annual awards ceremony Charlie Jeffery, Chair, Political Studies Association

It was a pleasure to see some of our foremost political scientists recognised: the Special Recognition Award for Willie Paterson’s lifelong commitment to research and influencing policy on British-German relations and European integration; (continued on page 4)

The Political Studies Association Annual Awards took place on 29th November in Church House at Westminster.

Michael Portillo, who presented Ed Balls, Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer with the ‘Parliamentarian of the Year Award’

Micheal Heseltine, recipient of the ‘Lifetime Achievement in Politics Award’

Alex Salmond, First Minister of Scotland who received the ‘Politician of the Year Award’

Lindsey Hilsum, Channel 4 News winner of the ‘Special International Award’

v23|no4dec 2011

gearing up for 2012Paul Carmichael & Cathy Gormley-Heenan (Academic Convenors)

Colleagues at the University of Ulster are busy making preparations for the 2012 Annual Conference which will be held in Belfast next year.

The call for paper and panel proposals has now closed and we have a ‘full house’ in terms of accepted papers and panels!

Registration for the conference has now opened on our conference website www.psa.ac.uk/2012 so be sure to...(continued on page 5)

association newsnew editors for parliamentary affairs 03newly awarded academicians 03annual awards ceremony 04gearing up for 2012 05more association history... 06an obituary for tim may 06heads of department conference 07

call to conferregional studies association global conference 2012 08

association linksappreciation for australia 08a prelude to ipsa 2012 08apsa 2011 09psai annual conference 09exchange visits for association members 10international conference opportunity 10seattle 2011 11presenting at seattle 11three new titles published by the policy press 11being busy in oz 12collegial glaswegian gathering 12

specialist groups anarchists continue to build solidarities 13epop annual conference 2011 14political thought holds annual conference 14dissident republicanism 15

power of words in huddersfield 16re-launching and retiring at aberystwyth 17for kings, history matters 17gendered ceremony and ritual in parliament 18durham university establishes new durham global security institute 19the responsibility to protect 20new degree for SAOS 20the elected mayors agenda 21birthday celebrations for jack hayward at hull 19relevance reward at goldsmiths 21

student short video competition 22

commons foreign affairs committee looks for witnesses 23giving evidence to the home affairs committee on violent radicalization 24in praise of social democracy 24

political studies association news

department news

engagement

Holly HardwickeAssistant Editoremail: hhardwicke@gmail.com

Ed

itori

al

Tea

mProfessor Neil CollinsEditoremail: n.collins@ucc.ie

Political Studies Association, Department of Politics, University of Newcastle, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU Tel: 0191 222 8021Fax: 0191 222 3499

Email psa@ncl.ac.ukWeb: www.psa.ac.uk

Chief Executive Officer: Helena Djurkovic

Membership Secretary: Sandra McDonagh

Registered Charity No. 1071825; Registered Company with limited liability in England and Wales, No. 3628986

To advertise in this Newsletter, please contact Sandra McDonagh at psa@ncl.ac.uk

association news | 3

They take over from Professors Steven Fielding (Nottingham) and Jocelyn Evans (Salford) who have left the journal in rude health, with an impressive impact score of 1.238.

The new editors will continue the journal’s approach of publishing high-quality academic peer-reviewed articles, along with a number of practitioner pieces. Forthcoming special issues include youth political engagement and citizenship, the training of parliamentary representatives and the French presidential election.

The incoming editors also offer a special REF 2014 guarantee:

❖ Any paper submitted to Parliamentary Affairs and accepted by the end of 2012 will be published online by the end of 2013, subject to the following terms and conditions.

❖ The paper will have had to have successfully gone through the journal’s anonymous reviewing process. We aim to expedite submissions as speedily as possible, but cannot be held responsible in the event that reviewers

take longer than expected to comment on a manuscript.

❖ To be treated as accepted, we must have received a final version of the manuscript, which meets the journal’s submission requirements and makes any changes requested, to the editors’ satisfaction.

❖ All supporting documentation must also have been returned to OUP by end-2012.

❖ Publication by end-2013 will be dependent on authors returning any requested changes to proofs, or production queries, within one week of receipt.

❖ We give no guarantee of publication in a print version of the journal. The guarantee refers to online publication, as an Advance Access article. Such articles have DOI.

❖ We reserve the right to withdraw the guarantee at any time, should demand for it exceed anticipated levels.

new editors for parliamentary affairs –and REF 2014 guarantee

Jon Tonge, Liverpool

Philip Cowley, Nottingham

A launch to celebrate the arrival of the new editorial team, along with the appointment of new associate editors and an advisory board, will be held at Westminster on 18th January 2012. Tom Watson MP will be the guest speaker. Further details are available via the Hansard Society.

newly awarded academicians

Prof Sarah Childs (Bristol)

Prof Matt Flinders (Sheffield)

Prof Robert Hazell CBE (UCL)

Two Association members, Professor Philip Cowley and Professor Jon Tonge have taken over as editors of Parliamentary Affairs, the Hansard Society’s flagship journal published by Oxford University Press.

the joint winners of the WJM Mackenzie Book Prize, Tim Bale for The Conservative Party from Thatcher to Cameron, and Iain McLean for What’s Wrong with the British Constitution?; Jack Hayward’s richly deserved Sir Isaiah Berlin Award for his Lifetime Contribution to Political Studies; Alex Danchev and Ion Trewin as the inaugural winners of our new Innovation in Teaching Politics Award for their pioneering course on political biography; and Ron Johnston’s Political Communication Award for his influence and impact on elections, especially the process of boundary changes.

Our MC, Jon Snow of Channel 4 News, also presented awards to leading politicians, including Alex Salmond, Michael Heseltine, David Steel, Tom Watson, Ed Balls and Caroline Lucas, and journalists, among them Lindsey Hilsum, Alan Rusbridger, the Woman’s Hour team led by Jenni Murray, and commentator-cum-pollster Peter Kellner.

The mix of awards to political scientists, politicians and journalists is a deliberate one. Our aim is to celebrate our leading scholars in a setting where political science and policy practice meet. The Annual Awards are an opportunity to show the

influence and – to use the REF vernacular – the impact UK political studies has.

Helping to demonstrate that impact will be a big priority for the Association as the REF approaches. We have a strong record of impact: in challenging and influencing policy; in shaping constitutional debates; in arming our legislatures with the evidence and advice they need to hold executives to account; in raising public awareness about key political issues to enable citizens to hold their representatives to account – and all of this at local, devolved, UK, EU and international scales.

Because impact is going to be such a significant component of the REF we have to work hard to pinpoint the impacts of our research and, as far as we can, do this as well or better than other disciplines. We will be holding a workshop on impact at the Annual Conference in Belfast next April – with the Politics and International Studies REF sub-panel chair Colin Hay contributing – and hope to run a series of impact workshops around the UK during 2012. We will also look for opportunities to brief journalists about politics research on major current issues, following the

Peter Kellner, winner of a ‘Special Recognition Award’

David Steel receiving the ‘Lifetime Achievement in Politics’ award

Maxine Molyneux, University of London and Roger Dawe, Better Governemnt Initiative

Evan Davis, winner of the ‘Broadcaster of the Year’ award and Caroline Lucas, recipient of the ‘Influencing the Political Agenda’ award

4 | association news

Justin Fisher, Brunel and Colin Rallings, Plymouth

Guest at the Ceremony alongside Peter Geoghegan, Editor, Political Insight

Gerry Stoker, Southampton with Katharine Dommett and Helen Brown Coverdale, guests at the Ceremony

Kathryn Ledson, Louise Bates, Helena Djurkovic, Political Studies Association, and Sue Cameron, journalist

annual awards ceremonyCharlie Jeffery, Chair, Political Studies Association

(continued from front cover)

association news | 5

Sandra McDonagh, Association Membership Secretary with Paul Carmichael, Honorary Secretary, Political Studies Association

success of the briefings series last year on AV, the devolved elections, local elections, and Lords reform. We are also talking with the ESRC about how we can inform impact case studies by drawing on the end-of-project evaluation that the ESRC requires of its grant-holders. Further details on all these initiatives will follow in our e-Newsletters.Finally, back to the Annual Awards. This year for the first time we held a competition for schools. The challenge was for teams of

students to produce a short video; the theme – inspired by Bernard Crick’s classic book and Matt Flinders’ recent Radio 4 series – was ‘In Defence of Politics’. A special jury hosted by the Speaker John Bercow awarded the prize to a team from Cheadle Hulme School. It – and the other entries to the competition – shows that there is a strong supply of talented, nascent political scientists in our schools. Making sure we connect as effectively as we can

with teachers and students of politics in schools, sixth form and FE colleges is vital. Ensuring demand for politics degrees remains high in the coming years is perhaps the biggest challenge the Association’s Executive Committee has set itself. The Association Vice Chair, Jacqui Briggs, will set out how we plan to do so in the next edition of Political Studies Association News. Until then, merry christmas and best wishes for 2012.

