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Conspiracy theories play an increasingly visible role in the political life in Europe, not least because the EU itself is often viewed as a vast conspiracy. Although sometimes seen as harmless entertainment, conspiracy theories can contribute to extremism within particular regions, as well as fuelling tensions between nations. They can erode trust in democratic institutions and the media. Despite the increasing prominence of conspiracy theories in the age of the internet, there has been little systematic research on where they come from, how they work and what can be done about them. The aim of this Action is to develop an interdisciplinary and international network to provide a comprehensive understanding of conspiracy theories. Existing research has tended to concentrate on specific national traditions, and is often confined to the perspective of a single discipline. In contrast this Action will adopt a comparative approach, investigating the causes, manifestations and effects of conspiracy theories in different regions and times, and drawing on insights from history, politics, sociology, anthropology, cultural studies and psychology. The Action will pursue the inquiry in three broad areas: the manifestations and modes of transmission of conspiracy theory in different historical and cultural contexts; the variety of actors and audiences involved in the production and consumption of conspiracy theories; and the psychological and cultural causes and political consequences of belief in conspiracy. Working closely with stakeholders, this Action will build a better understanding of conspiracy theories in order to develop an effective response to them.
Two and a half years ago, Political Capital, Counterpoint, the Center for Research on Prejudice, the Institute for Public Affairs, and the Zachor Foundation embarked on a project to develop an effective response to conspiracy theories in Europe. I am not a contributor to this book but have uploaded it here as it reads: This book is available to download and re-use under a by-nc-sa Creative Commons license ported to UK law. This means that you are free to copy, distribute, display and perform the work, and make derivative works, in a non-commercial context, as long as you credit Counterpoint, Political Capital and the author and share the resulting works under an equivalent license.
Romanian Journal of Intelligence Studies
UNDERSTANDING CONSPIRACY THEORIES -A COMPARATIVE CASE STUDY2023 •
The present research addresses one of the most pressing current challenges in fighting disinformation: conspiracy theories. Conspiracy theories have always existed in societies, however, at present, they have gained momentum due to their easy spread and appeal in social media. Moreover, they have begun to corrupt people's understanding of the world and their willingness to listen to experts and authorities in times of crisis and not only, thus threatening not only the further development of societies but also the very health and security of the communities they lived in. The present research has two main objectives. Firstly, it analyses what conspiracy theories are and what their most prominent characteristics are, and, secondly, it examines three case studies to verify if the traits identified in the literature are reflected in actual conspiracy theories. We believe that this analysis can form the basis for better countering and mitigating the effects conspiracy theories have on democratic societies.
Europe: Continent of Conspiracies Conspiracy Theories in and about Europe
Europe: Continent of Conspiracies: Conspiracy Theories in and about EuropeThis edited volume investigates for the first time the impact of conspiracy theories upon the understanding of Europe as a geo-political entity as well as an imagined political and cultural space. Focusing on recent developments, the individual chapters explore a range of conspiratorial positions related to Europe. In the current climate of fear and threat, new and old imaginaries of conspiracy such as Islamophobia and anti-Semitism have been mobilised. A dystopian or even apocalyptic image of Europe in terminal decline is evoked in Eastern European and particularly by Russian pro-Kremlin media, while the EU emerges as a screen upon which several narratives of conspiracy are projected trans-nationally, ranging from the Greek debt crisis to migration, Brexit and the COVID-19 pandemic. The methodological perspectives applied in this volume range from qualitative discourse and media analysis to quantitative social-psychological approaches, and there are a number of national and transnational case studies. This book will be of great interest to students and researchers of extremism, conspiracy theories, and European politics.
South European Society and Politics
Believing in Conspiracy Theories: Evidence from an Exploratory Analysis of Italian Survey Data2017 •
Lexia 24-25, 2016
Political Potentiality of Conspiracy Theories.The web connects like-minded people on a global scale. It widens communication possibilities for spreading ideas by overcoming socio-economical restrictions inherent to old media. Thus, Internet is often understood as a new public sphere, which helps to advance the ideals of democracy. On the other hand, its role in encouraging specific niche-communities — often accompanied by the radicalization and polarization of identification — cannot be ignored. This means that online communication allows the development of new kinds of communities, which differ from previous forms of power (publicly institutionalized). These communities are located in the gray area between the private and the public sphere. The article explains the formation of this kind of community in relation to conspiracy theories. The specifics of communication in these communities are explicated through relying on the concepts of auto-communication and anti-culture (from cultural semio-tics) and with reference to Roman Jakobson´s concepts of dominant and phatic language function.
