Course Syllabus
PastForward |
| Semester & Location: |
Fall 2025 - DIS Copenhagen |
| Type & Credits: |
Elective - 3 credits |
| Major Disciplines: |
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Related Disciplines: |
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| Prerequisite(s): |
It would be an advantage if the students are familiar with - or have a keen in interest in - political communication as well as a basic understanding for cultural, qualitative analysis. |
| Faculty: |
Marie Meier (current students please use the Canvas Inbox) |
| Research Director: |
Susana Dietrich - research@dis.dk |
| Senior Research Manager: |
Jeanette Erbo Wern - jwe@dis.dk |
| Academic Support: | |
| Time & Place: |
Approximately 2 hours per week - timeslot will be agreed upon after arrival - proposed time Thursdays 8.30-9.50 |
Course Description
“Every vision of the future is a response to where we come from and how we got to where we are today”
The research project PastForward explores how Nordic politicians use and strategically frame the past in accordance with their future visions. The project contributes a new perspective by not only identifying the strategic uses of the past for legitimizing imaginaries of the future, but also by analyzing how the past plays into concrete policy suggestions. The project will further increase attention about digital discourses on social media since they have become influential sites of political negotiation in contemporary democracies.
The impact of the project is twofold: On a societal level, our results aim at creating awareness of the power the past can unfold in political communication and increase sensibility for its impact on social cohesion when it is employed to increase inclusion or foster outgroup mentalities. The project highlights the plethora of historical references and collective memories that circulate in society, which add to a sense of shared identity and are the origin of what societies deem important and valuable, hence, worthy to include in imaginaries of the future.
The project aims to creates a useful knowledge base for citizens and policymakers about the negotiation of nationhood and how it constitutes a national imagined community.
Learning Objectives
As a Research Assistant (RA) affiliated to PastForward, you will follow and contribute to an examination of how the past is used politically in Nordic social media campaigns (Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland). You will get insights into how a collaborative, transnational research project works, and you will get concrete experience with data collection, coding and qualitative analysis. A possibility is also to frame your own small parallel research project within the same theoretical framework – e.g. a focused case study on political SoMe communication in The States. The specific content of your contribution will be agreed upon in an interview before semester starts depending on your prior skills and interests - and further clarified in our fist conversation in Copenhagen. Exceptional RAs might be considered co-authorship in some of our commonly written articles. Since the project runs over four semesters, you will not participate in all phases but inevitably contribute to the overall project and receive a letter of recommendation based on your engagement.
Faculty
Faculty; Assistant Program Director
Ph.D. in History (University of Copenhagen, 2022). Visiting Scholar at Max Planck Institute Berlin (Center for the History of Emotions, 2020). Master in Second Language Acquisition (The Danish School of Education, 2013). M.A. in Angewandte Literaturwissenschaft (Freie Universität Berlin, 2007), B.A. in Comparative Literature and Modern Culture Studies, (University of Copenhagen, 2004). Language instructor (Copenhagen Language Center 2009-2018). Podcast producer (Copenhagen Business School, Department of Leadership, Politics and Philosophy, 2009). Scientific Assistant, The Saxo Institute (University of Copenhagen, 2022). Part of the NordForsk fundet researchproject PastForward (University of Copenhagen, Department of Communication, 2025-2027). With DIS since 2022.
Readings
- Anderson, B. (2006). Imagined communities: Reflections on the origin and spread of nationalism. Verso
- Bennett, W. L., & Pfetsch, B. (2018). Rethinking Political Communication in a Time of Disrupted Public Spheres. Journal of Communication, 68(2), 243–253. https://doi.org/10.1093/joc/jqx017
- Hoskins, A. (Ed.). (2017). Digital memory studies: Media pasts in transition. Routledge.
Roles and Responsibilities of the Research Assistant
You are expected to spend a minimum of 10 hours per week on the project. The workload may vary over the semester. If you are travelling to do field research in a different location, additional time may be required.
As research assistant, you will engage in some or all of the following:
1. Participate in weekly meetings with your research mentor at a time set collectively at the beginning of the term.
2. Participate in a research orientation at the beginning of the semester
3. Participate in two research workshops during the semester.
4. Write an assessment of your own strengths and weaknesses in the research
process at the beginning of the semester. Revisit at the end of the semester as part of an evaluation of your own participation in, and learning from, the research project.
