Course Syllabus

The canvas calendar is updated throughout the semester and course changes will be reflected in the calendar with as much notice as possible.

Description of Course

The Freemasons, the Jewish conspiracy, the assassination of JFK, the moon landing, 9/11, COVID skepticism, and QAnon. 

In 2000, the word “conspiracy theory” was mentioned 80 times in Danish media; in 2024, the number had risen to 31,335 times in the first three months alone. In short: we are living in the age of conspiracy theories.

In Russia, Putin has constructed a conspiracy narrative that the West has been conspiring for decades to crush Russia. During the coronavirus pandemic, fears arose that vaccines contained microchips from Microsoft as part of Bill Gates' plan for world domination. At the same time, interest in the “classic” conspiracy theories about the Kennedy assassination, the moon landing, the murder of Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme, and 9/11 continues to grow.

The course explores the complex world of conspiracies, their historical roots, sociopolitical implications, and the role of digital spaces in their propagation. Through lectures, debates, guest talks, field studies, and group work, students will critically examine how conspiracy theories shape and are shaped by societal anxieties, identity politics, and mistrust in authority. By the end of the course, students will gain a nuanced understanding of conspiracy theories as a cultural and political phenomenon, as well as develop analytical skills to evaluate truth claims in an era of misinformation.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this course, students will be able to critically analyze the historical, sociopolitical, and cultural contexts of conspiracy theories, evaluate their impact on contemporary society and political discourse, and apply theoretical frameworks to understand the mechanisms of disinformation and belief formation in both offline and online environments.

Faculty

Maya Lahav

PhD Criminology, Oxford University, Currently; MSc Criminology & Criminal Justice, Oxford University 2021; MSc International Relations, Edinburgh University, 2020; BSc Anthropology, University of Copenhagen, 2019. Head of Section of Cyber- and Information Security, Danish Ministry of Defence, 2024; Team Lead of Human Trafficking Mitigation Team, ActiveFence, 2021-2023, Research Fellow, University College London, 2021, Commercial Project Manager, Pepperminds, 2013-2015.

Readings

You will find all the readings (including specific pages) in the Canvas calendar.

• Astapova, A. (2021) Conspiracy theories and the Nordic countries. 1st ed. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge. Chapter 5 “Conspiracy Theories in the Nordic Countries”

• Cassam, Q. (2019) ‘How to Respond to Conspiracy Theories’, in Conspiracy Theories. United Kingdom: Polity Press. Chapter 4

• Fallon, K. (2019) Where Truth Lies: Digital Culture and Documentary Media after 9/11. Oakland: University of California Press. Chapter 6

• McMillan, J. (2006) ‘Putting the Cult Back into Community’, in Returning (to) Communities, pp. 241–252

• Miller, M. K. (ed.) (2023) The social science of QAnon: a new social and political phenomenon. 1st ed. Cambridge; New York, NY: Cambridge University Press

• Pirro, A. L. & Taggart, P. (2023) ‘Populists in power and conspiracy theories’, Party Politics, 29(3), pp. 413–423

• Ramsay, R. (2000) Conspiracy theories. Harpenden: Pocket Essentials. Chapter 1 “The World Is Not Like That”, pp. 7–24

• Ramsay, R. (2000) Conspiracy theories. Harpenden: Pocket Essentials. Chapter 6 “Disinformation”, pp. 70–84

• Sternisko, A., Cichocka, A. and Van Bavel, J.J. (2020) ‘The dark side of social movements: Social identity, non-conformity, and the lure of conspiracy theories’, Current Opinion in Psychology, 35, pp. 1–6

• Trauthig, I., Martin, Z., Marwick, A. & Woolley, S. (2025) ‘The future of conspiracy theory scholarship’, Journal of Information Technology & Politics, pp. 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1080/19331681.2025.2491687

• Uscinski, J. E. (2020) ‘The Politics of Conspiracy Theories’, in Conspiracy Theories: A Primer. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

• Van Prooijen, J.W. and Douglas, K.M. (2017) ‘Conspiracy theories as part of history: The role of societal crisis situations’, Memory Studies, 10(3), pp. 323–333

• Zeman, Z. et al. (2022) ‘Challenges of the “New Hybrid Ecosystem”: Celebrities, Fake News and COVID-19’, In medias res (Zagreb, Online), 11(20), pp. 3243–3267

 

Approach to Teaching

This course emphasizes active participation and dynamic class discussions as core elements of the learning experience. While I provide the overall structure and guidance, the class is a collaborative environment where everyone contributes to the production of knowledge. Discussions are designed to challenge assumptions, spark debate, and integrate diverse perspectives. Through this shared effort, we aim to create a deeper, more nuanced understanding of conspiracy theories and their societal implications. This approach ensures that learning is not only about absorbing information but also about critically engaging with ideas and co-creating insights as a community.

This course operates under Chatham House Rules to support open and sensitive discussion. Recording of classes is not permitted.

Expectations of the Students

Students are expected to have completed the reading prior to each class and to arrive with notes and questions to promote discussion. This will give us material to generate conversation. We will discuss mutual expectations and define ‘active participation’ in more detail during the first class. 

Field Studies

See Canvas Calendar

Evaluation

Assignment	Percent
Active participation in class	30%
Written assignment	30%
Groupwork (Debate) Participation	10%
Final Presentation	30%