Institute of Ethnology and Social Anthropology SAS
Topic
Contemporary legends, rumours and conspiracy theories in their social, religious or cultural context
PhD. program
World Cultures and Religions, Faculty of Arts, Comenius University
Year of admission
2025
Name of the supervisor
Mgr. Zuzana Panczová, PhD.
Contact:
Receiving school
Filozofická fakulta UK
Annotation
Legends, rumours and conspiracy theories have always been a significant factor in public affairs. They are studied in the social sciences as expressions of social anxieties and desires, as specific instruments of political power that influence intergroup relations, and as means of group identification. They are also part of contemporary mass culture, which has a significant impact on the repertoire and forms of these narratives. Research may focus on face-to-face or online forms of communication, the narrative structure, historical development, social impact or argumentative strategies of these communication genres. Research methods are expected to draw primarily on folkloristic or ethnological approaches, but other interdisciplinary types of analysis are also relevant.