POLb1133 Politics in movies

Faculty of Social Studies
Spring 2025
Extent and Intensity
1/1/0. 4 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
doc. Mgr. et Mgr. Vlastimil Havlík, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. Lenka Hrbková, Ph.D. (lecturer)
doc. Mgr. Peter Spáč, Ph.D. (lecturer)
doc. PhDr. Věra Stojarová, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
doc. Mgr. et Mgr. Vlastimil Havlík, Ph.D.
Department of Political Science – Faculty of Social Studies
Contact Person: Mgr. Lucie Pospíšilová
Supplier department: Department of Political Science – Faculty of Social Studies
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is offered to students of any study field.
The capacity limit for the course is 200 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/200, only registered: 0/200, only registered with preference (fields directly associated with the programme): 0/200
Course objectives
The aim of the course is to introduce the portrayal of selected aspects of politics through commercial film. There will be seven movie sessions during the semester, followed by a discussion related to the literature of the class. The course requires students to actively participate in the discussion.
Learning outcomes
Students will be able to explain and discuss selected topics and concepts in political science in the context of commercial film production. They will be able to explain in detail the meaning of politics in the films screened, but also apply the knowledge to other works of world cinema.
Syllabus
  • 1. Conspiracy 2. Public policy and bureaucracy 3. The Balkan space in transition 4. The transformation of political parties 5. Legitimacy and repression in non-democracies 6. Organized crime and politics 7. Post-communism and contemporary politics in Central and Eastern Europe, (n)ostalgia
Literature
    required literature
  • Somers, Margaret R., and Fred Block. 2005. "From poverty to perversity: Ideas, markets, and institutions over 200 years of welfare debate." American sociological review 70.2: 260-287.
  • Blum, M. (2000). „Remaking the East German past: Ostalgie, identity, and material culture.“ The Journal of Popular Culture, 34 (3), 229-253.
  • Douglas, K. M., & Sutton, R. M. (2023). What are conspiracy theories? A definitional approach to their correlates, consequences, and communication. Annual review of psychology, 74, 271-298.
  • Husting, G., & Orr, M. (2007). Dangerous machinery:“Conspiracy theorist” as a transpersonal strategy of exclusion. Symbolic interaction, 30(2), 127-150.
  • Stojarová, V.- Hrabálek, M. Springerová, P. Security in the Andean community of nations: The member states in the 21st century. Brno CDK 2009, s. 55-81.
  • Van Biezen, I., Mair, P., & Poguntke, T. (2012). Going, going,... gone? The decline of party membership in contemporary Europe. European journal of political research, 51(1), 24-56.
  • Balík, S. – Kubát, M. (2004): Teorie a praxe totalitních a autoritativních režimů. Praha: Dokořán, 11-46.
  • Kopeček, L.: Éra nevinnosti. Česká politika 1989-1997. Brno 2010, s. 33-57 (sken bude dostupný v ISu).
  • Matějů, Petr (1996): „Winners and losers in the post‐communist transformation: The Czech Republic in comparative perspective.“ Innovation: The European Journal of Social Science Research 9 (3), 371-390.
  • Hrubeš, Milan; Navrátil, J. (2017). „Constructing a Political Enemy: Anti-Communist Framing in the Czech Republic Between 1990 and 2010.“ Intersections. East European Journal of Society and Politics, 3(3), 41-62.
  • Hloušek, V., & Kopeček, L. (2017). Entrepreneurial Parties: A Basic Conceptual Framework. Politologicky Casopis, 24(2).
  • Novák, M. Strany a stranické systémy, in: Novák, M. et al.: Úvod do studia politiky, Praha, SLON 2011, s. 548-599.
    recommended literature
  • Pop-Eleches, G., Tucker, J. A., & Tucker, J. (2017). Communism's Shadow. Princeton University Press. Kniha je vynikající. Doporučuji hodně úvodní kapitolu a potom, co Vás tematicky zaujme.
  • Mair, P. (2013). Ruling the void: The hollowing of Western democracy. Verso books.
Teaching methods
movie watching, class discussion
Assessment methods
test, seminar paper
Language of instruction
Czech
Further Comments
The course is taught annually.
The course is taught: every other week.
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2020, Spring 2022, Spring 2023, Spring 2024.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2025, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/fss/spring2025/POLb1133