore & London: The Johns Hopkins University Press: 30–55, 86–108, 287–293.

Young, Richard. 2017. “The ‘Real Victims’ of the Vietnam War: Soldier Versus State in American Comic Books.” The Journal of Popular Culture 50 (3): 561–84.

Upon completion of the course the students will:

• be able to define basic terms of cultural studies (K_W02),

• be able to spot and discuss political issues as well as international relations presented in popular culture texts (K_U10),

• analyse texts of popular culture for socio-political issues (K_W02),

• have knowledge in the field of contemporary popular culture (K_W02).

• Attendance (one abstention per semester are acceptable),

• Short assignment on Google Classroom.

• Class participation.

• Presentation.

None.