Conspiracy Theories as Urban Legends with a Paranoid Matrix
Conspiracy Theories as Urban Legends with a Paranoid Matrix
Author(s): Suzana MarjanićSubject(s): Customs / Folklore, Culture and social structure , Social Theory, Crowd Psychology: Mass phenomena and political interactions
Published by: Uluslararası Kıbrıs Üniversitesi
Keywords: conspiracy theories; urban legends; paranoid matrix; disappearance of the Malaysian airplane in 2014 – Boeing 777;
Summary/Abstract: In this paper I seek to interpret, categorise conspiracy theories in relation to urban legends with a paranoid matrix, with the starting point being mainly the interpretation of the paranoid nature of conspiracy theories systematised by Jack Z. Bratich. As one of the examples, I specify the conspiracy theory/ies on the disappearance of flight MH370, which has been declared one of the greatest airplane mysteries of all time. Specifically, Boeing 777 (Malaysia Airlines Flight 370) with 227 passengers and 12 crew members disappeared on March 8, 2014 during a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. According to the official story, it is believed that the airplane fell into the Indian Ocean, off the west coast of Australia. However, the conspiracy theories indicate their own interpretative truths.
Journal: Folklor/Edebiyat
- Issue Year: 29/2023
- Issue No: 114
- Page Range: 487-499
- Page Count: 14
- Language: English