BSSb1199 Political Dystopias

Faculty of Social Studies
Autumn 2021
Extent and Intensity
1/1/0. 6 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
Monika Gabriela Bartoszewicz, MA, MLitt, PhD (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
Monika Gabriela Bartoszewicz, MA, MLitt, PhD
Department of Political Science – Faculty of Social Studies
Contact Person: Mgr. Lucie Pospíšilová
Supplier department: Division of Security and Strategic Studies – Department of Political Science – Faculty of Social Studies
Timetable
Mon 8:00–9:40 U42
Prerequisites
None.
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
there are 15 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display
Course objectives
Total control of society. A government that knows what you eat, where you go, what you think and who you sleep with - every day, throughout your whole life. This vision has been terrifying and inspiring people for years. And at the same time, it is becoming a reality: since 2020 for over a billion people in China. Scenarios in line with the policies implemented by the Chinese regime have been abound in the literature. While dystopian fantasies are mostly associated with popular culture, it does not mean that they have no direct application in security studies: The new project of the French Defense Innovation Agency hired top science fiction writers to create plans to respond to unimaginable events that would not be conceived by classic military thinking. Dystopias encourage us to think critically about current patterns or trends in our world. they project where things might go in the future and by doing so they force us to think about the necessary steps that should be taken to avoid it. In order to achieve the above, this course uses dystopian fiction to explain and make sense of key concepts in political science by blending the fictional examples of state overreach with concepts from security studies reinforced by a dash of political theory.
Learning outcomes
TBC
Syllabus
  • Main textbook: Shames, Shauna L., and Amy L. Atchison. Survive and Resist: The Definitive Guide to Dystopian Politics. Columbia University Press, 2019.
Teaching methods
Political dystopias we will be looking at include: Aldous Huxley, Brave New World
George Orwell, 1984
Jean Raspail, Camp of Saints
Franz Kafka, The Trial
Władimir Sołowjow, (Vladimir Solovyov) A Story of Anti-Christ
Robert Hugh Benson, Lord of the World
The Apocalypse
Margaret Atwood, Handmaid’s Tale
PD James, The Children of Men
Susan Collins, Hunger Games
Veronica Roth, Divergent
Pierce Brown, The Red Rising
Lois Lowry, The Giver
Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451
William golding, Lord of the Flies
Orson Scott Card, Ender’s Game
Anthony Burgess, Clockwork Orange
Catherine Fisher, Incarceron
Alan Moore, V for Vendetta
Every student will be expected to pick one and present it during the semester. These presentations will serve as a springboard for discussion. There will also be short lectures introducing and organising the theoretical elements of the course.
Assessment methods
TBC
Language of instruction
English
Further Comments
Study Materials
The course is taught annually.
  • Enrolment Statistics (recent)
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