Elizabeth Meehan attending the Association Awards Ceremony

Matthew Flinders (Sheffield) and Cheadle Hulme School

gearing up for 2012Paul Carmichael & Cathy Gormley-Heenan (Academic Convenors)

(continued from front cover)

Registration for the conference has now opened on our conference website www.psa.ac.uk/2012 so be sure to register early to avail of our ‘early bird’ registration rates.

Our opening plenary ‘In Defence of Politics’ will be hosted by Professor Matthew Flinders (Sheffield) and confirmed panelists at this opening plenary include David Blunkett, Peter Oborne and Peter Riddell. Professor Brendan O’Leary (University of Pennsylvania) will give the 2012 Shapiro Lecture which is sponsored by Government and Opposition. We will have lots of extra-curricular opportunities arranged including a visit to the Northern Ireland Assembly at Stormont; a visit to the Public Records Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI); and a political tour of Belfast among other things. Updates on our other keynote speakers and sponsored roundtable events will be given in subsequent issues of Political Association News and on the conference website, so be sure to check for updates!

In terms of location, things couldn’t be better. The conference will be held in Belfast’s Europa Hotel. The hotel has 272 newly refurbished bedrooms and suites. Its

city centre location is ideal for both the conference and for evening entertainment. The hotel sits next door to the glorious Grand Opera House. The historic Crown Bar, the National Trust’s only public house property, beckons from just across the road. And then you’ve got shops, shops and more shops, several award-winning restaurants, high-end entertainment and the business district – all within walking distance. Our special online booking website has been very popular with Association colleagues and our allocation of hotels rooms in the Europa through this site are all gone, BUT, fear not... You can still reserve rooms directly at the Europa and will receive an Association preferential rate. To reserve your room, call the Europa on +44(0)28 90 27 1066 and quote ‘Political Studies 52268’ for their special rates.

Stop PressBelfast has been voted one of the world’s top destinations for 2012 by National Geographic Traveler (November 2011) and the Financial Times has listed Belfast as one of the ‘top 10 places in the world’ to hold a conference or major event, putting us up there with Melbourne, London, Barcelona and Guadalajara!

PS… Did You Know? Belfast is the best value for money…Belfast is the best value UK city for tourists, according to a new cost comparison index from the travel website TripAdvisor produced in July 2011. The comparisons were based on the cost of a pizza, a dry martini, a taxi ride and one night’s accommodation in a four-star hotel. Belfast’s total TripIndex cost came to just £106.54, less than half the cost of the UK’s most expensive city, London (£227.99) and £9.08 cheaper than its closest rival, Liverpool (£115.62) followed by Cardiff (£123.06), Glasgow (£131.40) and Manchester (£135.89). TripAdvisor’s Emma O’Boyle said: ‘Cost, and in particular value for money, is one of the most important considerations for travellers. This index allows travellers to make an educated decision as to whether a destination is right for them.’ See: www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-14224207

We look forward to giving you a warm welcome to Belfast in April 2012.

6 | association news

My friend Tim May, who died in September after an illness courageously borne, was an inspiration – though Tim would have modestly dismissed any such description.

For generations of staff and students in political studies at the Manchester Metropolitan University he was a generous,

sympathetic and super conscientious source of help, advice and encouragement. Tim joined what was then the Manchester College of Commerce in 1968, after a period as a WEA tutor organiser. He embodied all that was best in the old WEA: a commitment to liberal education, to debate as civilised dialogue, and to education as self improvement.

He brought these values to the development of Politics at Manchester as the College of Commerce turned into, first, Manchester Polytechnic and then Manchester Metropolitan University. His time at the University culminated in a period as an admired head of department. Tim wrote sparingly, and his scrupulous scholarship was out of tune with the frenetic publishing demands of the modern university. He also lacked the necessary selfishness to publish a lot: his time was too easily given to the help and encouragement of others. But his book on trade unions in the 1970s, and his later work with John McHugh on small business politics, are enduring scholarly contributions.

Tim was also a man of surprising, diverse interests. Behind the exterior of a scholar

lay an enthusiast for fast vintage cars – something he inherited from his father, and has transmitted to a later generation of the May family. His latter years were spent in writing ERA Man: Historic Racing with W.R.G. Morris. It was a great consolation that the book was both published, and very favourably reviewed in the vintage motoring press, during the final stages of his illness. Tim’s funeral gathered together two groups who do not normally associate: his many friends in social science and his equally numerous friends from the world of vintage car racing.

Tim was a Brummie by birth, and completely English by inclination: he loved English literature, English theatre and the English landscape, especially Kirby Lonsdale. He could entertain for hours with his caustic judgements on what was happening to the England he loved; but everything he said and did was marked by generosity and wit.He is mourned by countless friends, and is survived by a loving family: his wife Gillian, sons Nick, William and Richard, and eight grandchildren, one of whom, Joseph, spoke movingly at his funeral.

Tim May

an obituary for Tim MayMick Moran, Manchester

I read Wyn Grant’s history of the Political Studies Association with great interest, especially having been a member for well over half that history and having served on the Executive.

However, I was dismayed to see that Wyn had encountered a lacuna of information for the late 1980s and early 1990s, when I served on the Executive. Michael Goldsmith was our Chairman and he played an important role in countering the previous rather hangdog view we took of ourselves. He repeatedly stressed that we were the second most important political science trade in the world and should behave as such – and gradually we did so, more and more.

Other initiatives included inviting scholars from the newly liberated Eastern Europe to our Conference. A particularly significant activity in which I was involved was that I chaired a Subject Review of Politics and

International Relations for the Council for National Academic Awards (CNAA), which was also sponsored by the Executive. The report was written by Grant Jordan after I had written an interim report a few months earlier. Its publication was the CNAA’s last act before its abolition in July 1993. I have a spare copy which I will donate to the Political Association Archive.

One positive outcome of our work was the identification of the need for the Political Studies Association and the British International Studies Association (BISA) to work together for our mutual benefit. This was the origin of the collaboration that has continued fruitfully to this day.

some more association history...Howard Elcock, Newcastle upon Tyne

heads of departmentconferenceInstitute for Government, London, 9th December 2012

association news | 7

PSA 2012

Annual Conference

3-5 AprilEuropa Hotel

Belfast

call for papersUACES 42ND Annual Conference 3rd-5th September 2012 University of Passau, Germany

The call for panels and papers is now open for the UACES 42nd Annual Conference, taking place in Passau, Germany from 3rd-5th September 2012.

We welcome contributions on all areas of contemporary European Studies from across academic disciplines including law, economics, geography, history, sociology, public policy

and politics. We accept proposals from established academics, practitioners and well-prepared doctoral students. The deadline for submission of panels and papers is 20th January 2012.

The three-day event will be hosted by the Department for Cultural Studies at the University of Passau. During the conference, we’ll be celebrating the 50th anniversary of the JCMS.

To find out more and to submit a paper, visit the website at www.uaces.org/passau.

Colin Hay, REF Politics Sub-Panel Chair and Gerry Stoker, University of Southampton

Mike Saward, The Open University and Richard Luther, University of Keele

Philip Cowley, Nottingham and Paul Evans, Principal Clerk for Select Committees, House of Commons

Edwin Egede, University of CardiffPeter Riddell, Director of the Institute for Government (Designate) and Jacqui Briggs, Vice Chair

Astrid Wissenburg, Deputy CEO, ESRC

appreciation for australiaThe paper, entitled “Liberalisation Troubles: Elitism, Progressivism, and Populism”, received the Australian PSA and Political Studies Association Exchange Award to facilitate travel to Canberra. The paper was in line with the theme of the Conference ‘Crisis, Uncertainty, and Democracy’. Both the academic and the social atmosphere of the conference were worth the trip to Canberra from Glasgow even if it was for a couple of days.

