Program Overview

Program Details

The Summer School "The Politics of Popular Culture" was attended by Alina H—ptner, a student from the Faculty of Humanities, Geography Department (FB 14, Humangeographie). The program took place from July 28 to August 11 at the University of Tartu in Estonia.

Program Structure

The program consisted of individual seminars that discussed both theoretical and methodological approaches to analyzing popular culture. These approaches were applied to various case studies, primarily from Eastern Europe, focusing on four pop cultural elements: music, street art, sports, and food. The program also included excursions to explore these elements in the field, both within and outside of Tartu.

Research Areas

The Summer School covered various research areas, including:

• Political aspects of music
• Street art
• Sports
• Food as pop cultural elements
• Methodological approaches for analyzing different media
• Diskurs-theoretical approaches to understanding pop cultural elements

Participant Experience

Alina H—ptner's experience at the Summer School was enriching, providing her with insights into the connections between pop culture and politics. She recognized the importance of considering pop cultural elements within the field of human geography. Her group's project focused on memes in Russia, their recontextualization, and the resulting different discursive-political meanings.

Location

The Summer School took place in Tartu, which was specially significant as it was designated the European Capital of Culture for 2024. This offered unique opportunities for scientific observation, particularly in the musical and artistic fields.

Funding

Alina H—ptner's participation was made possible through the Santander Mobility Funding. This support enabled her to gain valuable experiences that helped her find her path for her subsequent master's thesis. She was able to solidify her methodological approach and understanding of the content, as well as recognize the importance of considering pop cultural elements as a political medium on different scale levels and their spatial impact.