“Spectacle, Survival and Systemic Control: Decoding Squid Game through Adorno and Horkheimer”

The Department of Community Medicine & Public Health, in collaboration with the Research Cell of Rashid Latif Medical College (RLMC), organized a distinctive pre-conference workshop titled “Spectacle, Survival and Systemic Control: Decoding Squid Game through Adorno and Horkheimer”, as part of the 2nd International STUCON 2025,
The session was led by Ms. Amna Shahzad Arif, Workshop Coordinator at Kent University, Istanbul; Lecturer at the National College of Arts (NCA), Pakistan; and Media Coordinator at Istinye University, Turkey. Ms. Arif guided participants through a thought-provoking discussion that moved beyond a traditional academic lecture, using the popular Netflix series Squid Game as a framework to examine the critical theories of Theodor Adorno and Max Horkheimer.
Through this innovative approach, Ms. Arif engaged medical students in exploring how media reflects and shapes societal structures, power dynamics, and human behavior. The workshop offered fresh insights into the intersections of culture, entertainment, and social critique, leaving a lasting impact on attendees.
The event was efficiently organized under supervision of Prof. Dr. Tazeem Shahbaz by the Research Cell and the organizing team, with special recognition to Dr. Rabbiya Sarwar (Assistant Professor) for her dedicated coordination, which ensured the smooth execution and overall success of the session.