Dr Harshan Kumarasingham from Potsdam University delivered a paper entitled ‘The 1975 Dismissal - The View from Whitehall’, which investigated British official interest and involvement in the sacking of the Australian Labor Government of Gough Whitlam by the Governor-General Sir John Kerr. This remarkable episode still ranks as one of the most controversial episodes in postwar Australian and Commonwealth political history. The events in Australia proved that Westminster’s sacrosanct

conventions surrounding the practice of power particularly those of the Crown could be used in ways that had long been thought unavailable in practice though available in theory. The position of Kerr as the Queen’s Representative and Britain’s position with the Australian states drew Whitehall into the crisis along with its special understanding and involvement in Australia. Harshan used recently released documents in the United Kingdom to shed light on the involvement and knowledge of Whitehall in this constitutional saga, which, due to its historic relationship was probably greater than any other country. Old Parliament House Canberra, where the crisis played out, was the obvious place to deliver this paper and Harshan appreciated meeting Australian constitutional scholars to discuss his paper.

a prelude to ipsa 2012

As an intellectual prelude to next year’s IPSA Congress in Madrid with its theme of Reshaping Power, Shifting Boundaries, the Department of Constitutional Law and Political Science at the University of Valencia organised a workshop on New Regionalism and Multi-Level Governance on the 13th and 14th October. Participants took part from Belgium, Germany, Quebec, Spain and the United States.

A volume produced from the workshop will be available at the Madrid Congress and the introduction will be written by Wyn Grant who attended as IPSA’s vice-president for Europe. One of the themes to emerge was the extent to which Scotland rather than Catalonia was setting the pace in terms of new regional arrangements.

8 | call to confer | association links

Australian War Memorial, Canberra

Dr Umut Korkut from Glasgow Caledonian University delivered a paper at the Australian Political Studies Association annual conference in Canberra on 26th – 28th September.

Congress 2012Interest in the Congress itself has been overwhelming both in terms of panels and papers. Over 5,000 papers proposals have been received and programme chair Wyn Grant is currently assessing over 2,000 in the General Pool. Extra space is being hired to allow additional panels and papers, but inevitably some good proposals will have to be rejected. Wyn Grant noted, ‘It is interesting to see the range of work being undertaken in politcal science.

Some really innovative work is being undertaken in areas such as the social media and this will be reflected in the Congress. The number of Research Committee panels has been greatly expanded, reflecting the creation of new committees and the higher activity rate of existing ones.

These committees are now becoming more deeply embedded in the work of IPSA. The Local Organising Committee is also organising a series of panels, many with an Iberan or Latin American theme and many of these will be delivered in Spanish. This will enable IPSA to build on the presence it developed in Latin America through holding its last Congress in Santiago, Chile.’

IPSA is moving from a triennial Congress to biannual ones with the next one being held in Montréal in 2014.

apsa 2011 conferenceKhursheed Wadia, University of Warwick

I attended and presented a paper at the 2011 American Political Science Association conference which was held in Seattle from 1st to 4th September.

As was to be expected, it was a grand, well organised affair comprising some notable plenary lectures (including Carole Pateman’s presidential address on participatory democracy) and large numbers of themed panels.

Although it is always an experience to be part of an occasion as huge as this, my best conference memories are of the smaller events where you get the opportunity to really get to know other panellists and

presenters who often go on to become close collaborators and/or friends. However, I did enjoy being in Seattle – it has a great vibe.

There were so many presentations and unfamiliar names that it was difficult to make a sensible decision about which panels to attend. In the end, I took the easy way out each time and ended up listening to the presentations of people I already knew. That said, it was still good to have uninterrupted time to take part in some thought-provoking discussions, to attend specialist group meetings (in my case the French Politics Group) and to generally catch up with old friends and colleagues, including someone I had last seen in 1992!

My paper formed part of the theme panel, “Parity and the

shift from ‘universal’ to group rights in France”.

My co-panellists were Rainbow Murray (Queen Mary, University of London) who had put the panel together, Aurélia Troupel (Université de Montpellier) and Eléonore Lépinard (Université de Montréal). We approached the theme from very different angles but this made for a highly interesting mix of ideas, arguments and evidence. And although we had a relatively small audience, the discussion which followed was not just lively, it was useful and will have contributed to the strengthening of our respective papers.

On the whole my experience at APSA 2011 was very positive and I am grateful to the PSA for part-funding my participation at this event.

Gary Murphy, President, PSAI, being congratulated by Paul Whiteley, University of Essex, on the success of the conference at which he was a guest speaker.

regional studies association global conference 2012

‘Sustaining Regional Futures’

24th - 26th June 2012 (Field trip on 27th June 2012), Beijing Conference Centre, Beijing, China

For the most up-to-date version of this call for papers visit: www.regionalstudies.org

Organisers welcome proposals for special sessions, themed workshops and innovative forms of networking and collaboration. If you would like to organise or offer a session to the conference please contact Jimmy Ancheta Jr.

at events@regionalstudies.org and we will assist you. The deadline for abstract submissions is 31st January 2012.

association links | 9

Khursheed Wadia, Warwick

Richard Katz, John Hopkins University speaking at a reception in honour of Peter Mair during the Political Studies Association of Ireland (PSAI Annual Conference).

Professor Gary Murphy, President, PSAI, presenting the Brian Farrell book prize to Professor Jon Tonge, Liverpool and Jim McAuley, Huddersfield at the conference.

psai annual conferenceDublin, October 2011

exchange visits for members to overseas PSA conferences

The Political Studies Association’s International Relations Subcommittee is promoting internationalisation in the political science profession.

We are able to offer ‘exchanger’ arrangements with a limited number of ‘sister’ PSAs. Application is by email only to psa@ncl.ac.uk. If you have specific queries, you are welcome to contact the Sub-committee Chair, Professor Terrell Carver at t.carver@bristol.ac.uk.

Note that this scheme is separate from the ‘Overseas Conference Grants 2012’ scheme (next item). Exchanges are limited to the following associations and meetings:❖ Australian PSA, September 2012❖ Brazil PSA, July 2012 – 2 places

❖ Japan PSA, October 2013 - 1 place (deadline 1 December 2012)

❖ Korea PSA, August or December 2012 – 2 places

❖ New Zealand PSA, December 2012 - 2 places

❖ Slovenian PSA, May 2012 – 1 place❖ Canadian PSA, May 2012 – 1 place

(see below)

The receiving association will provide accommodation (usually hotel) during the conference and (usually) an extra day. They will also provide usual meals/hospitality appropriately, but this varies a bit with each situation. (The Canadian PSA provides only gratis registration and only to post-graduates who have already had papers accepted through the formal process.) The receiving association will see that you are placed on a suitable panel/language group (with the exception of the Canadian PSA noted above).

You are eligible to apply to the Political Studies Association for partial travel support. Contact t.carver@bristol.ac.uk for details. Your email application should give your name/affiliation/contact details, very brief CV/publications; title of proposed paper and brief abstract; some assurances regarding time/funding (particularly co-funding and backup funding) as the most important thing for us is that someone actually goes (it is not usually possible to substitute for a drop-out). If you have been on this scheme before, then you are not eligible. You must be a current Political Studies Association member. You will need to write us a very short report about your experience suitable for publication in Political Studies Association News. Photographs are also welcome.Deadline for completed email applications is 15 February 2012 to psa@ncl.ac.uk.

international conference opportunityThe Japan Conference for the Study of Political Thought will accept one sponsored panel from the Political Studies Association of the UK for an English-language session at its Annual Conference to be held in central Tokyo over the weekend of 26th-27th May 2012. This promises to be an exceptionally interesting event. To participate in this you will need to be a current member of the Political Studies Association. We require a complete panel of two or three paper-givers; the local organisers will supply a chair and suitable local discussants. Alternatively the Association will accept individual papers and act as organiser to form a coherent

panel. Application is by email and must be in hand by 1st January 2012 at the latest.

Funding AvailableThe organisation is effectively a large ‘specialist group’ working in political theory, political philosophy, history of political thought, and allied themes. As a member of the Association, you will be entitled to partial funding for this sponsored activity. There will be no registration fees, and local organisers will provide suitable hospitality. It is also likely that they will find funding for one or two nights at a local hotel. Given recent events, overseas participation in Japanese events is particularly

appreciated. Risks are generally thought to be minimal, though you will be responsible for making your own checks and insurance arrangements. Reasonable accommodation and subsistence in Tokyo is generally somewhat less than in London on present price levels and rates of exchange.

Contact Please submit the relevant information (names/affiliations/paper titles/abstracts) to the Association Chair of the International Relations Sub-committee, Professor Terrell Carver: t.carver@bristol.ac.uk. There is no specific form. Funding arrangements will be discussed by email communication after the panel is formed.

10 | association links

As someone who loves America, and most things American, and as a loyal devotee of APSA and of Starbucks, the APSA Annual Meeting in Seattle was very appealing.

I also wanted to go to this APSA Annual Meeting more than most because I had a paper, jointly authored with Will Jennings, using political parties, and a book project idea that I wanted some advice on and meetings to discuss. The Political Studies Association travel grant made it possible for me to go, and I was very grateful for the chance to attend.

