ABSTRACT
This section examines the impact of conspiracy theories in society and politics and, in turn, the impact of society and politics on the construction and dissemination of conspiracy theories. Conspiracy theories are an inherently social phenomenon as their meaning often derives from their specific social context. They are constructed and reconfigured in socio-historical circumstances, by both their creators and consumers. Dissemination of conspiracy theories is enabled and constrained by means of distribution, which in recent years has been facilitated by new powerful digital technologies.
