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Key research themes
1. How have cultural identities and class influenced political and social divisions in modern Britain, particularly in the context of Brexit and devolution?
This research area investigates the role of cultural politics, regional identities, and social class in shaping contemporary British political outcomes and discourses. It is especially concerned with the dynamics underlying Brexit, the persistence of Englishness, and the tension between centralisation and calls for devolution. Understanding these socio-political cleavages is vital for unpacking Britain's fractured national identity and the competing narratives of 'local' versus 'global' Britain.
Key finding: Analyzing Anthony Cartwright’s The Cut (2017), the paper reveals how uneven economic development and cultural representations of 'the North' were ideologically mobilised in Brexit media discourse, reinforcing political... Read more
Key finding: This study connects social class identities and cultural stereotypes to political attitudes and social mobility during the neoliberal austerity era, contextualising how conservative politics have reinforced class distinctions... Read more
Key finding: Examining media representations around the 2012 Diamond Jubilee and London Olympics, the paper finds that British identity oscillates between nostalgia for a unified white 'past' and celebration of a multicultural present,... Read more
2. What are the contemporary challenges to the British political tradition (BPT), and how might these reflect fundamental shifts or resilience in British democracy?
This theme focuses on analyses of British political structures and traditions in light of recent political upheavals, including Scottish nationalism, rising anti-politics sentiments, and Brexit. It looks at whether these contemporary challenges indicate a crisis or transformation within the longstanding British political tradition, considering institutional power, citizen trust, representation, and elite adaptation strategies.
Key finding: The authors argue that while the British political tradition, characterized by elitist representation and centralised governance, faces unprecedented challenges such as Scottish devolution demands, anti-political populism,... Read more
3. How do race, religion, and legal pluralism intersect in shaping modern British society and identity?
This research area explores the multifaceted interactions between race, religion, legal systems, and identity formation in contemporary Britain. Key issues include the presence and evolution of Muslim communities, the role of Islamic law alongside British common law, multiculturalism's challenges, racialized visual culture, and Black feminist digital media scholarship. These dimensions critically inform social cohesion, cultural politics, and debates on citizenship and belonging in modern Britain.
Key finding: This paper documents the emergence of formally institutionalised Islamic legal adjudication in Britain parallel to common law, especially on personal matters, driven by South Asian Muslim diasporic communities. It situates... Read more
Key finding: Through comparative analysis, the paper reveals that Britain and the US share broadly similar religious attitudes despite stark differences in religiosity and institutional religion’s role. In Britain, secularization... Read more
Key finding: This collaborative dialogue foregrounds the emergence of Black feminist digital media scholarship in Britain, emphasizing the importance of community-building via social media platforms like Twitter, the aesthetics and... Read more
Key finding: This book preface argues for a shift in critical race scholarship on postcolonial Britain by exploring the concept of whiteness through visual culture and popular media in the 1980s. It interlinks British and American... Read more
4. How has British historical scholarship evolved to account for transnational, imperial, and global perspectives on Britain’s past and present?
This theme investigates shifts in historiography that situate Britain within broader global, imperial, and comparative frameworks, emphasizing the importance of transnational methods and archival practices. It reflects on how scholars address the complexities of Britain's imperial legacies, global interactions, and the decolonial imperatives reshaping understanding of British history and identity.
Key finding: This work delineates the emergence of 'Britain and the world' as a distinct historiographical field since circa 2008, highlighting its multidisciplinary and transnational methodologies. It argues that integrating imperial,... Read more
5. What role has cultural education, music appreciation, and middlebrow culture played in shaping British modernity and citizenship in the twentieth century?
This research strand examines how music appreciation initiatives and middlebrow cultural practices mediated Britain's experience of modernity, education, and citizenship throughout the twentieth century. It considers various media, institutional forms, and pedagogical programs that sought to cultivate national identity and democratic engagement through listening practices and cultural access.
Key finding: Through archival and interdisciplinary research, the work traces how twentieth-century British initiatives in music appreciation—from radio broadcasts to educational films and university extra-mural programs—fostered new... Read more