Seminarie New media & politics

The objective of the seminar New Media and Politics is to acquaint students with theoretical and methodological developments in the field of the new media studies as well as to discuss the key topics and relevant research and analysis.

In this respect the course will focus on the three biggest issues of the new media use versus conventional political participation (namely, the use of the new media in governmental, political parties and elections activities). Such use will be contrasted with the use of the new media in civil (new, non-conventional and contentious) activities. Additionally, the course will approach the problems of terrorism, use of new media for political propaganda (including use of cartoons, posters, slogans and symbols) differences between traditional and new media as well as differences in the new media use across different political cultures and world’s regions.

The course will begin by introducing different definitions and theoretical approaches to new media studies. Special attention will be paid to the linkages between new media theories and democratic theory. The final meeting will be devoted to the applied methods of the new media analysis, including both qualitative and quantitative approaches to the new media content analysis, audience research as well as to the major techniques of new media-based types of analysis (online survey, opinion poll, etc.).

The major focus of the course is on the Internet but relevance of other new media will be approached whenever relevant and possible.

C. Aalberts