I took part in a pre-APSA short course on the theme of voter alignments and I presented papers in two panels. The first paper used survey experiments to analyse the effects of turnout information on likelihood of voting, which I ran during the 2010 general election and the 2011 AV referendum. It was heartening to see so many people in a panel on the 2010 British general election. The second paper used 2,450 polling items on public ratings of U.S. parties on competence, and I presented this in a small but expert panel.

presenting at seattlePaolo Dardanelli, University of Kent

I am very grateful to the Political Studies Association for its support to present a paper at the American Political Science Association annual meeting in Seattle. Mine was submitted as an individual paper and was accepted for poster presentation. That means it was not eligible for funding from the British Academy so the Association’s support really made a difference.

Although often considered second-best, I found the poster presentation format valuable. It is conducive to better interaction with people interested in your work and can actually give you the

opportunity to reach a greater number of delegates than many poorly-attended panels.

The APSA annual meeting is the largest political science conference in the world and is always an exciting event to attend. The quality and range of research presented are first rate and social and networking opportunities are second to none.

The city hosting it this year, Seattle, was an added bonus. It is a very pleasant city in a beautiful natural setting, a very enjoyable place in which to spend a few days with fellow political scientists from all over the world!

seattle 2011Jane Green

association links | 11

‘Democracy under attack’ Malcolm Dean A damning indictment of the media’s role in distorting democracy by Malcolm Dean, the Guardian’s longstanding chief monitor of social policy.

‘Changing social equality’ Kvist, Fritzell et al. Taking a comparative perspective, this book casts new light on the changing inequalities in Europe.

Leadership and the reform of education’ Helen M Gunter This timely book analyses the relationship between the state, public policy and the types of knowledge that New Labour used to make policy and break professional cultures.

new titles at policy press

qualify for a 30% discount, rather than 20% (quote POPSA11) when you order through our website.

Jane Green

I got some very useful feedback. As always, some of the best value of APSA comes in meetings for coffee, lunches and receptions, and I packed more than usual (and advisable) into this trip.

I also had my first executive meeting of the British Politics Group, got the low-down on my new role as Section Chair for APSA 2012 and 2013, and spent some useful time in the book publisher’s hall getting some timely advice.

These work-related activities followed a really fun night at a Mariners (baseball) game. Pre-APSA baseball games are traditions for many people who go, so it would seem a shame not to briefly mention my spot on the big screen with Ron Rappoport (College of William and Mary, Virginia) during the seventh inning stretch. We thought it might count as ‘international impact’, but then again, maybe not.

All things considered it was an excellent trip and a particularly useful conference. I sometimes ask myself if the time, travel and energy are all really worth it, but the answer is always, yes.

The theme of the conference was ‘Crisis, Uncertainty and Democracy’, and the opening address was delivered by Prof the Hon Gareth Evans, Chancellor of the Australian National University, Professorial Fellow in the School of Social and Political Sciences at the University of Melbourne, and Co-Chair of the International Commission on Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament. He was a member of the Australian Parliament for 21 years, and is a former Foreign Minister. A keynote address was delivered by Prof Donald Emmerson, director of the Southeast Asia Forum at Shorenstein SPARC, Stanford University. His address was titled, ‘Crisis, Uncertainty and Democracy: Black Swans, Fat Tails and the Futures of Political Science’.

The APSA has an arrangement with the Political Studies Association to provide funding for two people to come from the UK to our conference each year. Applicants are eligible if they are early career researchers and recently joined members, and/or PhD students. The funding includes three nights’ accommodation at the conference, full registration costs including the annual dinner, and local domestic transfers (by bus or train). This year the two awardees of this funding were Umut Korkut (Glasgow University) and Harshan Kumarasingham (University of London). We welcomed them at our conference dinner. Professor Andrew Wells, the Deputy CEO of the Australia Research Council also addressed the conference. Professor Wells gave a presentation to the conference on trends in political science funding from the Australian Research Council. This presentation was the outcome of ongoing discussions between the APSA and the Australian Research Council, and key points from the address will be distributed to heads of school and members.

This year, APSA has launched standing research groups. This allows members to create a research stream, and to develop a network of scholars and research in their area. It is envisaged that the research streams will operate in a similar way to research streams/groups in other international political science organisations. At the 2011 conference the Environmental Politics and Policy Standing Research Group was launched, and awarded its inaugural annual prize for the best refereed APSA paper on the topic of environmental politics or policy.

Other awards presented at the annual dinner include the Mayer journal article prize for the best article published in the Australian Journal of Political Science in the previous year, awarded to John Kane and Haig Patapan for ‘The Artless Art: Leadership and the Limits of Democratic Rhetoric’ (45:3). The PhD thesis prize was awarded to Scott MacWilliam (ANU), with an Honourable Mention awarded to Daniel Halvorson (Griffith). The Henry Mayer Book Prize for Australian Politics was awarded to James Walter for What were they thinking? The politics of ideas in Australia, UNSW Press, Sydney (2010). Honorary Life Membership was awarded to Prof Ian McAllister, for his many years’ service to the discipline including 12 years as editor of the Australian Journal of Political Science.

The Association was busy in 2011 making submissions to the federal government’s research assessment exercise, organising a national meeting of heads of department, awarding annual funding to members to host workshops, and drafting a disciplinary benchmark statement for teaching in political studies. APSA also has an active Women’s Caucus and Postgraduate Caucus.

being busy in ozKatharine Gelber, Immediate Past President, Australian Political Studies Association

The Australian Political Studies Association hosted its annual conference at Old Parliament House in Canberra, on 26th – 28th September 2011.Katharine Gelber

12 | association links

The Comparative European Politics and French Politics Specialist Groups organised a two-day workshop at Glasgow Caledonian University on 10th and 11th November entitled “The Politics of Migration: Citizenship, Inclusion and Discourse in Europe”.

The workshop brought together international as well as the Scottish experts dealing with the theme of political discourse in setting the politics of the migration in Europe and particularly in France. Keynote speech was delivered by Martin Schain of NYU. The workshop was particularly successful in

maintaining a collegial environment and lengthy debates on the theme looking into countries as varied as UK, France, Turkey, the Netherlands, Finland, Sweden, and Switzerland. Therefore, it had a particularly comparative and European focus with promising research outputs.

collegial glaswegian gathering

specialist groups | 13

In 2009 the collaborators were the Marxism Specialist Group. This time, the focus was on critical approaches to international relations, and the associated BISA working groups were the Poststructuralist Politics Working Group and the International Political Economy Group. Together we hosted a conference entitled ‘Confronting the Global: Alternatives, Alterity, Solidarity’. The conference was also funded and hosted by the Centre for Globalisation and Regionalisation at the University of Warwick.

The call for papers attracted a set of 17 excellent papers from the Philippines, Europe and North America. The plenary session was a roundtable debate led by John Hobson (Sheffield), Richard Day (Queens, Ontario), Gurminder Bhambra (Warwick) and Marysia Zalewski (Aberdeen). The aim of the conference was to foster intellectual solidarities across a range of critical approaches to IR, to draw out points of contact and divergence between nascent anarchist and more established critical methodologies and approaches.

The main themes that emerged from the conference included the nature of solidarity, the Eurocentricism of much contemporary radical thought, the desirability of an ‘alternative’ and/or ‘anarchist’ international political theory, and the problematic conceptual and practical relationship between the individual, the social and the global. This conference enabled new discussions to generate new perspectives on these questions. The organisers are currently looking for publishers for the proceedings.

Contemporary Anarchist StudiesIn 2010 members of the Anarchist Studies Network negotiated the first peer-reviewed English-language monograph series in anarchist studies by a major international academic publisher. Published by Continuum Books and edited by Laurence Davis (NUI, Maynooth), Uri Gordon (Arava Institute, Israel), Nathan Jun (Midwestern State University) and Alex Prichard (LSE), Contemporary Anarchist Studies will promote the study of anarchism as a framework for understanding and acting on the most pressing problems of our times.

The editors are delighted to announce the publication of the first volume in the series: Anarchism and Political Modernity, by Nathan Jun.

This will soon be followed by Daoism and Anarchism (John A. Rapp), Lifestyle Politics and Radical Activism (Laura Portwood-Stacer) and The Concealment of the State (Jason Lindsey). The series will be published in dual hardback and paperback editions and under the Creative Commons, Attribution-Non-Commercial-ShareAlike 2.0 (England and Wales) Licence. This makes the books affordable and makes it possible for social centres and community groups (only) to copy and share series titles.

The Anarchist Studies Network was successful in securing its third Association specialist activities award in 2011. As in 2009, members of the ASN co-convened a conference with other specialist groups. In 2009 the collaborators were the Marxism Specialist Group.

anarchists continue to build solidarities

being busy in ozKatharine Gelber, Immediate Past President, Australian Political Studies Association

14 | specialist groups

EPOP annual conference 2011 reportThe Elections, Public Opinion, and Parties Annual Conference was held at the University of Exeter on 9th-11th September 2011. This year’s conference included 120 participants from 54 universities and 6 non-academic institutions. It was truly an international event, with participants coming from 12 countries on 3 continents. While the prime focus was on British and European Politics, a variety of papers covered other and even wider territories. Cutting-edge research on genetics and politics was represented in one panel featuring conference guest Pete Hatemi.

