Robert Saunders
Professor, History, Politics, and Geography | Farmingdale State College
Farmingdale, NY, UNITED STATES
Dr. Saunders teaches from a global point of view; he is an expert on British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen.
Biography
Robert A. Saunders is a leading scholar of popular geopolitics, as well as an internationally-recognized researcher in the field of nation branding. His geographic areas of focus include Russia, Central Asia, and Nordic Europe. His research explores the impact of popular culture on geopolitics, nationalism, and religious identity. His articles have appeared in Millennium, Geopolitics, Political Geography, Politics, Social & Cultural Geography, Progress in Human Geography, Nations and Nationalism, Slavic Review and Europe-Asia Studies. A Professor in the Department of History, Politics, and Geography at Farmingdale State College - SUNY, Dr. Saunders teaches courses on International Relations and human geography. He holds a Ph.D. in Global Affairs from Rutgers University and degrees in History from Stony Brook University (M.A.) and the University of Florida (B.A.).
Based on his extensive work on Kazakhstan's feud with the British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen, Harper's labeled him the "world's leading Boratologist." His 2008 book on the subject is entitled The Many Faces of Sacha Baron Cohen: Politics, Parody, and the Battle over Borat. Building on this research, Popular Geopolitics and Nation Branding in the Post-Soviet Realm (Routledge, 2017) explores the tension between Western pop-culture representations of the fifteen former Soviet republics and their own attempts at country branding. His co-edited volume Popular Geopolitics: Plotting an Evolving Interdiscipline was published by Routledge in 2018. Professor Saunders is currently completing a monograph on geopolitics, northern Europe, and Nordic noir television series for Routledge. His next book, Landscape and Television - Bodies, Geopolitics, and Ecologies (co-authored with Irina Souch and Anne Marit Waade), is under contract with Palgrave.
In 2016, Dr. Saunders was awarded the prestigious Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Scholarship and Creative Activities, a system-wide accolade for sustained scholarship presented by the State University of New York. Dr. Saunders has held visiting researcher positions at the University of Leeds, Aarhus University, and Malmö University. He is an Honorary Fellow of the Leeds Russian Centre; additionally, he is an Affiliate Partner of the Centre for Transnational Media Research at Aarhus University as well as with the DETECt: Detecting Transcultural Identity in European Popular Crime Narratives, funded by a European Union Horizon 2020 grant.
Media
Publications:
Documents:
Videos:
Audio/Podcasts:
Areas of Expertise (12)
Anthropocene
International Politics
Global Politics
Comparative Religions
Politics
Popular Culture
Political Violence
Terrorism
Cyber-Politics
Nationalism
Russia and Central Asia
Scandinavia
Industry Expertise (3)
International Affairs
Education/Learning
Entertainment
Accomplishments (8)
Center for Teaching, Learning & Technology Outstanding Scholarly Publication (professional)
2015-01-01
Specific Research prize for my essay “Pagan Places” in Progress in Human Geography
Center for Teaching, Learning & Technology Outstanding Scholarly Publication (professional)
2012-01-01
Publication prize for the book Ethnopolitics in Cyberspace
Visiting researcher at the Institute for Urban Research (IUR), Malmö University (professional)
Visiting researcher at the Institute for Urban Research (IUR), Malmö University
Affiliate Partner of the DETECt: Detecting Transcultural Identity in European Popular Crime Narratives, funded by a European Union Horizon 2020 grant (professional)
Affiliate Partner of the DETECt: Detecting Transcultural Identity in European Popular Crime Narratives, funded by a European Union Horizon 2020 grant, since 2019
Affiliate Partner of the Centre for Transnational Media Research at Aarhus University (professional)
Affiliate Partner of the Centre for Transnational Media Research at Aarhus University, since 2019
SUNY Russia Programs Network Spring 2018 Travel Award to St. Petersburg, Russia (professional)
SUNY Russia Programs Network Spring 2018 Travel Award to St. Petersburg, Russia (April 2018)
Honorary Fellow of the Leeds Russian Centre (University of Leeds) (professional)
Honorary Fellow of the Leeds Russian Centre (University of Leeds), since 2017
Awarded the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Scholarship and Creative Activities (professional)
Awarded the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Scholarship and Creative Activities, May 2016
Education (3)
Rutgers University: PhD, Global Affairs
Stony Brook University: MA, History
University of Florida: BA, History
Affiliations (7)
- • Association of American Geographers
- • Phi Beta Kappa Society
- • Sigma Iota Rho The National Honor Society for International Studies
- European International Studies Association
- Association for Slavic East European and Eurasian Studies