2015 •
“We live in an age of conspiracy” says Don DeLillo (1989). In 2014 it seems that conspiracy theories, and speculation concerning the “truth” about major events, has become a popular theme and pastime in contemporary society. From sold out eleven hour David Icke presentations at Wembley Stadium in the UK (as well as his world tours), to the ever expanding radio and television network of Alex Jones in the United States, it is clear that there is more than just a fringe interest in conspiracy theories. In the academic literature dating back to Richard Hofstadter (1964) though, the phenomenon has been cast as a purely pathological or paranoid behaviour. Recent works, such as that of Sunstien and Vermeule (2009), Aaronovitch (2011) and van der Linden (2013) go further in suggesting that engagement with conspiracy theories is not only a pathological behaviour, but a danger both to modern society and one which threatens to bring an end to the “age of reason.” Others however, such as Jane a...
The study of conspiracy theories has undergone a drastic transformation in the last decade. While early scholarly treatments relied on historical cases and cultural analyses, more recent works focus on the individuals who subscribe either to specific conspiracy beliefs or to more generalized conspiratorial thinking. This shift in focus presents scholars with an opportunity to learn more about how and why conspiracy theories gain followers. But also, this new focus presents dangers which have yet to be fully considered by the psychologists, social-psychologists, and political scientists spearheading the research. In this essay, I highlight the potential benefits and pitfalls of the current scholarly agenda.
Routledge Handbook of Conspiracy Theories
Routledge Handbook of Conspiracy Theories2020 •
This handbook provides the most complete analysis of the phenomenon to date. It analyses conspiracy theories from a variety of perspectives, using both qualitative and quantitative methods. It maps out the key debates, and includes chapters on the historical origins of conspiracy theories, as well as their political significance in a broad range of countries and regions. Other chapters consider the psychology and the sociology of conspiracy beliefs, in addition to their changing cultural forms, functions and modes of transmission. This handbook examines where conspiracy theories come from, who believes in them and what their consequences are.
Antaki, Charles and Condor, Susan (eds). Rhetoric, Ideology and Social Psychology: Essays in Honour of Michael Billig. Explorations in Social Psychology, (London: Routledge, 2014), pp. 83–94.
Beyond belief: The social psychology of conspiracy theories and the study of ideology2014 •
The chapter revisits Michael Billig’s writing on conspiracy theories, as featured in the book Fascists: A social psychological view of the National Front (1978) and a number of other works published in the 1980s. In spite of its originality and continuing relevance, Billig's writing on conspiracy theories is today surprisingly neglected in literature on the subject, especially that written by social psychologists. The chapter looks at conceptual, theoretical and methodological issues that have prevented social psychologists from engaging with Billig’s writing on conspiracy theories, and argues that, at a time when conspiracism is said to be on the rise, there is much to be gained from a return to this pioneering and original work.
Focaal: Journal of global and historical anthropology
Conspiracy theories and their truth trajectories (2011)2011 •
This article aims to reinvigorate analytical debates on conspiracy theories. It argues that definitional attempts to set conspiracy theories apart from other theories are flawed. Blinded by the “irrational” reputation of conspiracy theories and deluded by the workings of institutionalized power such approaches fail to recognize that there are no inherent differences between the two categories. We argue that assessments of conspiracy theories should focus not on the epistemological qualities of these theories but on their interactions with the socio-political fields through which they travel. Since “conspiracy theory” is not a neutral term but a powerful label, attention to processes of labelling highlights these larger fields of power, while the theories’ trajectories illuminate the mechanisms by which truth and untruth are created. As such, this article offers a way forward for assessing both the truth and use value of conspiracy theories in the contemporary world.
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The Cambridge History of the Mongol Empire
BIRAN and KIM 2023 The Cambridge History of the Mongol Empire 2 vols set2023 •
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