Four StreamsTo accommodate increased interest in the conference, there were four instead

of the usual three panel streams. More than 100 papers were presented, a good number of which can be found on the conference website at www.exeter.ac.uk/epop2011/papers. The conference was held in Streatham Court, taking advantage of Exeter Business School’s well-appointed lecture theatres and foyer. Campus accommodation was hosted at Holland House. Those attending greatly appreciated the commanding view from its dining area and terrace, at least when the clouds had lifted.

Friday evening’s activities began with a wine reception, generously hosted by Parliamentary Affairs and Oxford University Press. The annual quiz was, as usual, a great success, with Phil

and Justin in excellent form, assisted by Exeter Research Fellow Caitlin Milazzo, who took the lion’s share of the conference’s organisational burden throughout.

EPUBThis was the first year EPOP was covered on Twitter. Several participants provided regular updates and commentary on papers conference events. The conference dinner was held at the Clarence Hotel, with pre-dinner drinks overlooking the Cathedral. After the dinner, those attending the conference spilled out into the Cathedral Square, where several pubs did good business until the early hours of the morning.

The Political Thought Specialist Group held its annual conference on the theme of ‘Democracy and Its Critics: Ancient and Modern’ at St. Hugh’s College, Oxford University on Saturday 22nd October 2011. The conference had an international flavour, as it was attended by scholars from many different countries, including Britain, the US, the Czech Republic, Poland, Portugal, Greece and Finland. Moreover, the conference attracted delegates at various stages of their academic career – postgraduate students, early career scholars and senior academics – as well as practitioners of politics.

Old and NewAll the papers were informative and sparked off a lively discussion afterwards. We discussed the different ways in which democracy was conceptualized in antiquity and in modernity, as well as the different forms democracy has taken in history. Moreover, we examined the challenges that democracy has encountered over the centuries, as

democracy has not only been praised as the best form of government but also criticized on several grounds both in ancient times and in modernity. Loizou, Landauer and Danes examined the theory and practice of democracy in ancient Greece as well as some criticisms of Athenian democracy, while Macleod-Cullinane, Blaug, Ferreira, Malkopoulou and da Costa focused on forms of modern democracy and its problems.

The theme of democracy could not be more topical today, as the recent Arab uprising has shown. The revolts that since 18th December 2010 have taken place in Tunesia, Egypt and other North African and Middle Eastern countries, as well as the civil war in Libya and the uprisings in Bahrain, Syria and Yemen were triggered by numerous factors, such as a repressive dictatorship, political corruption, human rights violations, economic decline, poverty and unemployment. These revolts demonstrate that the values of democracy are not only part of Western political culture, but appeal to peoples worldwide.

Demanding Democracy Aside from the ‘Arab awakening’, demands for democracy have recently come from peoples all over the world. When thousands of Americans occupied the Wall Street in early October, they were part of a new movement that had spread from Madrid and Athens to dozens cities in Europe and other parts of the world. As ordinary citizens pay the bill for a financial crisis caused by political and economic élites, as well as multinational corporations, the protesters – whether they be the Americans who assembled in Wall Street, the Spanish indignados or the Greek aganaktismenoi – were calling for real democracy. On 15th October 2011 the so-called “occupy movement” went global. So a conference on the theme of democracy could not have been more topical. On the basis of the feedback we have received, the conference was a success. I am thankful to Dr. Zenon Stavrinides of Leeds University who assisted me in organizing this event. Our aim is to organize more conferences in the future.

political thought holds annual conferenceDr. Evangelia Sembou, Group Convenor

specialist groups | 15

dissident republicanism

Despite the much lauded success of Northern Ireland’s peace process, in some quarters opposition to the new dispensation is intense and violent. Following on from panels held at the Association’s Annual Conference in 2009 and The Political Studies Association of Ireland’s Annual Conference in 2010, the colloquium sought to explore further the questions posed by dissident republicanism. The event brought together academics working on a diverse range of issues at both an empirical and theoretical level. The speakers addressed issues including: whether there is any sympathy for dissidents in Northern Ireland (Jon Tonge, University of Liverpool) the response of British security policy (Aaron Edwards, RMAS); the Irish government’s

policy in a time of economic crisis (Michael Mulqueen, Liverpool Hope); what does ‘dissidence’ mean in Northern Ireland and does it have a future? (Kevin Bean, Institute of Irish Studies, University of Liverpool) dissidents’ use of the media (Paddy Hoey, Liverpool Hope); the reaction of loyalism in Northern Ireland (Jim McAuley, University of Huddersfield); and examining the memoirs of dissidents in relation to the quest to control the narrative of struggle (Stephen Hopkins, University of Leicester). The lively discussion ranged across these issues and into wider debates regarding the current state of Northern Ireland’s peace process and possible future research agendas on Northern Ireland’s politics; past and future.

The Irish Politics Specialist Group held a colloquium on dissident republicanism in Northern Ireland on 7th September at Liverpool Hope University. The event was organised by Aaron Edwards of the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst and Paddy Hoey of the Department of History, Politics, Media and Communication, Liverpool Hope University. Some participants of the Irish Politics Group

Eamonn O’Kane and Alan Greer, Co-convenors Irish Politics Group

The University of Huddersfield staged a stimulating conference entitled “Labour Orators from Aneurin Bevan to Gordon Brown” on 9th November. Organised by politics lecturers Andrew Crines and Richard Hayton, the conference brought together experts on Labour politics to analyse the role of rhetoric and oratory in the political lives of a selection of leading post-war Labour figures.

Academic contributors included Mark Garnett (Lancaster), Keith Laybourn (Huddersfield), Tim Heppell (Leeds), Judi Atkins (Leeds) and David Moon (Liverpool), amongst others. The well attended event attracted an audience including Labour party members, postgraduate researchers, and academics from institutions as far afield as the Pacific Lutheran University in Washington.

Rhetoric DeployedThe engaging and enlightening papers evaluated how a selection of orators sought to apply their skills in arenas such as the House of Commons, party conferences and the media. This analysis helped shed light on how each orator attempted to advance their ideological position, and how oratorical skill and impact does not necessarily equate with political success. Indeed, some of the papers demonstrated that rhetoric deployed with one audience or objective in mind might actually undermine other political goals.

power of words in huddersfield

16 | departmental news

Tim Heppell, Leeds; David Stewart, UCLAN; Judi Atkins, Leeds; David Moon, Liverpool; Mick Hill, UCLAN; Professor Keith Laybourn, Huddersfield (bottom centre); Robin Pettitt, Kingston (top centre); Richard Hayton, Huddersfield; Mark Bennister, Canterbury; Andrew S Crines,Huddersfield; Mark Garnett, Lancaster.

Following the success of this event, the organisers are hoping to develop the proceedings of the conference into an edited book. They are also considering possibilities for a follow-up event on oratory in Conservative politics.

Richard Hayton and Andrew S Crines.

for king’s, history mattersA Historical Comparisons Seminar, convened by Professors Matt Uttley, Defence Studies Department, Gary Sheffield University of Birmingham and Commander-in-Chief General of the British Army, Sir Nick Parker, was held on 9th September at the Joint Services Command and Staff College, Shrivenham to debate ‘Glints from a Distant Mirror: Learning from the Past to Inform the Future of the Army’.

As part of the Imperial, Diplomatic and Military History Research Group series of seminars, Dr Nick Lloyd discussed and signed copies of his new book ‘The Amritsar Massacre: The Untold Story of One Fateful Day’.

On 17th October Professor Ashley Jackson gave a Lunchtime Seminar entitled ‘Malta and the Royal Navy through the History of Fort St. Angelo’.

On 9th November Allan Mallinson (former Brigadier, journalist and novelist) gave a Lunchtime Seminar entitled ‘The Consolations of Military History – Fictional and Real’.

Contributions to the media Dr Harsh Pant discussed ‘India’s response to a Rising China’ in the ‘National Bureau of Asian Research’ preview of Strategic Asia and commented on the article ‘Delhi blast another blow for clueless Indian Government’ for Reuters (on-line), 8 September.