- European Communication Research and Education Association
- American Political Science Association
Links (4)
Languages (1)
- English
Event Appearances (9)
Borat: Satire, Politics, and National Image in the Post-Soviet East
N/A Department of Cross-Cultural & Regional Studies, University of Copenhagen
2014-11-25
Popular Geopolitics: The Role of Film, TV, and Other Media in Contemporary International Relations
N/A Department of Cross-Cultural & Regional Studies, University of Copenhagen
2015-04-08
Laughable Nations: Parodying the Post-Soviet Republics
N/A Princess Dashkiva Russian Centre, University of Edinburgh
2015-04-08
Imagining the Post-Soviet Realm: Popular Culture, Post- Cold War Politics and Geographical Imaginaries
N/A School of Modern Languages and Cultures' Leeds Russian Centre, University of Leeds
2015-04-08
• “Separatism in the New Millennium: Looking Back, Looking Forward"
Pulling Together or Pulling Apart: Identity and Nationhood - Spain, Europe, the West Trinity College, Dublin
2015-06-26
• “Geopolitical Enemy #1? Anglophone Popular Culture, Vladimir Putin, and the Politics of Representation"
Russian Culture in the Era of Globalisation University of Leeds, UK
2015-06-11
• “‘Brand’ New States: Post-Socialist Europe/Eurasia, Country Branding, and the Challenges of National Differentiation"
The Future(s) of Post-Socialism Stony Brook University, New York
2015-04-17
• “The Popular Geopolitics Feedback Loop: Thinking Beyond the ‘Russia versus the West’ Paradigm"
Popular Geopolitics in Russia and Post-Soviet Eastern Europe University College, London
2015-02-20
• “Neopaganism and Nationalism in Northern Europe since 1800: A Preliminary Analysis"
Northern Myths, Modern Identities: The Nationalization of Mythologies in Northern Europe University of Groningen, Netherlands
2014-11-28
Style
Availability
- Keynote
- Moderator
- Panelist
- Workshop Leader
- Author Appearance
Media Appearances (11)
"Imagine There's No Country..."
Irish National Radio radio
2015-03-15
"Imagine There's No Country..."
"At Patch Debate Forum - Laughter, Engagement"
Long Island Patch online
2012-10-17
"At Patch Debate Forum - Laughter, Engagement"
"Students Pick Majors that Pay"
CNN's Your Bottom Line tv
2012-04-14
"Students Pick Majors that Pay"
"At U.S. Colleges, Chinese-Financed Centers Prompt Worries about Academic Freedom"
Chronicle of Higher Education print
2010-10-22
"At U.S. Colleges, Chinese-Financed Centers Prompt Worries about Academic Freedom"
"Kremlin 'Soft Power' Keeping Participatory Internet in Check"
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty radio
2008-10-25
"Kremlin 'Soft Power' Keeping Participatory Internet in Check"
"Cultural Learnings of Kazakhastan"
Wilson Quarterly print
2006-06-01
"Cultural Learnings of Kazakhastan"
"The Albanians: A Tale Filled with Lore but Little Motivation"
Philadelphia Inquirer print
2007-05-09
"The Albanians: A Tale Filled with Lore but Little Motivation"
"A Recap by the World's Leading Boratologist"
Harper's Magazine print
2006-10-04
"A Recap by the World's Leading Boratologist"
"These countries have no reports of coronavirus cases. But can they be trusted?"
USA Today online
2020-05-06
Robert Saunders, professor of international relations at Farmingdale State College (SUNY), said one of the reasons why the country has no confirmed cases may be due to lack of testing.
"What the TV series "The Bridge" tells the world about Malmö,"
Sydsvenskan online
"What the TV series "The Bridge" tells the world about Malmö,"
"American researcher: Most associate Malmö with The Bridge,"
Radio Sweden online
"American researcher: Most associate Malmö with The Bridge,"
Research Grants (2)
• International Research & Exchanges Board (IREX) Partnerships in Collaborative Research Travel Grant
International Research & Exchanges Board
2009-01-01
International Research & Exchanges Board (IREX) Partnerships in Collaborative Research Travel Grant
• International Research & Exchanges Board (IREX) Short-Term Travel Grant to Cluj-Napoca, Romania
International Research & Exchanges Board
International Research & Exchanges Board (IREX) Short-Term Travel Grant to Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Published Articles (11)
“Pagan Places: Towards a Religiogeography of Neopaganism"
Progress in Human Geography
2013-01-01
“Pagan Places: Towards a Religiogeography of Neopaganism"
“Undead Spaces: Fear, Globalisation, and the Popular Geopolitics of Zombiism"
Geopolitics
“Undead Spaces: Fear, Globalisation, and the Popular Geopolitics of Zombiism"
“The Ummah as Nation: A Reappraisal in the Wake of the ‘Cartoons Affair'"
Nations and Nationalism
2008-01-01
“The Ummah as Nation: A Reappraisal in the Wake of the ‘Cartoons Affair'"
“Buying into Brand Borat: Kazakhstan’s Cautious Embrace of Its Unwanted ‘Son'"
Slavic Review
2008-01-01
“Buying into Brand Borat: Kazakhstan’s Cautious Embrace of Its Unwanted ‘Son'"
“Unintended Architectures: Terrorism’s Role in Shaping Post-War France, the European Union, and the Muslim Presence in the West"
Journal of Conflict Studies
2007-01-01
“Unintended Architectures: Terrorism’s Role in Shaping Post-War France, the European Union, and the Muslim Presence in the West"
