POLITICS AND POPULAR CULTURE A

Module Code: POU11033

Module Name: POLITICS AND POPULAR CULTURE A 2025-26

ECTS Weighting: 5
Semester/Term Taught: Semester 1
Contact Hours: 2 Hours Lecture per week; 1 fortnightly tutorial
Module Personnel: Dr Liam Kneafsey
Module Pre-Requisite: None
Module Co-Requisite: POU11034 Politics and Popular Culture B

Learning Outcomes

Demonstrate a critical understanding of the relationship between politics and fictional media.
Enable students to identify and interpret the political dynamics within a fictional work.
Examine how the external political context influences the creation of pop culture content.
Apply theoretical frameworks to interpret the political meaning of works from popular culture
Critically analyse political themes in fiction and how these shape political attitudes and values

Module Learning Aims

This module focuses on the intersection of popular culture and politics. We explore in particular the intrinsic political narratives in works of film, television, literature, music or video games. We investigate how these stories mirror or challenge the political climates of their times, interpret the political world, and ask whether fiction can not only reflect but can also influence public opinion and real-world political dynamics.

Module Content

This course proceeds from the premise that politics is everywhere - it shapes our lives including the popular culture we engage with daily. At its core, the course is grounded in the belief that pop culture is inherently political. Its primary aim is to explore how popular media both reflects and shapes political realities. Students will examine the ways in which political themes in film, television, literature, music, and video games echo, reinforce, or challenge the political contexts in which they were created. We also examine internet culture, social media content, and fandom as these function as political communities and shape political attitudes and behaviour We ask whether entertainment and fictional media not only mirror the world around us but actively influence public opinion and real-world political dynamics.
This course explores the intersection of politics and pop culture through three overlapping lenses. First, it delves into the internal politics of fictional worlds—analysing the political systems, ideologies, and power dynamics portrayed in a range of fictional media. The focus here is on how these fictional narratives construct and critique political landscapes and social structures. Second, the course examines the external politics of pop culture, asking how real-world political climates influence the creation and reception of popular media. Finally, the course considers the catalytic potential of fiction—how stories can shape political discourse and influence public opinion. Although the specific media, political theories, themes, and analytical frameworks will change from week to week, the overarching goal is consistent: to understand how fiction mirrors, critiques, and even moulds real-world political dynamics.