In The Economist on 20th October he argued that for India, Vietnam offers a point through which to ‘penetrate China’s periphery’ in the article ‘Banyan: Not as close as lips and teeth’.

re-launching and retiring at aberystwyth

departmental news | 17

Jean Monnet Chair Retirement of Professor Howard Williams

Visiting Speakers

Dr Elena Korosteleva, Director of the Centre for European Studies, has been awarded a prestigious Jean Monnet Chair for teaching European integration studies. This represents a significant milestone for the development of the recently re-launched Centre for European Studies based within the Department of International Politics at Aberystwyth University.

Following his retirement at the end of September, staff and students in the Department of International Politics at Aberystwyth University would like to send a warm expression of thanks and appreciation to Professor Howard Williams for his highly valued contribution to teaching and research excellence in the area of Political Theory. An esteemed colleague, Howard was appointed Lecturer in the Department in 1979 and received a personal chair in 1992. We wish him all the best for his retirement and continuation of his research activities.

The Department of International Politics at Aberystwyth University continues to attract a wide range of international scholars and policy makers to give talks. Recent guests include Robert Keohane, Professor of International Affairs, Woodrow Wilson School, Princeton who delivered the 2011 EH Carr Memorial Lecture entitled ‘Twenty Years of Institutional Liberalism’. Erica Chenoweth also addressed the Centre for the Study of Radicalisation and Contemporary Political Violence and the Security Research Group with a lecture entitled ‘Why Civil Resistance Works’.

18 | departmental news

gendered ceremony and ritual in parliament

Why does the study of ceremony and ritual in parliament matters? Gendered Ceremony and Ritual in Parliament, a four year programme funded by the Leverhulme Trust (2007-2011), addressed this question. Rt. Hon. Harriet Harman, MP, gave the opening keynote address. Dr. Frene Ginwala, the first Speaker of the post-apartheid South African parliament gave the second keynote address at the conference. Lord Giddens hosted the reception at the House of Lords.

The premise of the programme was that in order to understand representative institutions we need to understand not only their institutional form, but also the way a particular form takes shape – through modes of behaviour, negotiating the political and physical space and creating an institution specific culture which socializes members in their participation. Through the performance of ceremony and ritual such institutions create and maintain powerful symbols of power. These are, however, also challenged through the mobilisation

of alternative modes of performance. The programme focused on three comparative themes – opening ceremonies of parliament, the Speaker of parliament and deliberation and disruptions in parliament and addressed these through examining the ceremonies and rituals attached to each of these as well as how these are subverted. Issues of membership, representation, performance, the symbolic, deliberation, authority, and legitimacy were central to concerns of the programme. This was a multi-method, interdisciplinary programme involving both qualitative and quantitative research that built on sociological, anthropological, historical and political literatures on ceremony and ritual, state and state institutions, representation and gender to understand how power is reproduced in parliamentary politics.

Four major insights emerged from the work of the programme: 1. That the state and its performance

through ceremony and ritual are co-constitutive. Ceremony and ritual have affect, which is important in the development of institutions – citizens respond to, contest, neglect or reject aspects of ceremonial and ritualistic forms of power that is performed and in doing so are in turn able to affect change, reform or at least review rules and norms that had hitherto been taken as given.

2. That gendered ceremony and ritual

are an integral part of the everyday performance of institutional politics and through analyzing these we can read the changes in political systems, processes and events. Ceremony and ritual are historical performative moments that through repetition and authorisation show us the continuity, change and ‘invention of tradition’, which is such an important part of representation of sovereign states, of legitimacy of these states as well as reputations of state institutions.

3. That both descriptive and substantive representation become visible in and through ceremony and ritual – bodies in and out of place, debates and disruptions, regulation and its subversion in parliament all work together to create a representational affect. Legitimacy of representation is built in part on the acceptance of these performative moments.

4. That space, architecture and the symbolic need to be studied more than studies of parliaments generally do – the theatre of representation is performed in particular historical venues to which affective meaning can be and is attached, through the shaping and re-shaping of which state norms become sedimented, but also contested and challenged.

To know more about the work of the programme, please visit the website: www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/pais/research/gcrp

Rt. Hon. Harriet Harman, MP Dr. Frene Ginwala speaking in the Cholmondley Room, House of Lords

departmental news | 19

In response to global developments in conflict and conflict intervention, Durham University has launched the Durham Global Security Institute for Defence, Development and Diplomacy (DGSi).

The Institute has been created to provide an inter-disciplinary framework within which to critically examine the interplay between defence, development and diplomacy in the contexts of conflict prevention, humanitarian intervention and post-conflict stabilisation and peacebuilding. Uniquely, DGSI situates itself at the intersection between defence and security studies, development studies and international relations and peace studies. It seeks to incorporate both traditional problem-solving and critical and subaltern perspectives, and to bridge academic and practitioner perspectives from across the state, non-state and international sectors.

Built around the expertise of 27 members of staff from across seven Departments, and housed in the School of Government and International Affairs, the Institute offers an inter-disciplinary Masters programme, a range of Continuing Professional Development courses, and research opportunities for doctoral, post-doctoral and visiting researchers.

Two new MSc programmesThe Institute offers two new MSc programmes – an MSc in Defence, Development and Diplomacy and an MSc in Conflict Prevention, Sustainable Peace and Security. The programmes are designed for graduates seeking a career in government, the armed forces, inter-governmental organisations, NGOs, as well as seasoned practitioners seeking career advancement and students looking for an academic career in conflict, (critical) security, development or peace studies.

Continuing Professional Development coursesAs part of its Masters provision, the Institute offers a range of Continuing Professional Development courses which are targeted specifically at mid-career practitioners seeking training in a specialist topic or set of skills.

For more information, contact the Director, Dr Jeroen Gunning at jeroen.gunning@durham.ac.uk or visit www.durham.ac.uk/dgsi

durham university establishes new durham global security institute

Chryssa Panoussiadou/Panos Pictures

Could culture contribute to the United Nation’s central objective of maintaining international peace and security?

Could deeper cultural understanding helpprevent or mitigate mass atrocities, andinform the international community onhow to intervene more appropriately andeffectively to save lives? Could an interdisciplinary consideration of implicit factors of religion, ethics, aesthetics and culture enable scholars of international relations and political science to enhance their analysis and more effectively diagnose causes of and remedies for mass atrocities? These were the questions addressed and answered by the recently completed project at the Centre for International Studies, Department of Politics and International Relations, University of Oxford entitled ‘Ending Mass Atrocities: Echoes inSouthern Cultures’ directed by Senior Research Associate Dr Rama Mani.

The project, a collaboration between the CIS and the Ralphe Bunche Institute of the Graduate Center of the City University of New York, culminated with the release of the co-edited book by Rama Mani and Thomas G. Weiss entitled Responsibility to Protect: Cultural Perspectives from the Global South by Routledge in September 2011. The project was funded by the Carnegie Corporation and the Arsenault Family Foundation, and ran from February 2009 to September 2011. Following the failures and criticisms of international interventions particularly in Rwanda and Kosovo, the member states of the United Nations adopted the concept of the Responsibility to Protect in 2005, ostensibly to ‘never again’ allow genocide to transpire unchecked.

The project undertook an unusual interdisciplinary analysis of R2P to demonstrate how a deeper understanding of its cultural roots might strengthen the R2P norm and inform its implementation. The project’s findings fall in two parts. The first part of the findings is thematic,and draws on southern scholars from Africa,

Latin America, and Asia, to provide cultural analyses of the norm of R2P from the disciplines of religion, philosophy and aesthetics. The second part of the findings is based on case studies and draws on local scholars from Rwanda, Kosovo and Nepal to analyse the atrocities and international interventions in their own countries from an embedded cultural perspective. The findings are eye-opening, and challenge some of the conventional assumptions in IR and politics. The rich outcome of the project demonstrates why local scholars who have personally experienced atrocities, and sometimes participated actively in peace efforts, can provide the kind of embedded analysis and local perspectives that elude external observers and international scholars, and it encourages stronger collaboration between Northern IR scholars and southern counterparts.

Finally, the project sought to underscore the‘wisdom and ethics of philosophy, the valuesof spiritual consciousness and the ceaselesscreativity of art to prevent future outrages tothe collective conscience.’

the responsibility to protect

new degree for SOASThe Department of Politics and International Studies at SOAS has launched a new MSc in Politics of China.The unique programme features year-long courses on both the Domestic and International Politics of China, as well as Cross-Strait Relations/Taiwan. In other news, the SOAS-Birkbeck Politics research cluster has also been awarded an additional ESRC studentship by the Bloomsbury ESRC Doctoral Training Centre. For information on applying see: http://www.soas.ac.uk/registry/scholarships/economic-and-social-research-council-esrc-studentships.html

PublicationsLawrence Saez has published two books this year. He is the author of The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC): An Emerging Collaboration Architecture (Routledge 2011) and the co-editor (with Gurharpal Singh) of New Dimensions of Politics in India: The United Progressive Alliance in Power (Routledge 2011). In addition, Dafydd Fell’s new book Government and Politics in Taiwan (London: Routledge) came out in November.

