Some Astronauts Are More Equal Than Others: Social Inequalities in Media Representations of Space Exploration
15 april - 22 july
Who gets to imagine the future of humanity in space - and who is left out? This course explores how outer space is represented in media culture and why these representations matter for understanding power, hierarchy, and in/equality on Earth.
Rather than focusing on space exploration as a purely technological or political race, the seminar treats space as a cultural imagination. Through films, TV series, literature, popular science, and digital media, we analyze who appears as explorers, heroes, and decision-makers, and who is marginalized or excluded. Key themes include gender, race, class, sexual orientation, and the body, and how these categories shape visions of humanity's cosmic future. The course also examines how space representations have changed since the beginning of human spaceflight and how they reflect contemporary debates on equality, diversity, and justice.
Students are introduced to central theories and methods from media and cultural studies, social stratification theory, gender and feminist studies, queer theory, race studies, and critical discourse analysis. These approaches are applied directly to concrete case studies from popular culture as well as media coverage of real space missions.
The course combines short lectures with discussion-based seminars and practical group work. Students work in small teams to develop and present their own analyses, learning how to formulate research questions and critically interpret media texts.
By the end of the course, students will have strong skills in critical media analysis, the ability to take analytical distance from dominant narratives, and transferable competencies relevant to the study of media, culture, politics, and society.
Dates of the course
15 April - 22 July 2026
12:30 - 14:00
Registration deadline
13 April 2026
Teacher(s)
Dr. Ksenia Bellinghausen
Prerequisites
The course requires regular attendance, active participation, engagement in individual and group assignments, and English proficiency at B2 level for participation in discussions.
Teaching language(s)
English
Format
Online course
You will receive the access data shortly before the course starts.
Hosted by
Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf
Registration
Register here: https://form.hhu.de/studierendenakademie/universeh-academy-social-inequalities/