The Political Sociology Research Group acts as a fulcrum for those members of POLSIS who wish to interrogate the intersections of state and society and the power relations involved. The group meets regularly throughout the year and, in addition to our other activities, offers a forum for members to present their work in an informal and constructive atmosphere.
The Political Sociology Research Group has a long track record of producing high-quality postgraduate research. This is something we wish to maintain and, as such, we are especially keen to continue and increase our recruitment of postgraduate students by supporting new research initiatives in the broad area of Political Sociology. Prospective PhD students interested in any aspect of Political Sociology are encouraged to contact Elizabeth Bradley, Graduate Secretary in the Department of Political Science in the first instance (e.bradley@bham.ac.uk).
The group has close ties with Sociology at Birmingham.
Recent Activities & Forthcoming Events
In conjunction with Professor Mike Dennis (Wolverhampton University), Dr Jonathan Grix is convening a conference entitled “Comparative Elite Sport Systems: Lesson Drawing and Policy Learning”. This conference will take place at the University of Birmingham in February 2010 and is co-sponsored by the POLSIS Political Sociology Research Group, the Department of Sport and Exercise Science, the School of Sport at Wolverhampton University and the British Academy. For more information, please contact Jonathan Grix (j.grix@bham.ac.uk).
The Political Sociology Research Group currently runs three reading groups. These groups take as their focus: Marx’s Capital; power (organised in conjunction with the Political Sociology Research Cluster in the Department of Sociology); and critical political and social thinkers. If you are interested in joining any of these groups, please contact Stephen Bates (s.r.bates@bham.ac.uk).
In conjunction with the Political Sociology Research Cluster in the Department of Sociology, a Symposium on Political Parties and Ideology was held in May 2008. Presenters included Colin Copus (Institute of Local Government Studies), Steve Buckler (POLSIS) and Will Leggett (Department of Sociology).
Members
David Bailey
Lecturer in Political Science and has research interests in European Union politics; comparative European politics; and critical approaches to the state, representative democracy, and capitalism.
Stephen Bates
Lecturer in Political Science and is Director of the Political Sociology Research Group. His research interests are in political change; public engagement; the political and social aspects of biotechnology; and philosophy of the social sciences.
Jonathan Grix
Senior Lecturer in Political Science and has research interests in the broad areas of British Politics and governance and the politics of sport more specifically. He is currently undertaking research on the East German sports system and on the UK Government’s sport policy.
Peter Kerr
Lecturer in Political Science and has research interests in state theory; theories of social and political change; and party politics, political leadership and processes of party modernisation in the UK.
Nicki Smith
Senior Lecturer in Political Science and has research interests in globalisation; prostitution and pornography; queer theory; masculinity; and the body.
Doctoral research students:
Sadiya Akram
Christopher Byrne
Transformation of the British labour party
Jane Foody
The politics of ageing in England: exploring local differences
Mark Goodwin
Education governance and policy failure under New Labour
Stephen Hetherington
The rationales of cultural policy in the UK
Martin Monahan
The post-major conservative party: a historical Institutionalist analysis.
Holly Taylor
Domestic Violence in the Criminal Justice System - Mind the Justice Gap
For further information about the research group contact:
Stephen Bates: Tel: +44 (0)121 414 6264 Email: s.r.bates@bham.ac.uk