WorkshopsLeslie Vinjamuri, Matt Nelson and Rochana Bajpai organised a one-day international workshop on religion and politics in October, featuring a diverse range of speakers including Jack Snyder from Columbia

University and Tariq Ramadan of Oxford University. Also in October, Charles Tripp helped to organise a one-day conference on ‘The Shi`a in the 20th and 21st Centuries’, under the auspices of the Centre for Academic Shi`a Studies and SOAS’s London Middle East Institute.

Knowledge TransferPhil Clark’s expert report on conflict patterns in the Democratic Republic of Congo is a central piece of evidence in the case of Callixte Mbarushimana currently before the International Criminal Court. In September, his report was debated at length during the pre-trial hearings in The Hague: http://iwpr.net/report-news/defence-challenge-case-against-mbarushimana.

20 | departmental news

relevance reward at goldsmiths

Dr. Georg Menz of the Department of Politics at Goldsmiths has received support from the European Commission’s Jean Monnet Programme for 2011-14.

This funding will be used to enhance the teaching offerings in the Department and offer two new modules. Firstly, there will be a revamped and enhanced flagship EU module targeted at third year undergraduates, entitled “The Political Economy of the European Union”. Secondly, a new module open to both third year undergraduates

and MA students entitled “The EU and Immigration Policy: Contours of a New Policy Domain” will be rolled out. In its award letter, the European Commission applauded the high relevance of the subject matter, particularly so given the relatively strong presence of ethnic minorities amongst the Goldsmiths student body.

the elected mayors agendaWyn Grant, University of Warwick

Elected mayors are back on the political agenda again and eleven core cities will be voting next May to decide whether they want one (Leicester already has one). That may increase the number of elected mayors currently ranging from the rather special case of London to smaller towns such as Mansfield and Watford.

The Warwick Commission on Elected Mayors which I am chairing has no prior commitment to support or oppose elected mayors. That is for voters to decide in a

referendum, but we hope that we can inform them and local political leaders about the pros and cons. If some cities choose to have mayors, is there anything that can be done to make them more effective? What is the role of elected mayors in providing leadership to their cities and can they do this better than council leaders? Do elected mayors make a real difference to their cities and how do we know that they do? These are some of the questions we shall pose.

Our early work suggests several challenges that need to be met if the concept is to succeed. First, it is arguable that the powers of the elected mayors will be too limited and that the whole scheme is too timid and insufficiently radical.

How much is all this dependent on getting the right person in the job? One of the

attractions of having an elected mayor is that it can bring in new faces from outside the traditional political class. Even so, to be a good elected mayor, you need people skills, but you also need the leadership and management skills to run a complex organisation. That combination is not easy to find. It may not be a one size fits all idea. However, that does not mean that one cannot extract some useful general principles. We want our investigation to be evidence based, and lead to a report that has something new to say.

People understandably complain about the deficiencies of existing democratic practices and efforts to promote accountability and transparency often encounter pervasive cynicism. That doesn’t mean that one shouldn’t try.

departmental news | 21

birthday celebrations for jack hayward at hull

The Department of Politics and International Studies organised a surprise 80th birthday celebration for Professor Jack Hayward (University of Hull) immediately after the international workshop which Jack co-organised on the

“European Disunion” at the Holiday Inn Hull Marina Hotel.

The celebration was attended by a large number of friends, colleagues and former colleagues as well as former students, some of whom travelled long distances to be at the event. Speeches by Prof William Paterson (Aston University), Lord Smith (formerly University of Hull) and Dr Rudi Wurzel (University of Hull) emphasised Jack’s highly distinguished academic achievements, his extraordinary collegiality and his untiring willingness

to support students. The remarkable contribution that Jack Hayward has made to the development of the profession was further highlighted in a written message from the Political Studies Association Chair, Prof Charlie Jeffery (University of Edinburgh), which stressed his role in helping to transform the Association in which he remains active.

Happy Returns JackEveryone wished Jack, who has shown not the slightest sign of slowing down, a very happy birthday and many happy returns.

student short video competitionHelena Djurkovic, CEO, Political Studies Association

Cynicism and widespread indifference to politics are commonly believed to pervade youth culture. Admittedly a sizeable number of young people are ready to go on to the streets to protest against the increase in university tuition fees but, argue the middle-aged critics, they are motivated by a sense of self-interest; there is little genuine engagement in broader political debate.

The Political Studies Association’s Student Short Video Competition was launched this summer to prove that many young people feel passionately about politics and are eager for their voices to be heard. The PSA invited students studying for A’ levels and Highers in Government and Politics to make short videos that addressed the issue of “Why Politics Matters”. The results affirmed our faith in the level of political debate and engagement in our schools and the positive prospects that exist for political studies in British universities as new generations enter the discipline.

On the 19th October fourteen bright, young students from four short-listed teams gathered with their politics teachers at the State Apartments in Speaker’s House at the Palace of Westminster to discuss their work with a jury comprising John Bercow, the Speaker; Shami Chakrabarti, Director of Liberty; Martin Rosenbaum, producer of numerous Radio 4 political programmes; and representatives from the Political Studies Association – Professor Matt Flinders, Professor Jim Newell and Helena Djurkovic, CEO.

The teams were from schools almost perfectly distributed across the four corners of England: Cheadle Hulme School in Cheshire, Colyton Grammar in Devon, Ilford Ursuline High School in Essex and The King’s School Ely in Cambridgeshire. Each approached the challenge in a very different way – animation, interviews, humour and reportage all figured in their work – which made the decision of the jury extremely difficult. In the event the jurors took into account the quality of the concepts presented in the films, the ease with which the teams could elaborate and expand on those ideas in discussion and the degree to which the individuals coalesced into teams that were stronger by virtue of working together.

Jenna Campbell, Ricky Freelove, Megan Randles and Charlie Troup from Cheadle Hulme School were declared the winners on the day and received their trophy at the 2011 Association Awards Dinner on 29th November in London. Their prize also includes an overnight stay in a central London hotel on the night of the Awards.

Given the quality of the competition, the jury decided that there should be an award for the runners-up and hence Nilima Islam, Sadaf Mahmood and Ushma Vyas from Ilford Ursuline High School also joined the team from Cheadle Hulme at the Awards Dinner on 29th November.

Our thanks go to the Speaker, John Bercow, for hosting the jury meeting in his beautiful apartments and showing such support for the competition in its inaugural year. He was most generous in inviting the winners and runners-up as his guest to PMQs on 30th November.

The students were thrilled by the experience of visiting Speaker’s House and getting to discuss their work with the jurors, who in turn left the event feeling energised by the young people’s energy and enthusiasm.

22 | departmental news

Winning team from Cheadle Hulme School. Ricky Freelove, Jenna Campbell, Megan Randles and Charlie Troup at the recent Association Awards Ceremony

Charlie Jeffery, Chair,Political Studies Association with runners-up Sadaf Mahmood, Nilima Islam, Ushma Vyas and Angela Smith at the recent Association Awards Ceremony

engagement | 23

commons foreign affairs committee looks for witnesses

The House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee is currently looking to expand its pool of potential witnesses, among academics and other groups. By engaging, you could boost your impact score for the Research Excellence Framework, and get you and your institution involved in influencing policy if you’re not already.

Like other Select Committees, the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee relies on evidence from knowledgeable witnesses to form its views and make recommendations to Government. Compared to many other Select Committees, however, the Foreign Affairs Committee may be especially reliant on academics as witnesses.

Remit to ShadowUnder the Standing Orders of the House of Commons, the Committee’s remit is to scrutinise the “expenditure, administration and policy” of the department it shadows, namely the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). Select Committees that shadow other Departments are able to turn to teaching unions, say, or professional bodies, or transport user groups, or industry groups to hear first-hand about Government policy, in terms of both its delivery and its impact. MPs hear direct from their constituents about the state of their local hospital or school or roads.

In the case of the FCO, however, policy delivery is overwhelmingly in the hands of the department itself; and the primary ‘recipients’ of policy are the governments and diplomats of other countries and the officials of international organisations, who may not be able to give evidence publicly to the Committee about what the FCO is doing, in interactions that are by definition conducted in private. Apart from UK citizens

abroad who call on the FCO’s consular services, the members of the public who are most directly affected by FCO action are by definition not in the UK and thus difficult for the Committee to access (although diaspora groups in the UK can be a useful source of information, if treated with a degree of caution).

