By Dr Sameera KhalfeyLecturer in International Relations, Department of Political Science and International Studies No – and I would like to say thankfully not. Life in plastic is not fantastic. Whilst the Barbie franchise has expanded its representation the doll remains a clear representation of societal expectations and norms. The new Barbie movie, directed by … Continue reading “Are you a Barbie girl, living in a Barbie world?”
Category: Politics
The EU’s Response to the Ukraine Crisis – Five Foreign Policy Takeaways and Challenges for 2023
By Dr Graham Timmins, Reader in International Politics Reader in International Politics, University of Birmingham The European Council met in Brussels yesterday for the biannual summit of EU leaders. The period since the last summit in June has witnessed Europe reeling from the shock of the new political reality following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. What then … Continue reading “The EU’s Response to the Ukraine Crisis – Five Foreign Policy Takeaways and Challenges for 2023”
The Capitol Takeover: This is “Who We Are”
By Dr Jeanne Morefield, Senior Lecturer of Political Theory, Department of Political Science and International Studies, University of Birmingham & Fellow, Quincy Institute of Responsible Statecraft, Washington D.C. ““This is not who we are” is the standard cant of America’s public culture whenever it is confronted with something Trump does that seems to shatter the … Continue reading “The Capitol Takeover: This is “Who We Are””
Migration – A Personal Story
By Steve Gulati, Senior Fellow, Health Services Management Centre, University of Birmingham As the world observes International Migrants Day (18th December 2020), I found myself thinking about my own story and experiences, both personal and professional. In this extended piece, I reflect on the experiences of me and my family, as first and second generation … Continue reading “Migration – A Personal Story”
Trump’s leadership style and his response to his election loss
By Christopher Featherstone, Doctoral Researcher, POLSIS, School of Government, University of Birmingham. “Low-complexity leaders generally perceive the world as very black-and-white, using binary terms (good/bad, friend/enemy), and they are more likely to make decisions based on intuition and emotion rather than using advice from experts.” Donald Trump has shocked and entertained the world with his … Continue reading “Trump’s leadership style and his response to his election loss”
How long will we comply with COVID lockdown? 3 tests for legitimate rules
By Dr Claire Mcloughlin & Professor David Hudson International Development Department, University of Birmingham “People are more likely to comply with rules that don’t benefit them if they have some basis in shared values and beliefs and fairness.” Across the world, citizens are facing extraordinary limits on their livelihoods and freedom of association. But as … Continue reading “How long will we comply with COVID lockdown? 3 tests for legitimate rules”
Leadership – Reflections on a Crisis
By Steve Gulati, Director of Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Programme School of Social Policy, University of Birmingham “There are decades when nothing happens. And there are weeks when decades happen” – Vladimir Lenin If ever the importance and significance of leadership needed underlining, COVID-19 provides definitive evidence. Economic and political measures that were so recently unthinkable … Continue reading “Leadership – Reflections on a Crisis”
How right-wingers hesitate, deviate, and repeat
By Dr Richard Shorten, Senior Lecturer in Political Theory School of Government, University of Birmingham The long-running BBC Radio 4 panel show ‘Just a Minute’ works on a simple premise, whereby guest panellists are invited to speak on a given subject for 60 seconds. During this time, fellow guests will listen out for pauses and … Continue reading “How right-wingers hesitate, deviate, and repeat”
The Future of ‘Citizenship Policy’ in the UK
Co-authored by Tendayi Bloom, Katherine Tonkiss, Agnes Czajka, Eleni Andreouli, Devyani Prabhat, Cynthia Orchard, Nira Yuval-Davis, Kelly Staples and Georgie Wemyss As the Windrush scandal has shown, when a person is unable to show evidence of their citizenship, the results can be devastating. In August 2019, the think tank British Future launched an independent inquiry … Continue reading “The Future of ‘Citizenship Policy’ in the UK”
How Could Tactical Voting Have an Impact on the General Election?
By Dr Sotirios Zartaloudis School of Government, University of Birmingham Following the decision to hold an election in the UK for the third time since 2015, a new term has gained prominence in British politics – the one of tactical voting. The main idea behind tactical voting is that voters should vote, not just according … Continue reading “How Could Tactical Voting Have an Impact on the General Election?”