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During the introductory week, we will discuss the contents and structure of the module as well as the assignments. Furthermore, some key concepts are introduced.

During this week, we will discuss the concepts of public opinion and politics, both from historical and theoretical points of view. In order to understand the role public opinion plays in political life in modern societies, we will need to form a nuanced understanding of the “political” and its relationship to the society.

During this week, we will focus on the Public Sphere (Öffentlichkeit), a concept coined and developed by Jürgen Habermas. This influential idea helps us understand the relationship between the public opinion(s) and politics in modern societies.

During this week, our focus will shift to rhetoric. The students will be introduced to the classics of the theory of rhetoric (Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Cicero). Our discussion will also reflect on the relevance of classical rhetorical theories for the contemporary society.

During this week, we will continue discussing rhetoric, but our focus will shift to modern and contemporary theories. During the sessions we will also draw on our earlier discussions on the public sphere and modern political institutions.

The theme of this week is propaganda. Although the term is regularly invoked in political debates, its actual definition often remains vague. Drawing on various theorists of propaganda, such as George Orwell and Jacques Ellul, we will reflect on the concept’s relevance for political debates, not only in totalitarian regimes but also democratic societies.

Drawing on previous weeks’ discussions on rhetoric, public opinion and modern liberal democracies, we will explore the various ways in which rhetorics and persuasion are part of contemporary political life and media culture. In addition, we will also discuss the various methods of persuasion in commercial marketing.

During this week we will turn to rhetoric and persuasion through (audio)visual communication, which is in many ways the dominant form of discourse in contemporary media culture (cinema, TV, internet). The established theories of rhetoric tend to focus almost exclusively on the written and spoken word; therefore, in order to apply their insight to audiovisual discourse, one needs to draw upon theories from other disciplines such as semiotics and visual cultural studies.

This week will focus on the methods and principles of studying public opinion: surveys, polls, questionnaires, etc. Furthermore, we will discuss the ways how these results can be used in planning advertisement or election campaigns, or in predicting election results.

During this week, we will discuss various methods of persuasion, both the classical rhetorical devices (Cicero) as well as techniques regularly employed in contemporary public discourse.

During this week we will continue exploring rhetorical devices, but with a focus specifically on online persuasion and social media campaigns. Globalized communication networks and social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube) have also had a major impact on the nature of communication and persuasion, both in political and commercial discourse.

This week will introduce study design in the field of social psychology. To frame it, we will start by reviewing the epistemological and ontological aspects of the social sciences and the position of social psychology. We will also introduce the most common methodologies in social psychology for collecting data and the importance of the scientific method. Finally, the scientific method will be compared with pseudosciences.

During this week, we will discuss various methods and strategies of persuasion in commercial marketing and advertising campaigns. Furthermore, we will discuss the cultural and semiotic foundations of commercial marketing and PR.

During the final week, we will summarize the main topics covered during the semester, review some case studies and discuss the assignments. will identify key global trends that shape the environment in which international teams have to work today and tomorrow and what managers can do as early on as possible to ensure sustainable team cohesion despite vastly changed global circumstances.

Information and submission of the final assessments

Resits