CTSJ 205 ‘Somebody’s Watching Me:’ Everything you wanted to know about conspiracy theories but were too afraid to ask
Whether discussing government plots, medical malfeasance, the moon landing, or the existence of birds, conspiracy theories have been the target of many moral panics in North America over the last century, and largely with good reason. However, conspiracy theory critics have often ignored imbricating socio-historical factors that contribute to belief in conspiracy theories, thereby homogenizing them and the power structures they call attention to. This course will supply students the critical tools to differentiate conspiracy theories that contribute to legacies of systemic oppression from those that call attention to such oppression. The point is not to avow all conspiracy theories, but to instead grapple with their complicated histories and the different forces they align with and challenge. Drawing upon feminist, critical race, Indigenous, and post-structuralist theories, this course will explore topics of historical oppression, legacies of colonial expansion, bio-medical interventions, corporate malfeasance, and the monopolization of decision-making power to grapple with the complex histories of conspiracy theories and what they mean for us today. Conspiracy theories work ideologically and use neoliberal globalist ideologies to traverse national borders. Examples may include "The New World Order", "The War on Christianity," and the 9-11 Tragedy. While the specific conspiracy theories covered in the course will vary, they will be examined through socio-historical contexts that cross geographic, political, and religious boundaries.