Today's picture is of a colourful Amazonian grasshopper that decided to take a breather on our boat earlier this month.
Sunday, April 30, 2006
Thursday, April 27, 2006
Euro-monitoring in Greece
First seminar of the summer term brough Zivanna Mourmouri to the class to present her research on the Europeanisation of Greek public space. Instead of being on Monday the seminar has been shifted to Wednesday for this and next week. Consequently there was plenty of time lost as people wandered around, trying to find the right classroom, since we had relocated as well! Also, it was only one person this week, so a later start, at 11.
Zivanna aims to assess the extent to which Greece's media has become Europeanised through a content analysis of stories about the EU. A number of questions were raised, including what was meant by 'Europeanisation' (which was loosely defined but appeared to be a process of change by which European issues become discussed nationally - I think) and how a study of the media could identify changes in societal views and attitudes about Europe.
Added to this were methodological questions about the suitability of a one-country case study and an emphasis on periods where the EU was bound to be discussed (i.e. monetary union, etc). If Greece - which Zivanna claims has an instrumental view of the EU - was not going to be compared against a pro- or anti-EU state (e.g. France and the UK), then shouldn't 'controls' be placed in the analysis of media between periods where there was a lot of discussion about the EU against those which didn't?
Still, it has the makings of an interesting project and could provide an useful insight into how the EU is reported.
First seminar of the summer term brough Zivanna Mourmouri to the class to present her research on the Europeanisation of Greek public space. Instead of being on Monday the seminar has been shifted to Wednesday for this and next week. Consequently there was plenty of time lost as people wandered around, trying to find the right classroom, since we had relocated as well! Also, it was only one person this week, so a later start, at 11.
Zivanna aims to assess the extent to which Greece's media has become Europeanised through a content analysis of stories about the EU. A number of questions were raised, including what was meant by 'Europeanisation' (which was loosely defined but appeared to be a process of change by which European issues become discussed nationally - I think) and how a study of the media could identify changes in societal views and attitudes about Europe.
Added to this were methodological questions about the suitability of a one-country case study and an emphasis on periods where the EU was bound to be discussed (i.e. monetary union, etc). If Greece - which Zivanna claims has an instrumental view of the EU - was not going to be compared against a pro- or anti-EU state (e.g. France and the UK), then shouldn't 'controls' be placed in the analysis of media between periods where there was a lot of discussion about the EU against those which didn't?
Still, it has the makings of an interesting project and could provide an useful insight into how the EU is reported.
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
On the ballot
Attended two seminar yesterday related to elections. The first was at the ODI where George Philip (LSE), Victor Bulmer-Thomas and Duncan Green (Oxfam) all spoke about the Latin American elections. Is it a turn to the left and if so is it substantial or only skin deep. I managed to arrive late and missed George's contribution. But the general impression given was that while macro-economic policy won't change, there's the possibility of reform in social policy by these governments as well as the now obvious comment that Venezuela's Chavez and Chile's Bachelet are different creatures.
Duncan Green drew on Francisco Panizza's typology of the contemporary Left, claiming that there are three models: the liberal-republican, social movement-based and populist. A government or party can occupy more than one model and fluctuate according to their experience. Consequently, Brazil's PT and Uruguay's Frente Amplio may have been labelled as social movement-based but are probably now liberal-republican (like Bachelet). Where then, does Morales in Bolivia sit? He comes from the social movement Left, but will he govern like that? Or will he end up like Lula and the PT? Furthermore, will Bolivia go the way of Ecuador, where social and indigenous movements ended up splitting with 'their' government?
The other contibition to note about the ODI seminar was Bulmer-Thomas's observation that economic paradigms in Latin America generally last about 50 years - which means we're currently halfway through the current model. So don't expect any major changes yet.
I left early to catch a bus to Oxford for the Brazil Centre's seminar on the Brazilian elections. The panel consisted of Leslie Bethell (who always has a few good anecdotes up his sleeve), Jairo Nicolau (a renowned political scientist in Brazil), Tim Power and Leany Barreiro Lemos (a visiting research associate and legislative advisor in the Senate in Brasilia).
