University of East Anglia (UEA), MA, Media and Cultural Politics

This MA reflects an important and developing area in the social sciences, the impact of which can be detected in the rise of identity politics and new social movements, as well as in the emergence of an alternative, broader conception of politics – one that does not refer only to formal political agencies, but to the private realm and to cultural life more generally. The impact of cultural politics is apparent in the rise of nationalism, the politics of multiculturalism and the importance attached to media. It can also be witnessed in the debate about and response to globalisation.

This MA is different because it offers a genuinely interdisciplinary approach to the study of cultural politics, building on the common interests of political scientists, philosophers, linguists, literary theorists and historians as well as experts in media and cultural studies. The course will give you the opportunity to analyse the changing politics of contemporary culture and communication, and to reflect on their effect on the conduct and character of social practice. You will develop a sense of politics that goes beyond its institutionalised expressions, to include cultural practices and everyday life. And you will explore the role of media and systems of communication in order to understand their role in the exercise of political, social and cultural power.