Populism and Counterspeech
Everyone speaks about populism. But what is that exactly, how does it work? Why do so many people fall into the trap of propaganda and why is that dangerous? Acquire skills to recognize populist political communication and to use counterspeech if needed.
Warm up
To get started on this topic have a look at this infographic and talk to your buddy about it. What do you understand and what do you already know about populism? Do you know of anyone who you think uses populist strategies?
Share your thoughts with your buddy.
Learn
Together with your buddy go a step further and think:
Can you find the fundamental error in a typical populist argumentation?
If you don’t understand some of the concepts, don‘t hesitate to ask someone or to look them up on the internet yourself.
Dive in 1
Are you wondering how populists succeed in being so successful? Check out the toolbox for demagogic communication your buddy.
Demagogic communication?! No idea what it is? No problem: Access this file and you’ll find that out!
Done?
Now read Trump‘s inauguration speech and find references to:
- “ME” (Trump)
- “You” (“the people”)
- “the ones up there”
- “the ones out there”
Highlight each of them with a different colour or copy them in a table with 4 different boxes.
What demagogic strategies did you find?
Dive in 2
In essence, we could say that the populist strategy uses the Othering effect, dividing people in US and THEM, associating with US all beautiful things and with THEM all bad things.
Very much LOVE is expressed for the imagined US-group AND HATE is stirred up towards the imagined OTHERS.
And if you don’t agree, you are wrong.
Very often populists indeed use TOXIC SPEECH. Find out here what it is.
And now it is your turn:
Why is populism seen as a risk for democracy?
Discuss this question with your buddy and find at least 1 reason.
Dive in 3
An important challenge for peaceful democratic societies is to react in a positive way to demagogic strategies.
This is the challenge politicians as well as all citizens have.
Here you can find a list of suggestions useful for politicians ad some also for civil society.
They are categorised into bad and good strategies. Discuss them critically* together with your buddy and think about who is responsible for implementing each of them.
* Is there anything you don’t agree with?
Create 1
It’s time to transfer your skills to your own context! Carry out a critical analysis of the political communication and program of the different parties in your country.
Choose some posters of the last elections or a newspaper article on a political issue and analyse critically:
- the content of the message
- the words used
- the pictures used
Do you recognize any populist/demagogic strategy?
Comment on the critical elements of the picture itself and thereby making the others aware of what they are reading!
Have it uploaded to the work.it area!
Create 2
Have you ever seen posters in your city which have been changed by someone or digitally modified versions of a political ad, changing its message or ridiculing it? This is “ad busting”!
Step 1: choose together a poster, part of a political or commercial campaign, which favours directly or indirectly the discrimination of a group.
Step 2: have fun making your own version of it!
Have it uploaded together with the original one and an explanation!
Create 3
Choose a populist statement which nerves both of you. Imagine that your neighbour is repeating it. How can you react?
Brainstorm some concrete strategies and develop a dialogue in which you show how you would like to react. Write down the dialogue and if you want, create a video or audio-file presrntation about it!
Do you need some inspiration? Get it here
Don’t forget: have it uploaded in the work.it area!
Reflect
What do you see now that you didn’t see before?
Exchange with your buddy, what most impressed you and what you won’t forget.
Create a postcard together!
Download the free KIDS4ALLL app and your wish comes true!
