The strategic spread of misinformation and the fostering of mistrust are increasingly being used as weapons and threaten stability in Europe. In the Summerschool “Psychological Warfare: Controlling the Public”, participants will deal with communication in and about the Russian war of aggression on Ukraine. Tactical communication, psychological influence, propaganda and manipulation attempts will be discussed and evaluated. The participants learn about the aims and mechanisms of psychological warfare, with a particular focus on the strategic use of social media in modern warfare. They will then explore the political consequences and the consequences for mental health of the population. Subsequently, the participants will tackle normative questions such as the general legitimacy of psychological influence. Finally, solutions are discussed and the students talk about individual and collective protective measures.
In addition to the academic discussion, the focus is also on the exchange with actors from practice. During the programme, participants will interactively analyse case studies of psychological warfare and apply their new knowledge. The overarching aim of the summer school is to enable students to comprehensively understand and detect the mechanisms of psychological influence in order to protect themselves and their societies from it in the future.
When? 3 - 7 June 2024
Where? Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Germany
Course language: English; ECTS: 3
6. June 2024, 10.15a.m. Room RW4 (Rewi I, JGU campus)
War brings information disorder, and even more so in the digital age. The information environment of hybrid warfare is rife with deliberately distorted media accounts, psychological operations, individual and group targeting, and surveillance, enabled through digital networks. Everyone’s news feed is boundless and ever-growing through clicking, swiping, linking, liking, commenting, and sharing. In this situation, socially interactive audiences need to make sense of the news and navigate the precarious environment while caring for themselves and their close others.
Recent research shows that Ukrainian media audiences use a range of useful techniques to stay informed and sane, but their sense-making often depends on their social environment and has several “blind spots”. In this lecture, Olga Pasitselska will discuss findings from two focus group projects with Ukrainian audiences: before and after the full-scale invasion, in 2019 and 2023. In conclusion, she will share research-informed practical advice on how to improve and optimize one’s feed and media diet to prevent “war fatigue” and “mental burnout”.
Olga Pasitselska, University of Groningen
Regular JGU-students: The registration phase is closed. Please apply via Jogustine (more information)
Students from Ukrainian Universities: The registration phase for students from Ukraine is closed.
Thank you for the numerous registrations.
If you have any questions concerning the Summer School or the application process, please send an e-mail to sowiso@uni-mainz.de
Coordinators:
Dr. Barbara Müller (SoWi?So! / JGU)
Dr. Olesia Zvezdova (Department of International Relations and Foreign policy, Petro Mohyla Black Sea National University, Ukraine)
About us:
This summer school is organized by the SoWi?So! department of the Faculty for Social Sciences, Media and Sports of Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz (JGU). JGU is one of the largest Universities in Germany with about 30000 students. At SoWi?So! we aim to offer courses to connect JGU students with international students in an interdisciplinary setting enveloping all disciplinces of our faculty.
