University of Helsinki
Please note these courses, UH students can make it for a significantly reduced price. (Also for students who have been on my Ideology and Discourse Analysis methods course, this is not the same one.) There will also be a conference on “Emotions, Populism and Polarised Politics, Media, and Culture”, 19-20 August, CfP open until 15 April. Useful for those who cannot take the courses. Best, Emilia
**Welcome to pass around, apologies for cross postings**
Call for Applications
Helsinki Summer School, University of Helsinki, 6–22 August 2019
“Rhetoric-Performative and Post-Foundational Analysis” and “Populism on the Loose in Europe and Beyond”
The two courses draw on the political philosophy of Ernesto Laclau and Chantal Mouffe, taking forward the discourse theoretical, hegemony-focused Essex school approach. The courses include also a two-day conference “Emotions, Populism and Polarised Politics, Media, and Culture” (https://blogs.helsinki.fi/populismi/emotions-populism-and-polarised-politics-media-and-culture-conference-august-2019/ ) organized by two Academy of Finland funded projects, “Mainstreaming Populism in the 21st Century” (MaPo)(https://blogs.helsinki.fi/populismi/), and “Whirl of Knowledge: Cultural Populism in European Polarised Politics and Societies” (WhiKnow) (https://blogs.helsinki.fi/whi-know/). The conference looks at cases of politics, media, and culture, and explores the link between emotions and populism, polarizing politics that spills over to media and culture.
Teaching will be composed of lectures, workshops and excursions. It also offers great possibilities for academic networking during and outside teaching hours. We designed the courses as a special opportunity to learn the underpinnings of post-foundationalism and populism in a friendly environment and in a collaborative way. The course organizers are Senior Lecturer Emilia Palonen from Political Science and Postdoctoral Researcher Virpi Salojärvi from Media and Communication Studies at the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Helsinki.
Descriptions of the courses:
Rhetoric-performative post-foundational analysis (https://www.helsinki.fi/en/admissions/helsinki-summer-school/courses/rhetoric-performative-and-post-foundational-analysis)
This course focuses on post-foundational political thought and the related perspectives of conceptual analysis, post-structuralist discourse theory, interpretive political analysis, and discourse theory. The broader aim is to learn how to make use of theory in research in social sciences and humanities. With emphasis on rhetoric and performativity, the course investigates how meaning-making takes place through contingent concepts, discourses and structures we inhabit. These theoretical approaches will be discussed in relation to themes such as democracy, economy, populism, gender, climate change, identity politics, and the notion of ‘post-truth’. The students will learn about different forms of post-foundational thinking and get to explore the ways in which it can be combined with various research methods. As central to the post-foundational framework, the course will introduce the works of authors such as Jacques Derrida, Judith Butler, Chantal Mouffe and Ernesto Laclau.
Confirmed teachers: Tomas Marttila (Vienna University of Economics and Business), Emmy Eklundh (King’s College London), Mark Devenney (University of Brighton), Tuija Saresma (University of Jyväskylä) and Niko Hatakka (University of Turku)
Target Students: Master’s/PhD level students. Bachelor’s degree or previous knowledge of research methods and research practice required.
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Populism on the Loose in Europe and Beyond (https://www.helsinki.fi/en/admissions/helsinki-summer-school/courses/populism-on-the-loose-in-europe-and-beyond)
While much of the study of present-day populism has focused on identifying features shared by populist movements or on populism as a social logic, this course looks at the variability and intersectionality of populism in a perspective inspired by the political philosopher Ernesto Laclau. During the course are examined such topics as distinct aspects of social media and mainstream media in relation to populist politics; role of affect, gender and ethnicity in populist movements; anti-populism and the relation between democracy and populism. The geographical areas studied during the course include the emergence of Donald Trump in the US, the rising tide of radical parties in Europe (including e.g. France, Spain, Poland, Hungary, Romania and Nordic countries), Islamic populism in Turkey, and the rise and fall of Chavismo in Venezuela. Thus, covering both left- and right-wing populism in different continents.
Confirmed teachers: Emmy Eklundh (King’s College London), Mark Devenney (University of Brighton), Tuija Saresma (University of Jyväskylä), Tuula Vaarakallio (University of Jyväskylä), Rūta Kazlauskaitė (University of Helsinki), Laura Sibinescu (University of Helsinki), Niko Hatakka (University of Turku), Halil Gürhanli (University of Helsinki)
Target Students: Advanced Bachelor’s level, Master’s or PHD students of social sciences are warmly invited to take this course.
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Important information:
Organiser: Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Helsinki
Credits: 5 ECTS
Price: HSS course fees are 900–1490 EUR (UH students with local rates)
Preliminary course schedules may be found in the course pages.
The application deadline is June 17th, 2019. However, the students of the University of Helsinki may apply until July 19th, 2019. If you need a visa, please apply 31st of May the latest.
Apply for the course:
Rhetoric-performative post-foundational analysis https://apply.helsinkisummerschool.fi/courses/course/221-rhetoricperformative-and-postfoundational-analysis
Populism on the Loose in Europe and Beyond https://apply.helsinkisummerschool.fi/courses/course/220-populism-loose-europe-and-beyond
More info on the Helsinki Summer School:
http://www.helsinkisummerschool.fi
The students participating the courses are invited to present their work in the conference “Emotions, Populism and Polarised Politics, Media, and Culture” organised 19-20 August. However, it is also possible to participate only the conference. To apply, please, send your abstract (200-300 words) with heading to: marina.vulovic@helsinki.fi by April 15, 2019. Selected participants will be notified by April 30, 2019. Participants are encouraged to submit written papers by August 5, 2019.
The modest conference fee 50/80 euros includes tea, coffee, and lunches, as well as the conference dinner on Monday. The summer school course students do not pay extra for participating at the conference.