The general consensus was that Lula looks like he'll win. Although he hasn't declared yet, his polls have recovered after the corruption scandals and Alckmin, the main challenger, hasn't made a dent in his numbers yet. Power (loosely) likened Lula to Reagan as a hands-off, teflon-like president. Interesting though, Jairo showed that Lula's support has fallen among the richer classes and that his base is now among the poorer sections of society. This means that if Garotinho gets the PMDB nomination he could create problems for Lula, since he's drawing the same sort of support. It also means that the suggested impeachment of Lula probably won't go through, since the poor will think it's the political class trying to get 'our man'.
Also notable is the feeling in Brazil that Lula does better without the PT - hence his distancing himself from the party. That made me ask a question about a post-Lula PT in 2010. If Lula wins now, what happens then? The interesting thing about all the scandal last year was how it swept away the group behind Lula, from whom one might have expected his successor to have been groomed. And former finance minister, Palocci, is just the latest case.
Attended two seminar yesterday related to elections. The first was at the ODI where George Philip (LSE), Victor Bulmer-Thomas and Duncan Green (Oxfam) all spoke about the Latin American elections. Is it a turn to the left and if so is it substantial or only skin deep. I managed to arrive late and missed George's contribution. But the general impression given was that while macro-economic policy won't change, there's the possibility of reform in social policy by these governments as well as the now obvious comment that Venezuela's Chavez and Chile's Bachelet are different creatures.
Duncan Green drew on Francisco Panizza's typology of the contemporary Left, claiming that there are three models: the liberal-republican, social movement-based and populist. A government or party can occupy more than one model and fluctuate according to their experience. Consequently, Brazil's PT and Uruguay's Frente Amplio may have been labelled as social movement-based but are probably now liberal-republican (like Bachelet). Where then, does Morales in Bolivia sit? He comes from the social movement Left, but will he govern like that? Or will he end up like Lula and the PT? Furthermore, will Bolivia go the way of Ecuador, where social and indigenous movements ended up splitting with 'their' government?
The other contibition to note about the ODI seminar was Bulmer-Thomas's observation that economic paradigms in Latin America generally last about 50 years - which means we're currently halfway through the current model. So don't expect any major changes yet.
I left early to catch a bus to Oxford for the Brazil Centre's seminar on the Brazilian elections. The panel consisted of Leslie Bethell (who always has a few good anecdotes up his sleeve), Jairo Nicolau (a renowned political scientist in Brazil), Tim Power and Leany Barreiro Lemos (a visiting research associate and legislative advisor in the Senate in Brasilia).
The general consensus was that Lula looks like he'll win. Although he hasn't declared yet, his polls have recovered after the corruption scandals and Alckmin, the main challenger, hasn't made a dent in his numbers yet. Power (loosely) likened Lula to Reagan as a hands-off, teflon-like president. Interesting though, Jairo showed that Lula's support has fallen among the richer classes and that his base is now among the poorer sections of society. This means that if Garotinho gets the PMDB nomination he could create problems for Lula, since he's drawing the same sort of support. It also means that the suggested impeachment of Lula probably won't go through, since the poor will think it's the political class trying to get 'our man'.
Also notable is the feeling in Brazil that Lula does better without the PT - hence his distancing himself from the party. That made me ask a question about a post-Lula PT in 2010. If Lula wins now, what happens then? The interesting thing about all the scandal last year was how it swept away the group behind Lula, from whom one might have expected his successor to have been groomed. And former finance minister, Palocci, is just the latest case.
Sunday, April 23, 2006
Saudades
Yes, I'm pining a bit for Brazil - the beaches and a more relaxed existence (probably due to the fact that I know I have work and studies to be getting on with).
In the absence of any prospect - at least until the summer (fingers crossed), I attach a photo of one of the more beautiful places I've been to: an image of Jericoacoara at sunset (thanks Pati).
Yes, I'm pining a bit for Brazil - the beaches and a more relaxed existence (probably due to the fact that I know I have work and studies to be getting on with).
In the absence of any prospect - at least until the summer (fingers crossed), I attach a photo of one of the more beautiful places I've been to: an image of Jericoacoara at sunset (thanks Pati).
Anglified Braziliana
To Guanabara club/bar in the evening for my brother's birthday party. Yet having been in Rio just a few days ago, the vibe was definitely less Brazilian than one might expect.
