Lena Kostuj, M.A.
Wiss. Mitarbeiter*in,
Forschungszentrum Digitale Transformation
Promovierende*r, Professur für BWL, insbesondere Entrepreneurship, Organisation und Kultur
Assoziierte/r, Leuphana Center for Organization & Social Transformation
Promovierende*r, Professur für BWL, insbesondere Entrepreneurship, Organisation und Kultur
Assoziierte/r, Leuphana Center for Organization & Social Transformation
Werdegang
Seit 2023: PhD Kandidatin und LOST Community Managerin
2020-2022: MA Cultural Studies: Culture & Organization
2018-2021: BA Kulturwissenschaften
2016-2021: BSc International Business Administration & Entrepreneurship
Projekte
-
Organizing beyond the mainstream
Lena Kostuj (Wissenschaftliche Projektleiter*in)
→Projekt: Dissertationsprojekt
Publikationen
Beiträge in Sammelwerken
- Making Sense of Glitches? Exploring Cultural Producers' Understandings of and Interactions with the Instagram Algorithm.
Hannah Trittin-Ulbrich (Autor*in) , Lena Kostuj (Autor*in) , 01.01.2025 , S. 111-136 , 26 S.Publikation: Beiträge in Sammelwerken › Aufsätze in Sammelwerken › Forschung › begutachtet
Auszeichnungen
-
Lehrpreis der Fakultät Management und Technologie 2024
Sünje Helldorff (Empfänger/-in) Leonie Eising (Empfänger/-in) Lena Kostuj (Empfänger/-in) Lea Jakob (Empfänger/-in) Sarah Stanske (Empfänger/-in) ,Auszeichnung: Leuphana interne Preise, Stipendien, Auszeichnungen, Ernennungen › Lehre
Lehrveranstaltungen
⌄
Most visibly since the COVID-19 pandemic, the spread of various types of conspiracy content via social media has accelerated. While the term 'conspiracy theory' itself is highly debated, we want to turn towards different methodological approaches to analyzing the phenomenon in-depth.
In this seminar, we will draw from qualitative approaches such as narrative analysis, multimodal analysis, and discursive analysis to discuss different kinds of conspiracy content as communicative and social phenomena. In groups, you will analyze one example of conspiracy content (e.g., a social media post and comments) in your chosen way and present it in class and in (creative) text form so that we, at the end of the semester, have a shared collection of your different insights and perspectives.
Please note: In this seminar, we do not approach conspiracy belief as a psychological phenomenon, but rather conspiracism in terms of its sociocultural meaning and consequences.
In this seminar, we will draw from qualitative approaches such as narrative analysis, multimodal analysis, and discursive analysis to discuss different kinds of conspiracy content as communicative and social phenomena. In groups, you will analyze one example of conspiracy content (e.g., a social media post and comments) in your chosen way and present it in class and in (creative) text form so that we, at the end of the semester, have a shared collection of your different insights and perspectives.
Please note: In this seminar, we do not approach conspiracy belief as a psychological phenomenon, but rather conspiracism in terms of its sociocultural meaning and consequences.
⌄
Conspiracy theories are no longer 'just content' – they’ve become products being sold online. The rise of so-called 'conspiracy entrepreneurs' (Birchall 2021) goes along with this commodification of conspiracy thinking today. Conspiracy entrepreneurs are not only influential opinion leaders and makers, but they find ways to profit from societal polarization and the accompanying decreased trust in institutions – they become multipliers for conspiracy theories to thrive, with significant consequences. Examples of conspiracy entrepreneurs such as Alex Jones in the US or Ken Jebsen in Germany have shown that these actors and their content not only find an audience but also a market. They sell claims that are deeply connected with their self-branding and are, at times, offered alongside actual products. But not all of them share the same success, and it is doubtful that financial interest is the sole driver for their endeavors.
In this seminar, we will explore the emerging phenomenon of 'conspiracy entrepreneurship' by, on the one hand, looking at the existing (and related) literature, and, on the other hand, by taking a closer look at empirical examples of conspiracy entrepreneurs that we may encounter online and in public discourse. What makes them conspiracy entrepreneurs? Is the term even useful? How can we approach this phenomenon?
In this seminar, we will explore the emerging phenomenon of 'conspiracy entrepreneurship' by, on the one hand, looking at the existing (and related) literature, and, on the other hand, by taking a closer look at empirical examples of conspiracy entrepreneurs that we may encounter online and in public discourse. What makes them conspiracy entrepreneurs? Is the term even useful? How can we approach this phenomenon?