Politics and Symbols

Catalog description

It is impossible to understand politics without grasping the key role played by symbols, myth, and ritual. This first-year seminar examines how political actors manipulate symbols and how they devise and utilize myths and rituals to win support. Through such symbolic activities, political reality is created, and political groups and identities formed. We look at examples throughout the world and throughout history, but pay special attention to the powerful symbols, myths, and rites employed in U.S. political life, from Make America Great Again to Black Lives Matter.