Sure, Guanabara has gained a reputation as arguably the most vibrantly Brazilian venue in London. And perhaps if you haven't been to Brazil - or it's been awhile since you were last there - it may catch the vibe. But there's plenty there to remind you that you're definitely in London. It's not just the number of white people, but the sense of busy-ness around you. Added to that the music before the big samba school came on was definitively not Brazilian and the presence of a toilet attendent, which really winds me up something chronic, all points out that we're in the UK.
And is it just me or are there a growing number of Ben Sherman shirts that I saw in there last night? I'm coming to the conclusion that toilet attendents and Ben Sherman fashionwear is something that is quite closely correlated.
To Guanabara club/bar in the evening for my brother's birthday party. Yet having been in Rio just a few days ago, the vibe was definitely less Brazilian than one might expect.
Sure, Guanabara has gained a reputation as arguably the most vibrantly Brazilian venue in London. And perhaps if you haven't been to Brazil - or it's been awhile since you were last there - it may catch the vibe. But there's plenty there to remind you that you're definitely in London. It's not just the number of white people, but the sense of busy-ness around you. Added to that the music before the big samba school came on was definitively not Brazilian and the presence of a toilet attendent, which really winds me up something chronic, all points out that we're in the UK.
And is it just me or are there a growing number of Ben Sherman shirts that I saw in there last night? I'm coming to the conclusion that toilet attendents and Ben Sherman fashionwear is something that is quite closely correlated.
Election round-up
Yesterday was one of the two (possibly three) ventures into the Spitalfields and Banglatown ward election. Along with my two colleagues we visited several estates and houses near Hanbury Street to plug ourselves. We had a leaflet with details about ourselves and the party (although one of the leaflets had a statement about me that was slightly out of date). No matter though. We managed to introduce ourselves to a number of people and even if it wasn't really canvassing, the general impression was good. Only a few people refused to take our leaflet or said they wouldn't vote Lib Dem.
It's less than two weeks until polling day and there was quite a lot of acitivity inthe area. As we doorknocked one estate the local Tory candidate was seen driving around the block and back again (so much for his party's claims of green-ness!), while several Labour candidates and activists stopped to talk to us. Meanwhile on the other side of the street there were three Respect activists whi were clearly not from the area, trying to work out which estate was which from one of the maps.
Yesterday was one of the two (possibly three) ventures into the Spitalfields and Banglatown ward election. Along with my two colleagues we visited several estates and houses near Hanbury Street to plug ourselves. We had a leaflet with details about ourselves and the party (although one of the leaflets had a statement about me that was slightly out of date). No matter though. We managed to introduce ourselves to a number of people and even if it wasn't really canvassing, the general impression was good. Only a few people refused to take our leaflet or said they wouldn't vote Lib Dem.
It's less than two weeks until polling day and there was quite a lot of acitivity inthe area. As we doorknocked one estate the local Tory candidate was seen driving around the block and back again (so much for his party's claims of green-ness!), while several Labour candidates and activists stopped to talk to us. Meanwhile on the other side of the street there were three Respect activists whi were clearly not from the area, trying to work out which estate was which from one of the maps.
A-begging for money
It looks like being ridiculously expensive to get a flight for Brazil this summer. A quick check of online travel agencies suggests around £800-£1000. Quite steep. The last time I sought a flight to Brazil in the summer (August time) it was around £550 - and that was considered expensive three years ago. Presumably it's something to do with the fuel tax?
Which makes it all the more imperative that I apply for funding for the flight. I managed to get some money last year from London University which covered my flight out. Today I'm going to be making an effort to apply again - and hopefully be successful once more.
Although judging by my last few funding applications (almost a job in themselves for PhD students), I may well be unsuccessful. This month alone has seen rejections from the Government Department to support my ESRC application and from the Wingate scholarship foundation.
Once the travel application is done there's also internal LSE funds to apply for before the end of June, including the Miliband scholarship (worth £5000 and only available once every two years) and the research grant (that cuts my tuition fees in half as it did this year).
It looks like being ridiculously expensive to get a flight for Brazil this summer. A quick check of online travel agencies suggests around £800-£1000. Quite steep. The last time I sought a flight to Brazil in the summer (August time) it was around £550 - and that was considered expensive three years ago. Presumably it's something to do with the fuel tax?
