Ways to study politics conference 2023 talks
What is politics and international relations anyway - and why is it important?
Dr Natalie Martin, keynote speaker
A guide to what politics and international relations is - and isn't. It is not training for how to be a politician - although you can do that if you want to. It is the study of power in a variety of settings and asks who has it, who doesn't, and why. This relates to power in scenarios from what is going on in Russia/Ukraine and Israel/Palestine - to electoral voting patterns, the news media, and who does the housework.
African politics and the imperial legacy
Dr Spencer Mawby, Associate Professor in History
All scholars of African history agree that European colonialism had a significant impact on Africa but they often disagree about how relevant this it to particular issues in present-day politics. In this session we will place modern-day controversies about economic inequality and political injustice in their historical context, using the East African countries of Uganda and Kenya as case studies that illustrate the themes of these fascinating debates.
The politics of punishment: a critical look at ‘tough on crime’ policies
Dr Gary Saunders, Associate Professor in Criminology and Sociology
This session will consider the extent to which criminal justice and punishment have become increasingly politicised over the last half century in England and Wales. It will look critically at the ‘tough on crime’ policies advocated by political parties on both sides of the political divide, and their consequences for society. The session will provide a taster of the kinds of topics which students on our BA Criminology programme might engage with in their first year of study.
The politics of Islam as a religion of peace
Professor Jon Hoover, Professor of Islamic Studies
Following the 2015 terror attacks in Paris that killed 130 people, British Prime Minister David Cameron stated in Parliament that Islam is a religion of peace. Why does a British prime minister sense the need to define Islam in Parliament, and what is he trying to achieve by doing so? How might Muslims and non-Muslims respond to that?
This session will explore diverse articulations of Islam and its relation to war and peace, among both Muslims and non-Muslims, to help us think through different configurations of the relation between religion and politics.
French 'Resistance Art' Under the Nazi Occupation
Dr Will Atkin, Teaching Associate of History of Art
Following the Nazi invasion of France and capture of Paris in May-June 1940 during the Second World War, many artists, poets and writers who had been working in France found themselves stranded in the Occupied zone. Under the auspices of 'Resistance', some of the French population took up arms against the occupiers, other engaged in espionage and sabotage work. This included many artists, writers and poets.
However, these communities also conceived of their creative talents as a form of ‘Cultural Resistance’: a means of combatting dangerous ideas, changing minds, and resisting the effects of Nazi propaganda. How does Cultural Resistance work? How did artists try to dismantle Nazi ideology? This talk will consider the ideas that lay behind one particular artistic group’s campaign of Cultural Resistance. This session will provide a taster of how students can study politics through art and visual culture on our BA History of Art.
Who can speak for us?
Dr Ellen Watts, Assistant Professor of Politics and International Relations
When we think of representation we might think first of elections – of citizens being given a choice over who should represent them in parliament, and those who are elected claiming a mandate to represent their constituents. What happens next is much more complicated.
In this session, we’ll think about who claims to represent citizens’ interests in parliament and beyond, and how we can judge which of these claims is convincing. We’ll take footballer Marcus Rashford as a case to think about what sources of authority people who are not elected politicians draw on when they advocate for political change. This session will introduce questions about representation and democracy which students in their first and second year of our BA Politics and International Relations course engage with.
Persuasive political communication
Dr Jen Birks, Associate Professor of Media
The main purpose of political communication is to persuade the public – to vote for a candidate or party, to support a policy agenda, to join a protest, or just to approve of a government’s performance in power. However, we are reluctant to be persuaded, especially on contentions on which we already have strong views – indeed, the most politically engaged and informed are the most resistant to considering new information open-mindedly and to changing their minds.
This session will explore the democratic legitimacy of persuasive and debating techniques, and the news literacy skills we need to be persuaded by the most credible information and reasonable arguments. The session will be an accessible introduction to topics from years one and two of the BA International Media and Communication.
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