During this lecture, we will talk about how we ‘know’ about the world, global events and processes. What kind of sources do we use, consciously and unconsciously and how does that matter for how informed we are? How are we for example influenced by journalism, media images, social media posts and popular culture such as films and TV-series? And what can we learn about the world from other sources than academic journals, reports from international organisations and media.

Our discussions will explore different examples; media images and representations of the Syria war, and TV-series. Before the lecture, please reflect a little bit on where you think you get knowledge about the world (apart from your studies).

Furthermore, the study of emotions has gained recent prominence in International Relations, social theorists have long paid attention to the political impact of emotions on the construction of the self, other and social world. Scholars have highlighted how dominant emotions (positive and negative) exist and acquire collective dimension shaping political and social processes in the international system. Expressing an emotion itself constitutes a political act and emotions shape geo-politics; they are important forms of knowledge and evaluative thought. We will therefore touch on the significance of emotions in global politics. We explore how fear, anger, compassion, humiliation, shame etc are dominant emotions that affect the ways different actors behave and respond in the international system, as well as how knowledge about the world is produced and received.

Lecturer: Maria Stern and Damon Barrett

How do we know about the world IR 1122 HT2023.pdf

Obligatory Reading:

Pin-Fat, Véronique. 2019. ‘How do we being to think about the world?’ (Chapter 2), in Global Politics: A New Introduction, edited by Jenny Edkins and Maja Zehfus.New York: Routledge, pp: 20-37.

Lisle, Debbie. 2019. ‘How do we find out what is going on in the world?’ (Chapter 8), in Global Politics: A New Introduction, edited by Jenny Edkins and Maja Zehfus.New York: Routledge, pp: 144-163.

Other Sources

Adler-Nissen, Rebecca ; Andersen, Katrine Emilie & Hansen, Lene, 2020, ‘Images, emotions and international politics: The death of Alan Kurdi’. Review of international studies, 46 (1): 75-95. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0260210519000317

Berlant, Lauren. 18 Mar 2019. Affect Theory and the New Age of Anxiety | The New Yorker (https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/03/25/affect-theory-and-the-new-age-of-anxiety)

Clapton, William & Laura J. Shepherd, 2017, ‘Lessons from Westeros: Gender and Power in Game of Thrones’, Politics, 37(1): 5-18. https://doi.org/10.1177/0263395715612101

Hutchison, Emma. Mar 8 2018. Why Study Emotions in International Relations? E-IR (https://www.e-ir.info/2018/03/08/why-study-emotions-in-international-relations/)

Parashar, Swati. 2015. "Anger, war and feminist storytelling." In Emotions, politics and war, edited by Linda Ahall and Thomas Gregory, 93-107. London, New York: Routledge.

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https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/20/arts/television/the-handmaids-tale-elisabeth-moss-samira-wiley-margaret-atwood-hulu.html?unlocked_article_code=tYtmtTBbBq63KwUByjMELWidSxVtddm5PFmPLok9J49x504ypiJVrLuyBSvxNHmoE3jbkPeLbCH9DmW2pd9aOWowSknuo_mcX2yeAhS3iSIuNHwdFkvYp0azQizuago-zVh5Ff-A_KhraDUZ2JCpAwNvVOhlyM6X4lKUNNSbFCX3C8KgcJCV3NhH8AsGSrEJY5tCFD5zqBOHUeVGA6S9I46t1UG4pmDAERFNYwtwP-Fk-U7Z2oUqPUDF_mqPhbwV2Il5FZ9hs8hz9Jx7EMgqdT-ly-LXSPdRbCqdXsGLSxo6y2UzNJbaEzUW9B72BYVy6mi524YeWtrCGyZeBs4KJSKcthyUUUAi2BgkEAIJxcpUlQmnU09G5zgxOoRBW6slnaJz3ALgOSvsZVXCmYIpE1C7K16L&smid=share-url

https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20180425-why-the-handmaids-tale-is-so-relevant-today

Clips for group exercise:

Trump speech on the US-Mexico border wall:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UqQXp1PnvsU

Un violador en tu camino:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSHUS2lehOY

Articles about this dance:

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/feb/03/the-rapist-is-you-chilean-protest-song-chanted-around-the-world-un-iolador-en-tu-camino

https://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2019/dec/06/a-rapist-in-your-path-chilean-protest-song-becomes-feminist-anthem-video