As part of the Politics Research Seminar series Claudio Radaelli from the University of Exeter discusses The Constitutional Implications of 'Insignificant' Rules

Being Muslim Being British is a primary prevention initiative that raises participants’ levels of integrative complexity (IC) as a means of preventing violent extremism and promoting social cohesion. The approach is based on changing ‘us-vs.-them’ perceptions of social reality by improving the quality of people’s information processing – achieving high Integrative Complexity (Suedfeld 2003), particularly in the domain of values, and is reputedly one of the first prevention programmes with empirically measurable outcomes benchmarked against extremist violence. Assessment research based on seven pilot courses around the UK (each course comprising 82 hour modules) shows that IC rises significantly by the end of the course, in comparison with IC levels before the course, and that high IC significantly correlates with participants’ choosing of pro-social activism rather than violent mobilisation. New IC interventions are underway for right wing extremism and religious leaders of a range of faiths.

James Squelch, from NATO's Force Planning Directorate, addresses NATO's role in conflict prevention.

Further Details to follow

Dr Imogen Parsons, formerly of the UK's Stabilization Unit gives a Politics Research Seminar entitled: International Intervention in Afghanistan External Aspirations Local Perceptions

In this presentation, I shall explore the contrasts between the flexibility and openness of interethnic and diasporic identifications and the fixity of class distinctions in contemporary Britain. To do this, I draw on fieldwork conducted in the Midlands area and a suburban town in the South East of England. I trace the ways in which project participants mobilised their biographies and ancestries to express feelings of empathy and relatedness across black, white and Asian identities. But I found, the same people articulated a strong sense of classed distinction between themselves and others who were thought to lack respectability, social ambition and mobility. These observations have led me to reflect upon the theoretical contrasts between what Stuart Hall has famously called ‘new ethnicities’ and what I call ‘old classities’.   

In association with TEAM the Department of Politics will host a conference on the important and topical issue of terrorism. The aim of the conference is to provide students with an opportunity to examine a controversial issue in an academic setting and gain important insights into life at University.

Starting with a set of role plays and simulations students will be encouraged to examine and challenge their views on security, fear and terrorism.  A set of high level keynote presentations on the challenges of tackling terrorism, preventing social exclusion, and the tensions between security and civil liberties will provide the students with an opportunity to engage with competing views on a highly sensitive topic.

Dr Klára Breuer is Deputy Ambassador at the Hungarian Embassy in London. .

Almost ten years on from 9/11 our newly appointed Chair in International Politics, Professor Marie Breen-Smyth oversees an important panel representing range of views and opinions on this highly sensitive and topical issue. Set to give a challenging insight into the impact of terrorism and government responses, this is not to be missed. 

Racing to the Bottom? Competition and Coordination in Bank Regulation and the Financial Crisis of 2007-09

With events in the eurozone unfolding quickly, an expert panel on European Politics will convene for a roundtable discussion on the impact of the eurozone crisis. They will  unpick what it means for integration and opposition to the EU,  as well as examining the elite response and the case studies of Greece and Italy. 

All are welcome. Wednesday 16th November, 16:00 to 17:30, LTE. 

Results from the 'e-voting' can be viewed here. The audience were asked their opinions on the following questions:

• Will the Euro survive?
• Who is to blame for the current situation in Europe?
• Should Britain help more in financial stability instruments?

The School of Politics has convened a panel of experts to discuss and debate the implications of recent (or up-coming) elections in Russia, France, US, Greece, Taiwan and Hong Kong. 

Dr Agnes Lam is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Macau. She is a well-known journalist, political celebrity, and founder of Observatório Cívico (Civil Watch).

ALL ARE WELCOME!

The School of Politics aims to explain why politics matters through a series of events examining European Politics as part of Politics Month in November 2012. The events are designed to appeal to our students, staff, school students and the wider public.

Join us for a late afternoon film showing of Paris by Night. The film will be introduced by Professor Phil Powrie, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Human Sciences.