“In Defense of Kazakshilik: Kazakhstan’s War on Sacha Baron Cohen"
Identities: Global Studies in Culture and Power
2007-01-01
“In Defense of Kazakshilik: Kazakhstan’s War on Sacha Baron Cohen"
“Talking Up China: An Analysis of China’s Cultural Power and the Global Popularization of the Chinese Language"
East Asia: An International Quarterly
2006-01-01
“Talking Up China: An Analysis of China’s Cultural Power and the Global Popularization of the Chinese Language"
“Digital Dragons and Cybernetic Bears: Comparing the Overseas Chinese and Near Abroad Russian Web Communities"
Nationalism & Ethnic Politics
2006-01-01
“Digital Dragons and Cybernetic Bears: Comparing the Overseas Chinese and Near Abroad Russian Web Communities"
“Denationalized Digerati in the Virtual Near Abroad: The Paradoxical Impact of the Internet on National Identity among Minority Russians"
Global Media and Communication
2006-01-01
“Denationalized Digerati in the Virtual Near Abroad: The Paradoxical Impact of the Internet on National Identity among Minority Russians"
“Virtual Irredentism? Redemption and Reification of the Albanian Nation in Cyberspace"
Albanian Journal of Politics
2005-01-01
“Virtual Irredentism? Redemption and Reification of the Albanian Nation in Cyberspace"
The Silence of the Lambs: Critical Essays on a Cannibal, Clarice and a Nice Chianti
Rowman & Littlefield
2016-11-08
Contributed a chapter. One of only three films to-date to win Academy Awards in all five major categories, The Silence of the Lambs marked a sea change in horror films when it debuted, shifting the genre from teen slasher fare of the 1970s to the sophisticated psychological horror that characterizes acclaimed films today. Praised by some as the first true feminist thriller, it has drawn criticism from others for perpetuating narratives of crimes against women and demonizing its queer character. Regardless of the controversy, this film is a perennial favorite and even made it into AFI’s list of top 100 movies of all time. In The Silence of the Lambs: Critical Essays on a Cannibal, Clarice, and a Nice Chianti, editor Cynthia J. Miller compiles fifteen essays, contributed by authors from a wide range of disciplines, which are divided into three sections, each approaching the film from a different vantage point: “Situating the Silence” looks at the film in its cultural and historical context—as an adaptation, popular culture icon, and as an element in genre and character history; “Dissecting Evil” takes a closer look at portrayals of evil in the film, in both Hannibal Lecter and Buffalo Bill; and “Minds, Hearts, and Body Parts” offers critical explorations of gender, patriarchy, class, Orientalism, and humor as lenses for continued contemporary analysis of this classic film. Written accessibly, this collection of essays also introduces readers to forensics, semantics, and the psychology of serial killers. The Silence of the Lambs: Critical Essays on a Cannibal, Clarice, and a Nice Chianti will be of interest to scholars and fans of horror, thriller, and crime drama films, as well as those interested in film history and the legacy of “Hannibal the Cannibal” in popular culture.
Courses (15)
HIS 233 - Comparative Religions and Cultures
A survey of religions of the East and the region of the Mediterranean, with discussion of their impact on the lives of individuals, and on cultures and other societies through the interrelationship of value systems.
HIS 310 - Technology and Society Russia-1917-Present
This course examines the connections between industrialization, culture, society, and politics in the Soviet Union and post-Soviet Russia. Topics of discussion include the development of Russian communism, collectivization, the Cold War, ethnicity and religion, and post-Soviet politics and culture.
HIS 216 - History of Central Asia: From Genghis to Borat
A study of the history, peoples, cultures, religions, customs, and contemporary politics of Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan), as well as the relationship between the region and its neighbors China, Russia, Turkey, and Iran.
GEO 231 - Europe and Its Peoples
This course is an exploration of the rich diversity of cultures and societies of contemporary Europe, as well as an introduction to the continent's geography and how its unique physical attributes shaped world history. Critical readings of recent ethnography will be used to examine themes such as ethnicity and migration, rural life and traditionalism, and family and kinship. Students will also be familiarized with the growth of cities, demographic changes, the development of a leisure culture, and attitudes towards work in Europe. Furthermore, we will examine the interaction between Europeans and their physical environment, interrogate the role of language on national identity among European peoples, and trace the evolution of religion from paganism to "Post-Christianity." We will also study the development of political culture on the continent and historical and contemporary projects to create a united Europe from the Pax Romana to the European Union.
