John Armenta

Education
B.A., Politics, University of California at Santa Cruz

Background
My interest in propaganda began long before I began my studies here at UCSD. While enrolled at UC Santa Cruz, I was also an enlisted soldier in the US Army Reserve in a Psychological Operations (PSYOP) unit. Although it is not described as such by the Department of Defense, PSYOP is responsible for the Army’s public relations with foreign audiences (in other words, propaganda). During the course of my enlistment, I was deployed to Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2002, Qatar and Iraq in 2003 and Afghanistan from 2006-2007. The positions and responsibilities I held in each of these deployments varied from creating nation-wide media projects to interacting with local leaders. Regardless of the position, we were always faced with the task of how to change the prevailing attitudes, opinions and behaviors of the local population.

Research Interests
Propaganda, Public Relations and Marketing
Psychoanalysis
Political Theory and Philosophy
How are opinions shaped by the media, social, political, legal structures…how are behaviors modified…how is identity formed? How is identity used to influence behavior?