Which makes it all the more imperative that I apply for funding for the flight. I managed to get some money last year from London University which covered my flight out. Today I'm going to be making an effort to apply again - and hopefully be successful once more.
Although judging by my last few funding applications (almost a job in themselves for PhD students), I may well be unsuccessful. This month alone has seen rejections from the Government Department to support my ESRC application and from the Wingate scholarship foundation.
Once the travel application is done there's also internal LSE funds to apply for before the end of June, including the Miliband scholarship (worth £5000 and only available once every two years) and the research grant (that cuts my tuition fees in half as it did this year).
Thursday, April 20, 2006
Time to be off?
Only one other thing to say after my absence. Despite carrying around my digital camera for three weeks in Brazil, it's was only on the last flight home that the LCD screen cracked. Added to that the hot water in the kitchen is not working while the shower is barely a trickle. Meanwhile the bank has charged for going over my limit and refuses to allow me an increase.
With a welcome back like that is it any wonder I'm counting the days until I next go back to Brazil for fieldwork (ideally this summer)?
Only one other thing to say after my absence. Despite carrying around my digital camera for three weeks in Brazil, it's was only on the last flight home that the LCD screen cracked. Added to that the hot water in the kitchen is not working while the shower is barely a trickle. Meanwhile the bank has charged for going over my limit and refuses to allow me an increase.
With a welcome back like that is it any wonder I'm counting the days until I next go back to Brazil for fieldwork (ideally this summer)?
Back to business as usual
I'm back after a three-week absence. I was away in Brazil, ostensibly for a friend's wedding in Rio before then heading out to the Amazon with friends for some serious slumming. Then back to Rio via a detour in the African-feeling city of Salvador. Plenty that could be written about - and which might appear gratuitous and boring to some. I reckon the best way to address this might be to post the occasional photo rather than wax lyrical. Also, because I simply don't have the time! It's back to work, both PhD-related and work-related, for me.
But I will leave this thought: the jungle is much noisier than I anticipated. Sitting silently one can hear dozens of things, from howler monkeys to buzzing mosquitos and grasshoppers, through to strange sounding birds - particularly those that make a 'thwip-thweeough' side, like a builder to a passing woman!
I'm back after a three-week absence. I was away in Brazil, ostensibly for a friend's wedding in Rio before then heading out to the Amazon with friends for some serious slumming. Then back to Rio via a detour in the African-feeling city of Salvador. Plenty that could be written about - and which might appear gratuitous and boring to some. I reckon the best way to address this might be to post the occasional photo rather than wax lyrical. Also, because I simply don't have the time! It's back to work, both PhD-related and work-related, for me.
But I will leave this thought: the jungle is much noisier than I anticipated. Sitting silently one can hear dozens of things, from howler monkeys to buzzing mosquitos and grasshoppers, through to strange sounding birds - particularly those that make a 'thwip-thweeough' side, like a builder to a passing woman!
Monday, March 27, 2006
Not much change?
Last Friday the Uruguay economic and finance minister, Danilo Astori, was in town. He presented the details of that country's economic programme to a group of LSE students and finance journalists. Francisco, my supervisor, introduced Astori and hinted at some discussion to come on the nature of the Frente Amplio government and it's centre-left identity.
Although that would have been hard to see in the course of an hour-long talk in which Astori stressed the government's commitment to setting institutions and regulations in place to pay off the country's public debt and to attract inward foreign investment.
In the Q&A session that followed he spent most of the time emphasising these points and the package put in place between the October 2004 election and the March 2005 assumption of power. This prompted me to ask him about the extent to which the Frente Amplio had sought civil society involvement in the development of those policies and the level of internal party debate. To this Astori initially struggled with the term 'civil society' (not promising) before admitting that it wasn't as participatory or collaborative a process as one might expect - electoral victory being the justification by which this highly technocratic project was put into place.
Indeed, I was hard-pressed to identify anything distinctly left-of-centre in his talk. Even the emergency social programmes that he talked about were only temporary and amounted to little more than increases in funds rather than new ways of delivering services.
Last Friday the Uruguay economic and finance minister, Danilo Astori, was in town. He presented the details of that country's economic programme to a group of LSE students and finance journalists. Francisco, my supervisor, introduced Astori and hinted at some discussion to come on the nature of the Frente Amplio government and it's centre-left identity.
