Research group: Politics Research Group (PRG)
Exploring how politics, past and present, influences every aspect of our lives and shapes our outlook on the world.
About us
About our research
We explore how politics shapes world events and the lives, interests, pasts and futures of people all over the world.
From the European Union and United States foreign policy in the Middle East to the role of social media in democracy, we look through a wide lens.
We work across different themes, but we all share an interest in contemporary politics and the future of global social-political developments.
Our researchers lead their own research projects and also support wider studies and investigations.
Projects include:
- exploring fandom culture, online rhetoric and nationalism in authoritarian regimes
- supporting the Medical Research Council and National Institute for Health in investigating the Chinese government’s COVID-19 containment measures
- exploring political possibility in High Peak through a local folklore storytelling initiative
- launching a postgraduate summer school with Helsinki University
Our members also organise the Critical Theory in Hard Times network. It brings together researchers from different backgrounds to explore what it means to be critical in today’s world.
The research team hosts themed events to encourage debate on the role of critical thought in contemporary politics, society and culture.
We supervise interdisciplinary PhD students across politics, English, sociology, philosophy and history. And we run masters programmes, including MA International Relations and Global Communications and MSc Digital Society.
Research themes
Digital politics
We look at the influence of social media on democracy and authoritarianism. We also consider digital social and political policy and its influence on identity.
Democracy
We examine the possibilities of democratic participation in authoritarian and anti-democratic regimes. We’re interested in topic areas such as environmental policy and participatory governance, and places as diverse as Russia and the UK.
Critical political theory
We explore critical political and international relations theory, as well as race, gender and sexuality, and epistemic justice and decolonising education.
Selected projects
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Selected publications
- Bussu, S, Golan Y and Hargreaves, A (2022) Understanding developments in Participatory Governance. Manchester Metropolitan University.
- Giladi, P and McMillan, N (2022) Epistemic Injustice and the Philosophy of Recognition. Routledge
- Ashbee, E and Hurst, S (2021) The Trump administration and China: policy continuity or transformation? Policy Studies, pp 1-18
- Bua, A and Bussu, S (2021) Between governance‐driven democratisation and democracy‐driven governance: Explaining changes in participatory governance in the case of Barcelona European Journal of Political Research 60(3), pp 716-737
- Jackson, RP (2021) ‘Disfigurations’ of Democracy? Pareto, Mosca and the Challenge of ‘Elite Theory’ Topoi
- Khrushcheva, O and Poberezhskaya, M (2016) The Arctic in the political discourse of Russian leaders: the national pride and economic ambitions East European Politics, 32(4), pp 547-566
- Lavery, S and Schmid, D (2021) European Integration and the New Global Disorder Journal of Common Market Studies
- Akram, S, and Pflaeger YZ (2020) ECRs’ experiences of maternity and parental leave in Political Science/International Relations Departments: A Heads of Department and Early Career Researcher Survey Political Studies Review, May 2020
- Stockmann, D, Garten, F and Luo, T (2020) Who is a PRC user? Comparing Chinese social media user agreements First Monday, 25(8)
- Bruff, I and Starnes, K (2019) Framing the neoliberal canon: resisting the market myth via literary enquiry. Globalizations, 16(3)
- Kuntsman, E and Miyake, E (2019) The paradox and continuum of digital disengagement: denaturalising digital sociality and technological connectivity Media, Culture and Society, 41(6), pp 901-913
- Bindman, E, Kulmala, M and Bogdanova, E (2018) NGOs and the policy-making process in Russia: The case of child welfare reform Governance, 32(2), pp 207-222
- Wolstencroft, S (2018) The Progressive Alliance and the Rise of Labour, 1903-1922 Political Change in Industrial Britain. Springer
Organisations we work with
Medical Research Council
National Institutes of Health
GOVTran
University of Helsinki
Contact
Contact us
You can contact individual members of the team through their staff profiles.
For general enquiries, please contact our research group lead Dr Kathryn Starnes.