JJB 287: Campaigns and Propaganda

Lecturer: Anna Shavit, anna.shavit@fsv.cuni.cz

Room: H 115

Date: Tuesday 12:30 – 13.50

Knowledge Acquisition: Students will be required to keep up with the required readings, to attend class sessions, to engage in web research, etc. to deepen their knowledge base.

Requirements: To complete the course student must participate in team presentation and pass the written exam. The performance is awarded 40 points and written test with 60 points. The performance and active engagement in the class represent 40 percent of the final score, and the exam represents 60 percent.

Assignments: Final test, team presentation, active participation in the classes.

Course Objectives:

The course focuses on modern propaganda, persuasion and their role in electoral campaigns. We will analyze propaganda, persuasion, and campaign from the theoretical, historical and practical approach. Students will also learn how to analyze the contemporary electoral techniques and distinguish among propaganda and persuasion. Concurrently it will also explain the key concepts and term. The further aim is to understand how campaigning and modern communication is influencing the political process. The objective of the course is to provide students with a detailed and comprehensive knowledge of the propaganda techniques and modern form of campaigning style. Therefore we will talk about information war too. We will distinguish between "modern and democratic campaigning style" and bring awareness how propaganda has permeated the political and daily life and consequently influenced campaigning (in the former Czechoslovakia, in the Czech Republic, Slovak Republic, Poland, Hungary and other countries). The course language is English.

Team Presentation - structure:

• We will specify topics of the presentation during the introductory session at the beginning of the semester, but generally, you should pick a typical significant example of campaigning with historical, political or cultural background or example of propaganda.

• Has to be delivered in the class, you will be assigned to specific dates

• Length 15-20 minutes (we will time it)

• Powerpoint (Keynote etc.) presentation

• Maximum points 40 (awarded to each member of the team)

The presentation must have following structure:

1) Introduction, which must include clear information about, analyzed topic (electoral poster, historical event, and piece of literature, movie, and music – cultural piece), student should include historical context and information about sources (country, places, etc.)

2) Information about the content (fictional or realistic), reproduction of the story, who is the enemy, target, etc.

3) Clear explanation about campaigning, communication or propaganda techniques, what is the message structure, is it or is not propagandistic

4) Subjective critique (your own opinion - precisely formulated, source based)

5) Conclusion – consolidate your argumentation

Grading:

1 100-91

2 90- 76

3 75 - 61

4 60

Course structure:

1. Week February 21 Introductory session, the course objectives, literature (creation of teams)

2. Week February 28 The Art of Propaganda I. – Theory and Practices (theoretical framework), Persuasion vs. Propaganda, the techniques – external and internal factors, the content, distribution channels, framing, timing. The motivation, emotion, the message balance, etc.

3. Week March 07 The Art of Propaganda II. - Propaganda and Persuasion (Public Relations vs. Propaganda)

4. Week March 14 The Art of Propaganda III. – Modern Propaganda Workshop session – How to know what is propaganda?

5. Week March 21 Reading Week(work with required reading materials), recommended participation in lecture about Modern Communication in Israel (Guest speaker, more details will be provided, March 30)

6. Week March 28 Information War - does it exist, what is it? Is the new form of propaganda?

7. Week April 04 Modern Campaigning vs. Propaganda? What is political marketing, how to run a campaign, how to prepare a campaign team, electoral staff?

8. Week April 11 Campaigning and Advertisement I., ads and elections, examples, discussion, the role of posters, videos, etc. (from Communism to Americanization).

9. Week April 18 Campaigning and Advertisement II. – language of advertisement

10. Week April 25 Historical overview of the region CEE; Case study of Czechoslovakia between years 1918 and 1989

11. Week April 25 The Case of the Czech Republic I. (modern history of campaigning) from 1990 - 2015

12. Week May 02 Campaigns in CEE countries – Slovakia, Poland, Hungary modern history of campaigning)

13. Week May 16 Students presentations and wrapping up session

Required literature:

Pratkanis, A., Aronson, E. (2007): Age of Propaganda. New York: Henry Holt, pp. 1-39, 115-157.

Johnson-Cartee, K., Copeland, Gary A. (2004): Strategic Political Communication. Toronto: Roman&Littlefield Publishers, Inc.

O’Shaughnessy, N. J. (2004): Politics and Propaganda. Weapons of Mass Seduction. Manchester: Manchester University Press, pp. 13-69.

Johnson-Cartee, Karen S. - Copeland, Gary A. 2004. Strategic political communication: rethinking social influence, persuasion, and propaganda. Lanham: LinkRowman & Littlefield, pp. 137-192.

Recommended literature:

Aronson, Elliot. 1988. The social animal. NY: W. H. Freeman and Company.

Childs, Harwood L. 1965. Public opinion: nature, formation, and role. New Jersey: D. Van Nostrand company.

Kamalipour, Yahya R. - Snow, Nancy (eds.). 2004. War, media, and propaganda: a global perspective. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield.

Ross, Sheryl Tuttle. 2002. Understanding Propaganda: The Epistemic Merit Model and Its Application to Art. Journal of Aesthetic Education, Vol. 36, No. 1, pp. 16-30.

Rushkoff, Douglas. 2002. Manipulativní nátlak: (proč tak snadno uposlechneme druhé?). Hradec Králové: Konfrontace.

Taylor, Richard. 1998. Film propaganda: Soviet Russia and Nazi Germany. London, NY: I. B. Tauris.