Although that would have been hard to see in the course of an hour-long talk in which Astori stressed the government's commitment to setting institutions and regulations in place to pay off the country's public debt and to attract inward foreign investment.
In the Q&A session that followed he spent most of the time emphasising these points and the package put in place between the October 2004 election and the March 2005 assumption of power. This prompted me to ask him about the extent to which the Frente Amplio had sought civil society involvement in the development of those policies and the level of internal party debate. To this Astori initially struggled with the term 'civil society' (not promising) before admitting that it wasn't as participatory or collaborative a process as one might expect - electoral victory being the justification by which this highly technocratic project was put into place.
Indeed, I was hard-pressed to identify anything distinctly left-of-centre in his talk. Even the emergency social programmes that he talked about were only temporary and amounted to little more than increases in funds rather than new ways of delivering services.
Sunday night non-drama
Caught Pinochet in Surburbia on the Beeb last night. I had been looking forward to it, although I was mildly disappointed. I think it was the comination of styles that it took: part drama and current affairs documentary.
The acting seemed slightly wooden - probably something to do with the characters outlining the details of the arrest and its aftermath to each other in the form of a history lesson. And the dramatic tension didn't seem to work well for me. While they tried to build up the suspense quota by seeming to race against the clock to obtain an arrest warrant before he fled the country, it fell rather flat.
The (presumably fictional) police woman who stood guard over Pinochet did a long line of quizzical expressions, as if she didn't know what her role was supposed to be. There were a few surreal dream sequences of the General, which didn't seem to make much sense, and Jacobi's Pinochet seemed to lack the menace of the original.
Of the cast the best was probably Anna Massey's Margaret Thatcher. She made my skin crawl, as I suspect was probably the intended effect. But daming though it is, I actually found the news coverage, Newsnight clips and LAw Lords' judgements that interspersed the drama of far more interest.
Caught Pinochet in Surburbia on the Beeb last night. I had been looking forward to it, although I was mildly disappointed. I think it was the comination of styles that it took: part drama and current affairs documentary.
The acting seemed slightly wooden - probably something to do with the characters outlining the details of the arrest and its aftermath to each other in the form of a history lesson. And the dramatic tension didn't seem to work well for me. While they tried to build up the suspense quota by seeming to race against the clock to obtain an arrest warrant before he fled the country, it fell rather flat.
The (presumably fictional) police woman who stood guard over Pinochet did a long line of quizzical expressions, as if she didn't know what her role was supposed to be. There were a few surreal dream sequences of the General, which didn't seem to make much sense, and Jacobi's Pinochet seemed to lack the menace of the original.
Of the cast the best was probably Anna Massey's Margaret Thatcher. She made my skin crawl, as I suspect was probably the intended effect. But daming though it is, I actually found the news coverage, Newsnight clips and LAw Lords' judgements that interspersed the drama of far more interest.
Unspoiled?
Looking at East End Life, the local council newspaper that circulates around Tower Hamlets, I see the objections being made about Crossrail seem to be bearing fruit. Hanbury Street and Mile End Park were going to see chaos with boring taking place there and the spoil shifted to the park. According to the council mouthpiece though, it's being suggested that this will not now happen since the tunnel can be built without digging up the area.
What's the catch though? I can't believe the council has just keeled over after all this time. I suspect there's something that hasn't been included in what is, in effect, the council's propaganda mouthpiece.
And what is it with the restaurant reviews in East End Life? I've not yet read a bad one. Can it really be that Tower Hamlets is the home of fine dining?
Looking at East End Life, the local council newspaper that circulates around Tower Hamlets, I see the objections being made about Crossrail seem to be bearing fruit. Hanbury Street and Mile End Park were going to see chaos with boring taking place there and the spoil shifted to the park. According to the council mouthpiece though, it's being suggested that this will not now happen since the tunnel can be built without digging up the area.
What's the catch though? I can't believe the council has just keeled over after all this time. I suspect there's something that hasn't been included in what is, in effect, the council's propaganda mouthpiece.
And what is it with the restaurant reviews in East End Life? I've not yet read a bad one. Can it really be that Tower Hamlets is the home of fine dining?
Smile to the camera...
