BBK Politics 50th Anniversary: 6 questions for Birkbeck Politics Staff (Part 2)
To celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Birkbeck Politics, we asked six questions to our BBK Politics staff, of varying degrees of seriousness. What have our staff been teaching, reading and thinking lately? Find out how three of our staff members answered below…
Dr Barry Maydom is the Programme Director, BA Politics and Programme Director, MRes degrees.
What subject did you teach most recently? Liberal Order and Disorder in Global Politics, in which we discuss the major challenges facing the world – climate change, war, environmental degradation, nuclear weapons – and whether the current international order is capable of tackling them.
What is your favourite topic to teach and why? Introduction to Quantitative Social Research. It’s really rewarding to see students begin the module with no background in statistics and finish it by producing an original research project on a topic of own choice. This year’s projects covered topics as diverse as the impact of relationships on wellbeing in the context of the pandemic, the nature of political competition in Poland and perceptions of the police amongst victims of gender-based violence.
Which Birkbeck alumni do you most admire (and why)? Ramsay MacDonald: Birkbeck’s own Prime Minister.
What book should every BBK politics student read? Cowley, Philip, ed. Sex, Lies and the Ballot Box: 50 Things You Need to Know About British Elections. Biteback Publishing, 2014.
Which BBK Politics module (which you don't teach) would you most like to take? Food, Politics and the City
How would you sum up BBK Politics in one word? One word is not enough!
Dr Laura Richards Gray teaches on PG Modern British Politics and PG Qualitative Social Research.
What subject did you teach most recently? Modern British Politics and Qualitative Social Research Methods.
What is your favourite topic to teach and why? That's hard as I love teaching both politics and methods, so I'll pick one topic from each... - For politics it would be political representation. We get to discuss big questions like: What does representation mean? What forms can it take? What does good or bad political representation look like? Do we feel represented by politicians and parties? Who else - beyond the traditional political arenas - do we feel represented by? - For Qualitative Methods it would be research philosophy. This is where students get to discuss how they think about the world and what they believe we can know about it. We explore how this is related to our choice of research methods as researchers, aiming to put traditional value judgements about methods aside in favour of research integrity.
Which Birkbeck alumni do you most admire (and why)? I have a lot of respect for Lisa Nandy MP. I think she is a great orator and has a natural ability to connect and communicate with the public. Lots of students taking my Modern British Politics module want to go on to have a career in politics after studying at Birkbeck and she is a great example of someone who has done just that. She has worked for an MP, worked in research and policy roles in the charity sector, served as a local councillor and was elected as an MP in 2010. She has also held some impressive shadow cabinet roles since then and, of course, stood for leader of the Labour Party in 2020.
What book should every BBK politics student read? Whatever interests them...remembering that sometimes the obscure ones are hidden gems. My most recent favourites are 'Stigma: The Machine of Inequality' (Imogen Tyler) and 'Feminist Democratic Representation' (Sarah Childs and Karen Celis). Political biographies are also really good, although they give a particular version of reality. The Developments in British Politics series is also a staple for Politics students.
Which BBK Politics module (which you don't teach) would you most like to take? Either of the core modules for the MSc Food, Politics and Society. I am doing some research looking at food insecurity among food sector workers at the moment and am really interested in the politics of food and how it relates to inequality and poverty.
How would you sum up BBK Politics in one word? Fun. (Because politics is fun!)
Professor Alex Colas is the Director of the MSc International Security and Global Governance and MSc Food, Politics and Society
What subject did you teach most recently? The Politics of the Global Food System
What is your favourite topic to teach and why? Food and the City - it's closest to home and we get to discuss the politics of public toilets and London's sewage system.
Which Birkbeck alumni do you most admire (and why)? John McDonnell, for being a reasoned advocate of radical causes.
What book should every BBK politics student read? Europe and the People Without History, by Eric Wolf
Which BBK Politics module (which you don't teach) would you most like to take? Governing by Numbers
How would you sum up BBK Politics in one word? Addictive