Conspiracy theories and rumors are important sites of investigation because they provide insight into everyday people and leaders’ fear, anxieties, and perceptions about reality. At the same time, state and non-state actors often fabricate these theories and rumors for their own political or economic gain. False information drives decisions, shapes popular consciousness, and is a fundamental part of the human story. Tragically, all of these themes are a major component of everyday life in 2022. This poster seeks to
This course pushes students to consider a series of interlocking questions. What political, social, economic, and technological factors have aided in the proliferation of mis- and disinformation? How has the discipline of history been impacted by the proliferation of misinformation and disinformation about historical topics and themes? How, in other words, do we study the history of these issues while also engaging in a discipline under attack from false and falsified history? How do conspiracy theories travel across cultural and national contexts? What accounts for the long-lasting nature of certain conspiracy theories? Finally, how can we write a global history of these phenomena?
The poster presentation will provide a list of recommended books, websites, and research centers; a sample of in class and homework exercises; syllabus; and an interactive activity where visitors will be asked to reflect on how as scholars and teachers they have addressed historical issues around dis- and misinformation.
The poster argues that teaching the history of dis- and misinformation should be grounded in a global historical approach that privileges an analysis of transnational flow of ideas and information. Most historical conspiracy theory scholarship privileges national paradigms and ignores the complex circuits of these ideas and beliefs.