MA World Politics and Popular Culture

This course examines the changing dynamics of contemporary international relations in the context of the politics of the forces shaping and being shaped by popular culture. It focuses on key theories, policies, and events in world politics, in relation to both traditional and new media.

As a student on this course you learn to think critically about:

how world politics is reflected or reproduced in popular culture
how the politics of popular culture shapes the dynamics of world politics
approaches and methods in social science and in cultural studies research

You develop the skills to:

identify, analyse, evaluate and interpret the principal source materials for world politics and popular culture
plan, carry out and communicate original research

This specialist knowledge and skills equip you for careers in government agencies, business, the media and other areas where an advanced knowledge and understanding of contemporary world politics and popular culture is needed.

Delivery

Teaching usually takes place on Newcastle University's city-centre campus but may include some online delivery. Small group seminars create a highly positive and intimate learning environment.

The course comprises compulsory modules, optional politics modules and a dissertation. The compulsory module is co-taught via videolink with students from York University (Toronto). Your remaining modules in popular culture are chosen from the wide range of modules available across the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, including modules in arts, music, film, literature and media studies.