Yesterday all the Lib Dem candidates standing for election in Tower Hamlets came together. We took over the whole of the Clifton Restaurant at the bottom of Brick Lane where we all met each other for the first time and listened to the process for nominations. In fact that is the priority this week, with each candidate needing 10 residents to sign their forms. Luckily for me, my colleagues in Spitalfields and Bangla Town and I had made a start on this last week, so we should have them completed by the party's internal deadline of tomorrow.
As well as having the campaign outlined and the various action days that will occur over the next month, there were plenty of photos taken - by the local newspaper as well as outselves to stick on leaflets over the coming weeks. Unfortunately, I wasn't looking at my best. Like the last set of photos I took with Aminur and Yousuf in Hanbury Street the other week, I was feeling slightly worse for wear, the result of being out all night with friends. I'm becoming convinced that these photo sessions seem timed to occur around the very days that I'm invited out...
Yesterday all the Lib Dem candidates standing for election in Tower Hamlets came together. We took over the whole of the Clifton Restaurant at the bottom of Brick Lane where we all met each other for the first time and listened to the process for nominations. In fact that is the priority this week, with each candidate needing 10 residents to sign their forms. Luckily for me, my colleagues in Spitalfields and Bangla Town and I had made a start on this last week, so we should have them completed by the party's internal deadline of tomorrow.
As well as having the campaign outlined and the various action days that will occur over the next month, there were plenty of photos taken - by the local newspaper as well as outselves to stick on leaflets over the coming weeks. Unfortunately, I wasn't looking at my best. Like the last set of photos I took with Aminur and Yousuf in Hanbury Street the other week, I was feeling slightly worse for wear, the result of being out all night with friends. I'm becoming convinced that these photo sessions seem timed to occur around the very days that I'm invited out...
Thursday, March 23, 2006
On the trail once again
As if disappearing until after Easter, having a PhD proposal to write, new job to work out and various funding requests on the go (yes, I'm seeing whether the Department will support my application for an ESRC award while awaiting a decision on the Harold Wingate request from a month ago - but I'm not holding my breath), I've also entered the election race again for the Liberal Democrats.
The last two Saturdays I've met my fellow candidates in the Spitalfields and Banglatown ward where I will be standing for election to Tower Hamlets council in May. We've spent the time setting out our plan of action and are currently in the process of getting our nomination forms completed.
I have to say both Aminur and Yousef are very active, getting around and delivering their own leaflet in the area. This Sunday we'll be at the Clifton restaurant on Osbourne Road (bottom of Brick Lane) from 2pm for the launch of the manifesto and in order to be able to meet all the other candidates from the rest of the borough.
As if disappearing until after Easter, having a PhD proposal to write, new job to work out and various funding requests on the go (yes, I'm seeing whether the Department will support my application for an ESRC award while awaiting a decision on the Harold Wingate request from a month ago - but I'm not holding my breath), I've also entered the election race again for the Liberal Democrats.
The last two Saturdays I've met my fellow candidates in the Spitalfields and Banglatown ward where I will be standing for election to Tower Hamlets council in May. We've spent the time setting out our plan of action and are currently in the process of getting our nomination forms completed.
I have to say both Aminur and Yousef are very active, getting around and delivering their own leaflet in the area. This Sunday we'll be at the Clifton restaurant on Osbourne Road (bottom of Brick Lane) from 2pm for the launch of the manifesto and in order to be able to meet all the other candidates from the rest of the borough.
End of term, new job...
Last week I saw my supervisor about my first chapter. Apart from a few tweaks things look OK. So now I have to get on with a 3000-word proposal outlining how I will carry out the project, including methods, fieldwork, etc. These two pieces of work, and a chapter outline, will need to be submitted for the first year review by 19 May.
It's a couple of months away and I'll get onto it soon enough. But until then I've got to knuckle down with my current job, which means I'm in the LSE library every day this week and for the first half of next week. I'm going away for a long holiday and to attend a friend's wedding - something I planned months ago.
I've got to try and find sufficient numbers of researchers - both academic and non-academic - to approach about a questionnaire we're doing on the use of digitial data sets. And I've got to invite them to take part before I go away next week. This will be keeping me busy for awhile!