5. Keep a research journal and submit it in person or via email every week (or another specified interval) to your research mentor, describing the activities of the week, and outlining goals for the following week.
6. Conduct literature reviews.
7. Participate in carrying out the research project. This may include: familiarizing yourself with core concepts, literature searches, scientific paradigms, perspectives, interview techniques and analyses of data. The specific responsibilities may vary depending on how the project progresses. Be prepared to contribute to tasks that may come up during the semester. Research processes are not always predictable.
8. Present the relevance of the research and/or findings to peer(s) from other
disciplines at the DIS Festival.
9. Make a final oral and/or written presentation of the research you are involved in, depending on what is agreed with your research mentor.
Approach to Teaching
Generally, the mentor will help the students visualize the work ahead, so that you will feel safe about the research contribution you have to deliver in the end. She will do her best to listen to what the students have to say acknowledging that everybody has a important perspective to contribute with. Also, she will endeavour to include the students in the decisions made in the research team.
That means that a lot of brainstorming and discussion on the topic, the material, the hypotheses, the proces, and the findings will be incorporated in the project.
Evaluation and Grading
All research assistants are assessed on their participation, weekly status reports to the research mentor, self-evaluation and presentations to peers from other disciplines. Additional evaluation and grading depends on the individual research project and project phase and is outlined by the research mentor. It may include literature reviews, a poster presentation for an expert panel, a working paper, etc.
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Participation* 10% of grade comprises attendance & active participation in the research orientation, research workshops, and DIS Festival |
20% |
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Literature review |
5% |
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Research Project Outline |
10% |
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Presentation at DIS Festival |
10% |
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Final Paper |
55% |
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TOTAL |
100% |
Research Orientation & Workshops
Days and times are available in the Course Summary, below.
Field Research (if applicable)
Some research projects include field research. Expenses related to fieldwork will be
covered by a DIS travel grant. The fieldwork will be planned with the research
mentor at the beginning of the semester.
Approach to Mentoring
All DIS research mentors have been trained in mentoring students but their approach to mentoring may differ. Mentoring is about engaging at a different - and often deeper - level than what is typical in the class room. However, mentoring also comes with some degree of ambiguity, which is important for you to expect. The research mentor will work closely with you throughout the semester but part of the training is also for you to use your own judgment to make assessments and decisions. As part of planning your tasks and responsibilities for the semester together, the research mentor will talk to you about her/his approach to mentoring.
Expectations of the Research Assistant
The specific expectations of the individual research assistant are agreed upon at the
beginning of the semester. In general, a research assistant is expected to take initiative, take ownership of the project and work independently. You must also be prepared for meetings and be willing to part take in relevant discussions. In cases where more research assistants are involved in the same project, you will be expected to engage in some teamwork. Carrying out a research project is not a straightforward and predictable process. This is part of what makes it exciting. It also means that communication is crucial. You are expected to take responsibility for communicating about problems or issues that arise.
Data
The project will be carried out using mixed methods (see paper on Mixed Methods in the folder "modules"). It will include data from published scientific literature and "grey" literature, e.g. reports, as well as published statistical sources such as OECD health statistics, WHO and various US sources. Also, you will carry out semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders/persons. The interviews will be subject to prior consent (according to the GDPR rules) by the interviewees and data from the interviews will be collected in the form of note-taking. Notes will be deleted after the end of the semester. Also, data from the interviews will be only be used for the purpose of this research project and only in a anonomyous form so that personal statements cannot be recognised.
Disability and Resource Statement
Any student who has a need for accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact Academic Support in Copenhagen (acadsupp@dis.dk) or in Stockholm (academics@disstockholm.se), depending on the project location. In order to receive accommodations, students should inform the instructor of approved DIS accommodations within the first two weeks of classes.
DIS Accommodations Statement
Your learning experience in this class is important to me. If you have approved academic accommodations with DIS, please make sure I receive your DIS accommodations letter within two weeks from the start of classes. If you can think of other ways I can support your learning, please don't hesitate to talk to me. If you have any further questions about your academic accommodations, contact Academic Support acadsupp@dis.dk.
Academic Regulations
Please make sure to read the Academic Regulations on the DIS website. There, you will find regulations on:
DIS - Study Abroad in Scandinavia - www.DISabroad.org
Course Summary:
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