91福利

Madeleine Fagan publishes new article in International Political Sociology 鈥欌�� (open access)

This article argues that the Anthropocene produces a paradox when thinking about political mobilization. I show how the knowledge production practices that render the Anthropocene visible and actionable, including planetary boundaries, Earth System Science modeling of earth systems, and geological strata, also circulate a security rationality. This rationality is one that attempts to manage, co-opt, or productively direct processes of becoming, which limits possibilities for mobilization. A lens that assumes political mobilization is a function of increased knowledge, understanding, and evidence contributes to this problem. By starting instead with an understanding of possibilities for mobilization as emerging from social relations, the article highlights the way in which the security rationality circulated by Anthropocene knowledge production risks transforming those social relations into security relations. Netting the planet and the human together through the practices of calculation and representation that make the Anthropocene visible produces a decontextualized, disaggregated, and dispersed subject and so limits possibilities for collective political mobilization.

The Inclusive Education Working Group in PAIS is seeking to appoint 2 Student Research Assistants to support the work towards the department鈥檚 Inclusive Education Plan. These roles are based on the usual PAIS Student Research Assistant roles. As such, students in this role will work within the department for (up to) 6 hours per week for (up to) 20 weeks (although in practice we are flexible in terms of hours worked, as long as it does not exceed 120 hours in total). The hourly pay rate is 拢10.90 plus 拢1.32 holiday pay.

The role will involve assisting members of the Inclusive Education Working Group do scoping research on the inclusive education gaps within the department and possible actions to address them with the aim to produce a position paper co-authored by staff and students. As this work is likely to involve the handling of confidential information, applicants should have (or will be willing to develop) a good understanding of the Data Protection Act and General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). General Responsibilities will include assisting in research such as reviewing reports and documents, administrative tasks such as typing up notes or data entry, and contributing to the co-authored report.

Applications are particularly encouraged from groups that are presently under-represented in PAIS, including individuals who identify as Black, Asian and other under-represented ethnicities, women, those with disabilities, those who identify as LGBTQUA+, and those from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.

All appointments will be subject to a probationary period of 4 working weeks.

Person specification:

Essential Criteria:

• Current undergraduate finalist or postgraduate student in PAIS
• Ability to work independently and accurately to meet deadlines
• Ability to apply research techniques, methodology and logical critical analysis
• Experience of working with standard software packages for word processing, spreadsheets, presentation slides
• A demonstrable commitment to principles of equality and diversity
• High level of comprehension and the ability to extract relevant information
• Ability to communicate project progress effectively to project leader, ask for feedback, and implement instructions

Desirable Criteria:

• Experience of both qualitative and quantitative research
• Experience of preparing reports to a high standard
• Awareness of matters of inclusion in higher education

Apply by submitting your CV and a short cover letter (max 1 page) to: Karoline Schneider, Departmental Administrator (Teaching & Learning) k.schneider@warwick.ac.uk

Deadline for applications: 28th February 2023, 12 noon

The Revolution Unfulfilled: Brazil's Foreign Policy under Bolsonaro 
With Dawisson Bel茅m Lopes 
Professor of International and Comparative Politics at the Federal University of Minas Gerais 
Visiting Researcher at the Latin America Centre, Oxford University 

When: 15 - 16:30, Monday, 13 February 
Where: R1.04 (Ramphal Building) 
Co-sponsored by PAIS International Relations and Security Cluster (IRS) & Latin America at 91福利 Network (LAWN) 

Far-right populist leaders often take office promising a revolution in policies. They project themselves as counterpoints to other political competitors and defend radical positions regarding a set of issues. These contents may include nationalistic–chauvinistic measures, antienvironmental attitudes, conservative postures toward human rights, and religious leaning. According to our framework, though, leaders will only be able to pursue sharp foreign policy changes in pluralistic societies if, first, they win internal disputes at policymaking venues. Second, some policies will depend on external support or, at least, the non-imposition of unsurmountable obstacles. An acute foreign policy change may occur if such 鈥渂attles鈥� are won—home and abroad. Otherwise, a few incremental and superficial shifts are the maximum outcomes these leaders can get. A within-case study on Bolsonaro's Brazil provides useful evidence for our argument.

The National Student Survey (NSS) is now open at the link below. In partnership with our students, we have built the PAIS department together. Thank you! We鈥檇 love your feedback on the three or four years you have spent with us, in PAIS.

Why else complete the survey?

As a thank you (and following student feedback) the following PAIS specific prizes are available (eligible finalists will be entered into a prize draw).

• 20 x 拢20 and 1 x 拢100 Love2Shop vouchers released once we hit a 50% response rate
• 20 x 拢20 and 1 x 拢100 Love2Shop vouchers released once we hit a 75% response rate

We鈥檒l email you when we reach each threshold and, with their permission, let you know who the lucky winners are. The winners, if they wish, can ask for their prize fund to be donated to one of the University charity schemes instead. There is not a cash alternative available.

The PAIS scheme is in addition to the University prize draw. However, to clarify, PAIS finalists are eligible to win in both.

It will take just 10 minutes to complete. Your feedback matters and makes a huge difference to PAIS as shown on our You Said We Did page.

Date: Monday, 6th February

Time: 12:15-13:30

Place: R1.03, Ramphal Building

In the study of China鈥檚 foreign affairs, historians like to suggest that the past is always present. A 鈥楥entury of Humiliation鈥� in the nineteenth century or fighting the Japanese in the 1930s and 1940s are often referenced. Yet another historic development, namely China鈥檚 development of nuclear weapons in the 1950s and 1960s, is often absent from this assessment. In contrast to many other nuclear weapons states, China has largely been quiet about its nuclear past. Only in the last years of former leader Hu Jintao (2003-2012) and now the current leader, Xi Jinping (2013-) has China started to commemorate its nuclear weapons development more seriously. This paper sets out to understand both the nature and timing of this commemoration within China but also the wider implications of nuclear commemoration for regional and international security. Ultimately, under Xi Jinping, China鈥檚 nuclear past is finally becoming present.

Dr Nicola Leveringhaus is Senior Lecturer in East Asian Security and International Relations at the Department of War Studies, King鈥檚 College London. Dr Leveringhaus specialises in nuclear weapons issues in Northeast Asia, especially related to China. She has lectured at Sheffield University (2015-16) and was a British Academy Postdoctoral Research Fellow (2012-15) at the University of Oxford. She has been a Senior Visiting Scholar at Tsinghua University; and a Pre-Doctoral Fellow at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies. She holds an MPhil in Modern Chinese Studies and DPhil in International Relations from St. Antony's College, Oxford. Her second book China and Global Nuclear Order, from Estrangement to Active Engagement was nominated for the 2017 ECPR Hedley Bull Prize.