By Professor Paul Jackson and Professor Scott Lucas, School of Government Dr Amaury Triaud, School of Physics and Astronomy Dr Luisa Orsini, School of Biosciences Last November, at the University of Birmingham we held a Star Wars themed event as part of the ESRC Festival of Social Science. Our academics brought to light areas of … Continue reading “Birmingham Strikes Back”
Tag: Star Wars
A lack of cybersecurity brought down the Empire
By Conor Deane-McKenna, Doctoral Researcher in Cyberwarfare Department of Political Science and International Studies, University of Birmingham Star Wars presents its viewers with glimpses into a past where technology is years ahead of our own. Yet, policies put in place by the Empire, seemed to undermine many of the functions of this technology. From HoloNet restrictions to … Continue reading “A lack of cybersecurity brought down the Empire”
Star Wars Day: Virtues in a Galaxy, far far away…
By Jason Metcalfe, Research Associate Jubilee Centre for Character and Virtues, University of Birmingham Star Wars resonated with a worldwide audience, and there is no doubt this was due to the array of moral and spiritual elements present throughout the films. For those out of the loop, May 4th is Star Wars Day, selected as … Continue reading “Star Wars Day: Virtues in a Galaxy, far far away…”
Star Wars, democracy and elites
By Paul Jackson, Professor of African Politics Department of International Development, University of Birmingham The Star Wars franchise is one of the most successful sets of films in the history of cinema. It deals with a range of complex issues including a hero’s journey, good versus evil, tolerance versus oppression, however one of the most … Continue reading “Star Wars, democracy and elites”
Luke, Obi-Wan, US Foreign Policy: Thoughts on Star Wars Day
By Scott Lucas, Professor of American Studies Department of Political Science and International Studies, University of Birmingham It was the magical moment- well, if you consider nuclear weapons magical – when Hollywood and US foreign policy embraced. Ronald Reagan, former President of the United States and star of films such as Bedtime for Bonzo, told … Continue reading “Luke, Obi-Wan, US Foreign Policy: Thoughts on Star Wars Day”