Scholars
Eden Anin-Adjei
What drives political behaviour within the British African diaspora? This question lies at the heart of my PhD research, titled The Tie That Binds: The Political Behaviour of British African Diasporas. My research adopts an interdisciplinary approach to understand how the intersectionality of cultural identity, religion, and generational differences shapes ideological orientations, party identification, and electoral mobilisation.
I aim to contribute to existing literature by challenging the notion that socio-economic and issue-based predictors alone can explain voting patterns. Instead, I argue for broader models that consider the array of intersecting factors influencing political behaviour within ethnic minority groups. Using terms like Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic (BAME) reduces the complex narratives of these communities to a handful of letters, often neglecting the unique experiences and histories that shape individuals. Disaggregating data within and across these groups is crucial for truly understanding the political attitudes of ethnic minorities. My work underscores how these subtleties are essential for a comprehensive analysis.
Throughout my thesis, I reflect on my positionality as a member of the British African diaspora. Growing up in the UK with Ghanaian parents who, while progressive, uphold conservative values, I have firsthand experience of navigating multiple cultural identities. This duality has often felt like being caught between a ‘rock’ and a ‘hard place’ – balancing the cultural expectations of my heritage with the reality of life in the UK. This lived experience has deepened my understanding of the complexities that shape political behaviour within the British African diaspora. It drives my commitment to capture their authentic voices and addressing the gaps that often overlook the nuanced experiences within this group.
Receiving the PSA Diverse Voices Student Programme award has empowered me to claim my seat at the table and contribute meaningfully to discussions about diversity in academia. This opportunity has allowed me to connect with fellow researchers and senior academics who share a passion for inclusivity in the field of political science. Balancing a full-time job with PhD research is challenging, and taking on this new opportunity sometimes makes me question how I can manage it all. Yet, there is an old African proverb that says: ‘if you want to go fast go alone, if you want to go far go together.’ Being part of this cohort means I’m not alone. It means I am part of a supportive network that encourages me to grow – not just as a researcher, but as a person who is committed to pushing boundaries and achieving lasting impact.
Fadhilah Fitri Primandari
My PhD journey was initially motivated by the interactions I had with several senior male academics during the writing of my undergraduate thesis, which discussed the gendered aspects of democratic transitions. Over those seven months, I received questions pertaining to my reasons for wanting to study democratisation and gender instead of, (and I quote), “not other more important things, such as protests and the economy”, and persistent advice to “just focus on politics and not the private”. These interactions made me realise not only that politics is still dominated by men, but also that what counts as political and relevant are defined through a masculine lens.
My thesis project, which is titled Consolidation of Democracy or Men’s Rule? A Feminist Conceptual Critique of Democratic Consolidation, seeks to examine and critique the gendered assumptions that underlie the mainstream constructions of the concept of democratic consolidation. Through exploring some of the main ways that the consolidation of democracy has been measured and assessed, I tentatively argue that the traditional understandings of democratic consolidation centre on spaces and activities that are normally dominated by men. In this project, I also seek to rethink what an inclusive conception of democratic consolidation might look like, especially by considering women’s political inclusion as an important component of a consolidated—routinised, internalised, habituated—democracy.
I am currently in the beginning of my third year of the Integrated PhD programme at Essex—or equivalent to the second year of the standard UK PhD. The past two years have allowed me to reflect on the differences between academia in the UK and my home country, Indonesia, and to realise the need to adapt quickly to, borrowing the consolidology terminology, “rules of the game”. I am therefore incredibly grateful for the PSA Diverse Voices Programme and the SeNSS DTP (who is funding my doctoral study) for the mentorship, networking opportunities and their overall support system. This year will be busier than the last, and I look forward to having more discussions and exploring further the various ways that the personal is political; that concepts and theories always play a part in forming, sustaining and resisting power relations; and that one can understand democracy beyond formal institutional arrangements.
Margaret Abazie-Humphrey
My PhD, titled “Marginalised by Disqualification: The Lived Experiences of Combatant and Non-combatant Children of Nigeria’s Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR)”, is a timely and crucial exploration. In the academic context, child soldiers are often discussed in an interdisciplinary approach. Any child who formed part of regular or irregular fighting units in any role is considered a child soldier. The idea of ‘child soldiers’ remains critically contested. There is a lack of universal agreement on what constitutes a child and the definition of soldiering, but the straight 18 approach seems universally recognised.
When Nigeria’s Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), a DDR programme was created in 2009 for the thirty thousand ex-combatants in southern Nigeria, there seemed to be a conscientious attempt not to exclude child soldiers. Unfortunately, child soldiers were excluded. The challenge is that when child soldiers are excluded from the processes of DDR, as seen in PAP, they will be forced to self-demobilise, a process that makes them invisible to formal child protection support services. Thus, child soldiers are already predisposed to difficult experiences and emotional trauma, not just because they have been excluded but also due to the inherent violence to children. The critical goal should be to prevent such negative impacts from worsening. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) emphasises three significant foci for child soldiers’ reintegration: psychosocial, education and livelihood, and protection of their rights.
