Objective
While conspiracy theories (CT) are widely debated as a global phenomenon, case studies from the Global North have largely shaped their definitions. This project aims to expand the field by examining the formation, mediatization, and appropriation of conspiracy theories in South Asia to challenge the dominance of Europe and US-centric perspectives in three ways: (a) Empirically: Positioning South Asia—home to one-quarter of the world’s population—on the map of conspiracy theory studies, we will examine conspiracy theories surrounding topics such as politics, the apocalypse, global warming, gender, and minorities in the subcontinent’s three most populous countries: Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan. (b) Methodologically: A mixed-methods approach combining multi-sited ethnography with computational methods in mostly non-Anglophone online spaces will help us study online content and media practices of people producing and consuming CTs. (c) Theoretically: With the results from our South Asian case studies, we will critically engage with theories built on case studies from the Global North. To achieve these three objectives, Con-SA uses an interdisciplinary methodology that combines textual analysis, digital humanities, and extensive ethnography, guided by three interdependent questions:
a.) Formation. Which narratives count as conspiracy theories in postcolonial South Asia, and how do they form in vernacular discourses?
b.) Mediatization. Which conspiracy theories successfully move through digitally dominated media landscapes, and which media practices help their popularity?
c.) Appropriation. How do our interlocuters (e.g. politicians, influencers, minorities) appropriate conspiracy theories in their daily lives?
Through its three objectives and three methodologies, Con-SA (containing the Hindi/Urdu pronouns “kaun,” meaning “who?” and “kaunsa,” meaning “which?”) seeks to redress an existing overemphasis on the Global North in the field of global conspiracy theories
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
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Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
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Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
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Topic(s)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
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Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC Grants
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Call for proposal
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Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2025-COG
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14195 BERLIN
Germany
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