Last week I saw my supervisor about my first chapter. Apart from a few tweaks things look OK. So now I have to get on with a 3000-word proposal outlining how I will carry out the project, including methods, fieldwork, etc. These two pieces of work, and a chapter outline, will need to be submitted for the first year review by 19 May.
It's a couple of months away and I'll get onto it soon enough. But until then I've got to knuckle down with my current job, which means I'm in the LSE library every day this week and for the first half of next week. I'm going away for a long holiday and to attend a friend's wedding - something I planned months ago.
I've got to try and find sufficient numbers of researchers - both academic and non-academic - to approach about a questionnaire we're doing on the use of digitial data sets. And I've got to invite them to take part before I go away next week. This will be keeping me busy for awhile!
Final seminar updates of term
Yes, I've been slack of late. Term finished last week and I never updated details of the final seminars of term. Both were extremely interesting, with Emanuela Hedayat presenting on a project she's going to do comparing and contrasting Costa Rican exceptionalism with Uruguay and Chile. In particular she wants to place Costa Rica as unique in terms of its long-lasting democracy owing to the decisions taken in 1870 by the elite that saw it create a national myth of democracy, peace and stability. Where she departs from the usual descriptive approach is in her effort to test a new theory of discursive strategy in developing this argument.
I find the whole notion of Costa Rican exceptionalism quite interesting. To what extent is it really the case? Or, if we look at the other case studies, might we not suggest that Chile is the unique case, since it was arguably more democratic than Costa Rica before 1973? Or could we say that Uruguay is the exception, since like Costa Rica it had a national myth before 1973 but was unable to translate it into a consensus in the 1970s?
Susana Carvalho's presentation served as a bookend to the term, as the other Portuguese in the class had begun the year. She wants to examine the Portuguese military and its claim to nationalism as the means for explaining its shift from 'defenders of the empire' to 'guardians of the people'.
While nationalism is the focus of her work, I made an incomprehensible comment that require clarification from others in the seminar. In particular I was curious to know whether nationalism was the driving force for the army. Surely all militaries dress themselves up in such garb. If she was interested in the relationship and dynamic between military and civilians and the shift from dictatorship to democracy, nationalism was the window dressing of a more complex game of power relations. Consequently, wasn't her project more about power and how people perceive and use it?
Yes, I've been slack of late. Term finished last week and I never updated details of the final seminars of term. Both were extremely interesting, with Emanuela Hedayat presenting on a project she's going to do comparing and contrasting Costa Rican exceptionalism with Uruguay and Chile. In particular she wants to place Costa Rica as unique in terms of its long-lasting democracy owing to the decisions taken in 1870 by the elite that saw it create a national myth of democracy, peace and stability. Where she departs from the usual descriptive approach is in her effort to test a new theory of discursive strategy in developing this argument.
I find the whole notion of Costa Rican exceptionalism quite interesting. To what extent is it really the case? Or, if we look at the other case studies, might we not suggest that Chile is the unique case, since it was arguably more democratic than Costa Rica before 1973? Or could we say that Uruguay is the exception, since like Costa Rica it had a national myth before 1973 but was unable to translate it into a consensus in the 1970s?
Susana Carvalho's presentation served as a bookend to the term, as the other Portuguese in the class had begun the year. She wants to examine the Portuguese military and its claim to nationalism as the means for explaining its shift from 'defenders of the empire' to 'guardians of the people'.
While nationalism is the focus of her work, I made an incomprehensible comment that require clarification from others in the seminar. In particular I was curious to know whether nationalism was the driving force for the army. Surely all militaries dress themselves up in such garb. If she was interested in the relationship and dynamic between military and civilians and the shift from dictatorship to democracy, nationalism was the window dressing of a more complex game of power relations. Consequently, wasn't her project more about power and how people perceive and use it?
Wednesday, March 08, 2006
No surprises at the top, but further down...
Yes, I know I’m nearly a week late, but I suppose I should comment on the new leader.
What depresses me most is our new moniker: we’re all Mingers now.
As for whether he’ll be a good leader for the Lib Dems, no doubt he’s a ‘safe pair of hands’. But I can’t help but think that there is something slightly odd about us claiming to be the party of youth and going for the oldest man around.