GEO 211 - The World and Its Peoples
This course is an exploration of the rich diversity of cultures and societies of the contemporary world, as well as an introduction to world geography and how it has shaped major developments in global history. Critical readings of recent ethnography will be used to examine themes such as ethnicity and migration, rural life and traditionalism, and family and kinship. Students will also be familiarized with the growth of cities, demographic changes, the development of a leisure culture, and attitudes towards work as we survey the major world regions (Southern Asia, the Pacific Rim, Sub-Saharan Africa, North Africa and the Middle East, the Americas, Europe, and Oceania). Furthermore, we will examine the interaction between humans and their physical environment, interrogate the role of language on national identity among peoples, and trace the evolution of world religions.
POL 371 - Geopolitics
This course examines the strategic, political, and cultural developments and concepts associated with geopolitical from late 19th century through the current era. Combining knowledge of international relations and world geography, students will examine how states and nations interact in an increasingly globalized world. Special topics will include the geopolitics of space, energy, religion, and the environment. Popular media's impact on geopolitics understanding will also be explored.
HIS 215 - The World of Islam
An examination of the birth and development of Islam from its beginning to the present. Special emphasis will be placed on the inter-connection of Islam with Judaism and Christianity and the common basis of monotheism. Topics to be discussed include the Ottoman and Mogul Empires, trade and commerce, urbanization, intellectual movements and class formation in the Islamic world.
POL 267 - Politics of the Muslim World
This course provides an introduction to the global politics Islam, including regional issues in the Arab world, Central Asia, and South Asia, as well as the impact of Islamic politics on parts of the globe where Muslims represent a significant minority (Europe, Russia, China, and sub-Saharan Africa).
HIS 341 - Terrorism and the Modern World
This course traces the global impact of terror and terrorism since the first use of the term in 1795. Much of the course focuses on the use of political violence by non-state actors and revolutionary organizations operating both at a domestic and international level. We will compare and contrast the various "waves" of terror which have gripped the globe since the late 1800s and analyze the similarities and differences between groups such as the IRA, the Ku Klux Klan, and al Qaeda. We will also explore state-based terror, specifically the use of fear, surveillance, and the secret police by various regimes in the 19th and 20th centuries. The role of media as an enabler of terrorism and terrorists will also be an important theme throughout the semester.
POL 262 - Global Politics
An introduction to global politics which explores regional issues in Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, the America etc., as well as genuinely transnational concerns such as pandemics, international terrorism, environmental degradation, etc.
POL 391 - Mass Media and Politics
This course provides a comprehensive survey of mass media's role in politics and the impact of the political environment on the press. It investigates the major media platforms (print, radio, television and the Internet) and how each shapes political culture. While the scope of the course is global, much attention is paid to the American media landscape. Other regions to be covered include the former Soviet Union, the Arab World, East Asia, and Europe. Special topics to be explored include: news management, transnational media empires, the CNN effect, infotainment, "fake news," the mass mediation of terrorism, and the connection between media and democracy.
POL 392 - Religion and Politics
This course examines the complicated and often fractious relationship between religion and politics. Following a brief introduction to the world's major religions, we will explore how politics and faith interact around the globe. Following a geographic approach, we will focus first on the United States before investigating the politics of religion in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Latin America, and the Asia-Pacific region. The themes of theocracy, sectarian conflict, fundamentalism, Islamism, secularism, and so-called "religious terrorism" will be investigated.
POL 393 - Politics and Popular Culture
This course examines the influence of popular culture on political identity within the United States and across the globe. The relationship between the U.S. entertainment industry and the political system will be explored, while the second half of the course will focus on the impact of global popular culture on international relations. Various forms of pop culture will be addressed, including but not limited to: film, television, music, video games, novels, comics, political cartoons, jokes, blogging, fads, and fashion.
POL 370 - International Relations
This course examines how the international political system was established and how it has changed since the Peace of Westphalia. Focusing on the role of states, complemented by a thorough analysis of non-state actors, students will investigate how the global system works and how the process of globalization is remaking the political and economic world. The art and purpose of diplomacy will also be explored.
STS 400W - Senior Seminar in Science, Technology and Society (Writing Intensive)
The Senior Seminar in Science, Technology and Society is a capstone course for those students intending to graduate from the Science, Technology and Society (STS) program. Students will participate in a reading and writing-intensive seminar organized around a common theme in the sciences and technologies, exploring how social, political, and cultural values affect the production and dissemination of knowledge and the development and use of new technologies. Students in the seminar will be required to complete a substantial research project integrating what they have learned during their course of study and their specific areas of interest. Students should consult the department before registering for any seminar course. This is a writing-intensive course.