Modern Political Culture: Ideas and Discourses in Context

The specialisation Modern Political Culture: Ideas and Discourses in Context allows you to explore the interconnections between culture and politics by tracing their shifting relationship over time. The breakdown of the welfare state and the rise in social inequality, climate change, the refugee crisis, the emergence of populist movements as well as more widely the general polarisation of societies on questions of class, gender, race, ethnicity, and fundamental beliefs have created a new configuration of political ideas, interests, and forces. As a result, novel types of mass movements have emerged that have sought to respond to these challenges, such as the gilets jaunes in France, the Black Lives Matter movement across the globe, groups advocating the tearing down of historical statues as part of the Rhodes Must Fall campaign, and the demonstrations of millions of young people in the context of the climate strike.