Research Profiles and Research Activities
Research Profiles
Milja Kurki (Principal Investigator)
Tel + 44 (0) 1970 628639
Fax: +44 (0) 1970 622709
Email: mlk@aber.ac.uk
Project work:
The Political Economies of Democratisation-project seeks to analyse whether potential exists for rethinking democracy promotion with a multiplicity of conceptions of democracy in mind. Within this project my main emphasis is on exploring the possibilities that exist for more pluralistic thinking on ‘politico-economic models of democracy' in democracy promotion. While many target states and publics call for recognition of varieties of democracy and economic system, there are many important hindrances that exist to opening up space for thinking about alternative politico-economic models of democracy in today's context - theoretical, structural, ideological, practical, political and normative. In the first, theoretical phase of the project I examine both the varieties of politico-economic models that can be conceived theoretically and the many difficult questions that considering alternatives to the currently dominant liberal model raises. In later phases of the project these theoretical insights are examined in relation to actual practices of democracy promotion with the aim of improving the content, modes and methods of democracy promotion. As part of the project work I am working on a number of articles and a book length manuscript.
Publications linked to the project
with Christopher Hobson, 'Democracy and Democracy Support: A New Era', A contribution to forum on 'Democracy Support - Where Now?', Available on openDemocracy: http://www.opendemocracy.net/article/idea/democracy-and-democracy-support-a-new-era
Christopher Hobson (Postdoctoral Fellow)
Tel: +44 (0) 1970 623111 ext 4151
Fax: +44 (0) 1970 622709
Email: cth@aber.ac.uk
Project work:
My current research focuses primarily on embedding democracy promotion practices within a longer historical perspective and connecting them more closely to political theory. Much of my work seeks to challenge a dominant liberal account that largely structures the way democracy promotion is practiced and understood. At present I am pursuing this research aim in two main ways. First, by considering the historical development of democracy and the contingent nature of the prevailing liberal democratic model, and second, through disaggregating the liberal tradition and identifying alternative variations of liberal democracy to the one now ascendant. I am also working on a book length manuscript that provides a conceptual historical account of the role democracy plays in shaping legitimate statehood and action in the international order.
Publications:
• with Milja Kurki, 'Democracy and Democracy Support: A New Era', A contribution to forum on 'Democracy Support - Where Now?', Available on openDemocracy: http://www.opendemocracy.net/article/idea/democracy-and-democracy-support-a-new-era
• ‘Beyond the End of History: The Need for a “Radical Historicisation” of Democracy in International Relations', Millennium , 37:3 (forthcoming 2009).
• ‘Revolution, Representation and the Foundations of Modern Democracy', European Journal of Political Theory , 7:4 (2008) : 465-87 .
• ‘Democracy as Civilisation', Global Society , 22:1 (2008): 75-95.
• ‘A Forward Strategy of Freedom in the Middle East : US Democracy Promotion and the “War on Terror”', Australian Journal of International Affairs , 59:1 (2005): 39-53.
Anja Carolin Gebel (Doctoral Candidate)
Tel: +44 (0) 1970 623111 ext 4991
Fax: +44 (0) 1970 622709
Email: acg08@aber.ac.uk
Project Work (Doctoral project)
Conceptions of Political Corruption – Implications for the International Anti-Corruption Regime
Corruption is often seen as a key obstacle to democratisation by international development actors. It follows that tackling corruption is conceived as a core aspect of democratisation and democracy promotion efforts. The PhD thesis looks at how the contemporary international anti-corruption regime, which is led by the World Bank, the UN, the OECD and bilateral Western donors, and closely linked to the good governance agenda, conceives political corruption and its necessary counter-measures. The aim is to analyze how its seemingly neutral and technical conception of corruption and the related expert discourses are linked to a specific conception of political rule and development. The discourses under concern evolve into specific institutional and organisational practices of development agencies which strongly influence the policy agendas of recipients.
In the light of failure of many anti-corruption programmes carried out in developing countries by bilateral donors or international development agencies, it is worth asking if other conceptions of corruption, that can be found for example in democratic theory or anthropology but have so far been overlooked by the dominant good governance literature, can possibly provide better vehicles for understanding the meaning and consequences of corruption in developing countries. The thesis will give recommendations about how these alternative conceptions could be taken into account by international development agencies in order to improve design, aims and success of international anti-corruption programmes.
Heikki Patomaki (Visiting Professor)
Research Activity (2008-9)
Millennium Conference on Interrogating Democracy in International Relations, 24-5th Oct, 2008. Paper presentations by Milja Kurki and Christopher Hobson.
‘Universe versus Pluriverse: Thinking Space and Democracy Globally', University of Westminster , London. 14 November 2008. Christopher Hobson participated.
Critical Cultural Politics Research Group meeting, 2nd Dec, 2008. Paper presentation by Milja Kurki.
EU Democracy Promotion in the Middle East Research Group, 9 th Jan, 2009. Milja Kurki participated and acted as a discussant on two papers.
International Studies Association Annual Conference, New York, 15-18 th Feb, 2009.
Paper presentations by Christoher Hobson and Milja Kurki.
Political Studies Association conference, Manchester, April, 2009. Paper presentation by Christopher Hobson.