Modern Political Culture: Ideas and Discourses in Context

The master's programme in Arts and Culture focuses on culture in the making. Culture can refer to the products of intellectual and artistic creativity, such as scholarly and literary texts or works of art. It also indicates the cultural practices that shape the everyday life of people, and is expressed in their individual tastes and forms of associating with one another. Finally, culture is at the heart of the processes through which people explicate and contest ethical, aesthetic, and political meanings and values.

The MA specialisation Modern Political Culture critically explores modern and contemporary politics. You will study the relationship between political ideas, discourses, and practices in their broader cultural and social contexts. The programme first introduces you to several relevant theories, methods, and concepts for the study of political culture. It then guides you through key problems and challenges in modern politics. You will study subjects such as the different forms of and tensions within democracy; the construction and representation of national identities; and the origins of political violence and its legacies. Cases you can analyse include recent populist movements across the globe and the multiple ‘crises’ of contemporary democracies; nationalist groups and identity politics; as well as the logics of violence within instances of genocide, armed conflict, and in internal political conflicts. You will approach all these subjects in an interdisciplinary manner, using the tools and methods of a variety of academic disciplines such as history, political philosophy, cultural studies, and political science. At the same time, you will be trained in the use of advanced research and writing skills. Finally, under the supervision of an expert in the field you will apply your newly acquired theoretical and thematic knowledge by writing an original thesis on a case of modern political culture.

Other specialisations in this master's programme:

• Arts and Heritage: Policy, Management and Education/Kunst en Erfgoed
• Contemporary Literature and Arts: Cultural Interventions and Social Justice