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In this module we will examine recent theory and ethnographies of Conspiracy Theories. At the time when Fake News is on everybody’s lips, and conspiracy has become the contemporary lingua franca, what can anthropologists contribute to the debate? In this course we will consider conspiracy theories through anthropological lenses. We will move beyond a normative approach and look for comparative angles. The objective is to take these theories and people who believe in them seriously, and examine what social functions does conspiratorial thinking play in the contemporary world? We will specifically examine why do people believe in conspiracy theories? How do conspiracy theories operate? How do conspiratory ideas travel, how are they born, but also how do they die? We will also grapple with such questions as: what is the difference between a Whistle Blower and a Conspiracy Theorist? Is there any?
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ANTHROPOLOGY OF CONSPIRACY THEORIES
