International Study Seminar Divided Societies on Autocracy

As part of the international study seminar Divided Societies (May 5–11), traditionally held at the Inter-University Center in Dubrovnik, this year we focused on the topic of autocracy and totalitarianism.

We discussed how currently more than two-thirds of the world’s population live under autocratic regimes, while less than one-third reside in democracies. Existing autocracies strive to expand their control over most institutions – including education, family relations, religion, as well as social and economic structures – thus becoming increasingly totalitarian. We highlighted the role of new information and communication technologies, including artificial intelligence, which have become important tools in various aspects of political and social life in the pursuit of broad societal transformation.

Mojca Pajnik, who was nominated this year as course co-director, in her lecture “The Authoritarian Playbook: Media Instrumentalisation and the Struggle for Autonomous Journalism,” analyzed strategies of media instrumentalisation in regimes with authoritarian tendencies. She examined how authoritarian political leaders systematically develop strategies for media control, such as media ownership concentration, financial depletion of media outlets, legal manipulation, and declaring war on the media.

The seminar was attended by PhD students and professors from several European countries, the United States, Canada, and the Middle East.