Conspiracy Theories and Online Hoaxes: The Rhetoric of Disinformation

Why do people believe in conspiracies, and what can we do to quell disinformation? This course will build on foundational information literacy skills by studying conspiracy theories and hoaxes that originate and are circulated online and that are then used for political advantage. Taking a multidisciplinary approach, we will read texts in composition and rhetoric, media studies, philosophy, history, sociology, political science, and psychology to understand how conspiracy theories, hoaxes, and other forms of disinformation are amplified through social media networks and come to be believed by millions. Working with case studies such as QAnon, climate change denial, the anti-vaccination movement, and the Flat Earth Society, this course will explore the rhetoric that convinces people to believe in disinformation and the networks that contribute to its proliferation while also studying ways to combat disinformation, from methods for debunking conspiracy theories and hoaxes to the actions that journalists, educators, and others can take to resist the spread of disinformation. NOTE: This course DOES NOT satisfy the first-year writing requirement.
Course Attributes: EN H; BU Hum; AS HUM; FA HUM; AR HUM

Conspiracy Theories and Online Hoaxes: The Rhetoric of Disinformation

AMERICAN CULTURE STUDIES 2052

Section 01