UK PrioritiesIn this context, academics can be a valuable source of information and ideas for the Committee, by making written submissions (up to 3,000 words) and/or by giving oral evidence to the Committee on a given day at Westminster. In scrutinising FCO policy, the Committee is interested in whether the FCO has identified or correctly prioritised the right objectives for the UK; whether it is pursuing them in an effective way; and whether it has the right skills and resources in the right places to do the job. What can academics bring to this process?

❖ A longer-term perspective. Members of the Committee change, as do FCO officials (and Committee staff); but if you have been tracking a particular country or region for years, you may know best how the UK is perceived there, or whether UK policy is repeating past mistakes or reinventing the wheel.

❖ Alternative sources of information. There is no shortage of publicly accessible information about what is going on in most parts of the world; but the information deluge may perversely make the Committee more reliant on the FCO’s own assessments. If you have been tracking - and ideally visiting - a country or region for years, and talk to people who may be outside the FCO’s normal sphere of contacts, you may be well-placed to judge whether the FCO has its information and its assumptions right. You might also gain impressions of the skills and resources that the FCO is bringing to bear that might differ from the FCO’s own story.

❖ Hard evidence about what works (and what doesn’t). If you have detailed knowledge, you may be able to go beyond media assumptions and prejudices to help the Committee understand the effects of

particular policies. References to particular past cases can be especially useful, as long as you explain why they remain valid guides to the present.

❖ Comparative perspectives. You might have detailed knowledge about how a country other than the UK is going about tackling a particular problem, and with what effects, that might help to inform the Committee’s thinking about the FCO.

Action not JargonPossibly the most useful contributions from witnesses are ideas for realistic, concrete, up-to-date recommendations for Government action that the Committee can consider and put to Ministers. What the Committee does not want from academics is academic jargon and news about whether your research supports one theoretical framework rather than another. What do you get out of it? You might have the satisfaction of seeing your contribution cited in a House of Commons evidence session or report, which would presumably count as ‘impact’ for the purposes of the new Research Excellence Framework. And you would have contributed to improving the quality of understanding and scrutiny in the elected legislature.

Brigid Fowler, Committee Specialist, House of Commons

Sign up soonIf you are interested in engaging with the Committee, the best place to start is its website, www.parliament.uk/facom, and the best thing to do is to sign up to receive its press notices by email.

These will let you know of the Committee’s inquiries, evidence sessions and calls for submissions. As of mid-November, the Committee is completing an inquiry into piracy off Somalia, nearing the end of inquiries into Turkey and the FCO’s annual performance and finances, and embarking on an inquiry into the ‘Arab Spring’.

It will be announcing at least one further inquiry before Christmas. The Committee will greatly value your contributions.

In May 2011, the Home Affairs Committee launched a new inquiry to examine the root causes of violent radicalisation in the UK.

The Committee was particularly interested in exploring a set of salient issues: individuals and groups who are particularly vulnerable to ‘radicalisation’; where processes of radicalisation take place; the operation and impact of the current process for proscribing terrorist groups; the effectiveness of current preventative approaches to violent radicalisation; and to make recommendations that inform forthcoming revisions to the Government’s ‘Prevent’ strategy.

Drivers of Recruitment In the public mindset, violent forms of extremism and radicalisation are often associated with al-Qaeda or ‘AQ’-inspired terrorism. Yet the Committee was also careful to express its interest in examining the drivers of recruitment to alternative manifestations of extremism, and in relation to the primary terrorist threats facing the UK. Aside from ‘Islamic fundamentalism’, these include Irish dissident republicanism and domestic extremism. Within the latter - and against the backdrop

of the electoral rise of the British National Party (BNP), the arrival of the Defence Leagues and the attacks that were committed in Norway by Anders Behring Breivik - there was a specific interest in the evidence base on right-wing extremism.

Sustained EngagementThe invitation followed a sustained period of engagement with the Cabinet Office, Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) and Conservative Party. Over the past year (and preceding the events in Norway), there has been an upsurge of interest among policymakers in the drivers of support for right-wing extremist groups. In fact, conversations with policy officers at the local level often reveal a stronger interest in the drivers of support for groups such as the English Defence League (EDL) than AQ-inspired manifestations.

This interest resulted in invitations to write Ministerial briefs on anti-Muslim sentiment and right-wing extremism, inform the work of the All-Party Parliamentary Groups on Anti-Semitism and Islamophobia, disseminate research to the Counter-Terrorism Intelligence Unit (CTIU) and liaise with groups such as the Holocaust Educational Trust. More broadly, at the School of Politics and International Relations at Nottingham we have been contributing directly to strands of work by the think tank Policy Network and local authorities in the East Midlands and North West. www.psa.ac.uk/spgrp/39/polthought.aspx

giving evidence to the home affairs committee on violent radicalisationMatthew Goodwin, University of Nottingham

24 | engagement

Matthew Goodwin, University of NottinghamRiot Police Fight Angry Mob

Logical ResponseThe simple reality is that since 11th September 2001, attempts to tackle extremism and counter processes of radicalisation have focused almost exclusively on AQ-inspired terrorism and Muslim communities. This marked a logical response to the new priorities of national security agencies, but it also left some communities feeling stigmatised and the Government’s Prevent strategy with ‘an inevitably less developed understanding’ of alternative forms of extremism. This noticeable weakness has since come into sharper focus, particularly given the confrontational activities of the EDL and the imprisonment of over a dozen individuals with links to the extreme right who either engaged in open violence or were planning acts of terrorism. You might have heard of Anders Breivik, but what about Robert Cottage, Neil Lewington or Terence Gavan?

Supported by funding from the ESRC and British Academy, we sought to address part of this gap by undertaking a series of studies of

extreme right-wing voters (alongside Robert Ford and David Cutts of the University of Manchester). At the same time, however, while research across Europe speaks loudly to some of the questions that were asked by the Committee – such as who votes for the extreme right and why – it speaks quietly or not at all to other areas that were of interest. For example, we still know little about the relationship between right-wing extremist support and levels of racially or religiously motivated violence (if one even exists), and our understanding of the role of social media and networks are weak when compared to research on alternative movements. While there is a burgeoning literature on support for radical or extreme right-wing parties, few studies have considered the potential policy implications and there is similarly very little work on the profile, motivations and pathways of individuals who have engaged in violence. As I pointed out to the Committee, while we now know a lot more about right-wing extremism, there are still many questions for social scientists to answer.

in praise of social democracy

Dr Kevin Hickson, Senior Lecturer in the Politics Department at the University of Liverpool has recently written an article with Roy Hattersley, the former Deputy Leader of the Labour Party for The Political Quarterly entitled, ‘In Praise of Social Democracy’.

It argues that the best - if not the only - way for the Labour Party to win the next General Election is to be overtly ideological and that orthodox social democracy is highly relevant in current political and economic circumstances.

The article is available online at: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1467-923X.2011.02259.x/pdf and will be published in the January edition of the journal with a number of responses by senior figures. The article has already attracted widespread interest. A packed room listened to the discussion held at the House of Lords on 26th October with contributions from the

two authors, John Denham MP, Helen Goodman MP and David Walker (Guardian).

A further discussion is planned to coincide with the publication of the article at the University of Liverpool in February with local parliamentarians. Details are available from Kevin Hickson on k.hickson@liv.ac.uk

More knowledge exchange/political education events are planned in venues around the country and the article has been the focus of discussion on the LSE politics blog and will lead to further publications and research collaborations.

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John Denham MP and Kevin Hickson, University of Liverpool

Matthew Goodwin, University of Nottingham

Roy Hattersley, Former Deputy Leader of the Labour Party and Helen Goodman MP

Jenni Murray, Jane Garvey and Jill Burridge, the winners of the ‘Engaging the Public’ award for ‘Woman’s Hour’, BBC Radio 4

Jon Snow (Channel 4 News), Master of Ceremony with Alex Danchev and Ion Trewin, winners of the ‘Innovation in Teaching Politics’ award and Terry Dignan, BBC

Tim Bale and Iain McLean, joint winners of the 2011 ‘W.J.M. Mackenzie Book Prize’ alongside Jon Snow andDominic Lawson, journalist

Jon Snow, Charlie Jeffery, Chair, Political Studies Association presenting Professor William Paterson with a ‘Special Recognition’ Award

Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett, recipients of the ‘Publication of the Year’ award for ‘The Spirit Level’

Steven Dorrell, who received an award for ‘Backbencher of the Year’ with Dame Ann Leslie, Daily Mail

Peter Hain, Former Secretary of State for Northern Ireland presenting the ‘Journalist of the Year Award’ to Daniel Finkelstein

Ron Johnston receiving the ‘Politics/Political Studies Communicator’ award

Jack Hayward receiving the ‘Sir Isaiah Berlin Prize for Lifetime Contribution to Political Studies’

Tom Watson, who received an award for ‘Backbencher of the Year’