Still, no surprises in Nick Clegg getting a plum job as home affairs spokesman – especially after his high-profile support. But more surprising was Julia Goldsworthy’s fast promotion to shadow secretary to the Treasury. I’d be interested to know who was her backer which gave her the edge over the other new MPs. Still, nice to know that one’s own (we shared an office together for a year or so) is in positions of power (always a relative concept given Lib Dem status).
Yes, I know I’m nearly a week late, but I suppose I should comment on the new leader.
What depresses me most is our new moniker: we’re all Mingers now.
As for whether he’ll be a good leader for the Lib Dems, no doubt he’s a ‘safe pair of hands’. But I can’t help but think that there is something slightly odd about us claiming to be the party of youth and going for the oldest man around.
Still, no surprises in Nick Clegg getting a plum job as home affairs spokesman – especially after his high-profile support. But more surprising was Julia Goldsworthy’s fast promotion to shadow secretary to the Treasury. I’d be interested to know who was her backer which gave her the edge over the other new MPs. Still, nice to know that one’s own (we shared an office together for a year or so) is in positions of power (always a relative concept given Lib Dem status).
New month, new job
I’ve started a new job. Always daunting when this happens. Last week I was explaining my job to my successor at my last position. Even if it was relatively quiet towards the end at least I had the security of knowing what I was meant to do.
Now I’m starting a new job at the LSE. It’s a specific project in the library, doing survey work on how researchers access datasets. I’m the only one doing this at the LSE, although there are others like me at other universities in the country.
It’s a weird feeling being a new boy in a place which I use like a second home. I’ve been in this library for months now, but mainly for study. Now part of my week will be spent working and I’m having to familiarise myself with issues and ideas that never passed across my thoughts before.
Help!
I’ve started a new job. Always daunting when this happens. Last week I was explaining my job to my successor at my last position. Even if it was relatively quiet towards the end at least I had the security of knowing what I was meant to do.
Now I’m starting a new job at the LSE. It’s a specific project in the library, doing survey work on how researchers access datasets. I’m the only one doing this at the LSE, although there are others like me at other universities in the country.
It’s a weird feeling being a new boy in a place which I use like a second home. I’ve been in this library for months now, but mainly for study. Now part of my week will be spent working and I’m having to familiarise myself with issues and ideas that never passed across my thoughts before.
Help!
Knowing less as we know more
As I mentioned, Lula is in town for a state visit. Typical that it should happen more than 2 years after I left working in Parliament. State visits mean that all party leaders meet the visiting leader and I had hopes that I would be able to brief Charles Kennedy on Lula, the PT and Brazilian politics in general before that meeting. Maybe even get a chance to meet the man himself.
Since then Kennedy’s gone (more to come on that) and Lula and the PT have been embroiled in scandal over the alleged bribery of politicians. Brazil figures more prominently in the news, owing to the Stockwell shooting last year and the growing number of Brazil-themed events here in the UK.
Clearly, I’m not needed!
Still, it was surreal listening to Gilberto Gil, the culture minister, on Today this morning. What wasn’t he asked to talk about? The Stockwell shooting, the rise of the left in Latin America, implications for Washington, Amazonian deforestation and how he manages to gig and govern at the same time.
On that last point, it was a shame that no-one at the BBC thought to ask him about the month-long strikes that took place in culture-financed museums, libraries and galleries across the country last year.
As I mentioned, Lula is in town for a state visit. Typical that it should happen more than 2 years after I left working in Parliament. State visits mean that all party leaders meet the visiting leader and I had hopes that I would be able to brief Charles Kennedy on Lula, the PT and Brazilian politics in general before that meeting. Maybe even get a chance to meet the man himself.
Since then Kennedy’s gone (more to come on that) and Lula and the PT have been embroiled in scandal over the alleged bribery of politicians. Brazil figures more prominently in the news, owing to the Stockwell shooting last year and the growing number of Brazil-themed events here in the UK.
Clearly, I’m not needed!
Still, it was surreal listening to Gilberto Gil, the culture minister, on Today this morning. What wasn’t he asked to talk about? The Stockwell shooting, the rise of the left in Latin America, implications for Washington, Amazonian deforestation and how he manages to gig and govern at the same time.
On that last point, it was a shame that no-one at the BBC thought to ask him about the month-long strikes that took place in culture-financed museums, libraries and galleries across the country last year.
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