Propaganda: The Power of ManipulationModule Details

Rationale 

This course introduces students to the study of propaganda and its role as a communication, persuasion and manipulation tool in politics. It deals with the intent, forms and methods of propaganda and explores the role of media development in its historical evolution. The study of the many ways political propaganda has been perceived and deployed worldwide in times of conflict, as well as how it is communicated through words and visuals, receives special attention throughout the course. The language of persuasion, fake news, and reader/viewer responsibility are all explored. Finally, the course examines how propaganda undermines democracy and how a thorough understanding of its mechanics is required for students to become more critical consumers of media information.

Learning Outcomes

At the end of the course students will be expected to:

(i)    Describe propaganda and its different forms. 
(ii)   Describe the historical evolution of propaganda.
(iii)  Determine the effects of the constant media development on the content and form of propaganda. 
(iv)  Recognize propaganda trends and strategies employed in both war and peacetime over the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.
(v)   Analyse the role of the press, art, flyers and various visual images in political communication.
(vi)  Assess the use of language in propaganda to influence public opinion.
(vii) Extract information from relevant sources in order to analyse and evaluate propaganda.
(viii) Explain the ways in which propaganda undermines democracies. 
(ix)  Discuss how one can become critical consumer of digital media content.