When child soldiers’ troubling experiences receive the necessary interventions, rehabilitation, and reintegration, these thwart the negative impacts for a better future; but when they are neglected, both children and humanity at large bear the brunt of the maladies. The assumption in scholarship is that the effort to reintegrate child soldiers requires some protective factors such as community acceptance, educational and vocational training access, religious support, and psychosocial counselling. This positive effort must also be mindful of and fight against the social risk factors such as stigmatisation, rejection, unemployment, hardship, displacement, trafficking, gender violence, re-recruitment and substance abuse. These are negative stressors that complicate the problematic experiences of child soldiers and can develop into mental illness. Anything that causes stressful circumstances is a stressor.
When child soldiers develop mental disorders, they suffer from social impairment, find it difficult to function as typical children in society, suffer from cognitive distortions and irrational beliefs, and cause harm to others and themselves. The reintegration process must, therefore, consider their mental health and promote mental hygiene. Mental health issues undermine the effects of the other reintegration programmes and must be attended to. Stable mental well-being will promote the effective implementation of interventions and reintegration processes. The fear is that unattended child soldiers in PAP may pose a serious risk to society. They may struggle with social stigma and rejection, making adjustment to everyday social life challenging. I am employing Beck’s Negative Cognitive Triad theory (BCT) to understand their subjective interpretation of reintegration. This application has three components, including child soldiers’ view of themselves, their view of the world and reintegration environment, and their view of their reintegration in the future. BCT will help conceptualise their reintegration process through their lived experiences, especially their predisposition to mental disorders, using a qualitative methodology. My primary research question, designed to address the consequences of their reintegration, asks: How does the exclusion of combatant and non-combatant children from the Nigerian PAP’s DDR negatively impact their lived experiences and predispose them to mental disorders?
Most fundamentally, my PSA award came timely at a time most needed in my study paths. It helped reassure my confidence by learning from the experiences shared in our workshops. My mentor’s suggestion that if I need to be in the practice field after graduation, I must align my studies to what is applicable in the policy world helped boost my confidence that I am on the right path in my career and research. Additionally, the £500 research grant is super as this will support my fieldwork activities in Nigeria.
Shodona Kettle
I am currently a Winsdor Fellow and Research Opportunity Scholar at the Institute of the Americas (IoA), University College London. My research examines demands for reparation among people of African descent in Latin America and the Caribbean, specifically in Ecuador and Jamaica. Why is this research on reparations politics important in these contexts?
People of African descent in the Americas have consistently worked toward acknowledgement of historical and contemporary harms, redress for these harms to improve conditions, and tangible application of policies in their favor. This research provides insights into the evolution of demands for change over time from the 1990s to recent years, the extent to which these demands for change have been achieved, and impacts at the national, regional and transnational levels.
Much of my research to date has focused on social movements and political mobilisation in the region with particular interest in African descendants and Indigenous communities. For instance, my Master’s thesis completed at the IoA, analysed the rights of Afro-Peruvians in the wake of an official apology proffered by the Peruvian government for historical and contemporary discrimination. I compared the extent to which Afro-descendant rights were advancing in Peru with those in Ecuador and Colombia.
While much of the academic scholarship has focused on socio-political mobilisation among Indigenous Peoples in Andean region, and Afro-descendant communities in specific countries like the US, Brazil, Cuba, and Colombia, this thesis aims to bridge the gap between hispanophone and anglophone contexts, offering a fresh perspective on the issue of repair. As the discourse around reparation and reparative justice gains increasing momentum and visibility in public and political spheres, my research interjects at a critical moment, contributing to the evolving conversation with new insights and broader geographies.
Taif Alkhudary
It has been great to join the Diverse Voices Programme and to meet other people who come from similar backgrounds to me, something which I often feel is lacking in other academic spaces I frequent. It has also been really useful in expanding my academic network and in getting to understand “hidden academia” - the tricks and implicit understandings of how the industry works which many of us who come from state schools and do not have family connections in academia have not been trained to spot.
The Diverse Voices Programme has also been really useful in developing my own writing, through carefully thought out seminars and writing exercises. In my PhD research project, I use ethnographic fieldwork to examine the politics of oil and the environment in the wake of the return of foreign investment to the Iraqi oil industry after 2008. I take a critical approach to these topics, framing them through work on racial capitalism and queer theory.
Having benefitted so immensely from the Diverse Voices Programme, I hope to create similarly inclusive and supportive spaces for others as I progress through my academic career.
Zeena Mistry
I am part of the Centre for British Politics at the University of Hull, where I’m completing a PhD on British Indian electoral realignment, focusing on Indians living in England, and I’m supervised by Dr. Matt Beech and Dr. Chris Fear. Throughout the duration of my PhD, I have shared my journey on social media, making particular use of Instagram (@PhDWithZeena), showcasing my active participation in the academic life of the research centre.
I began my PhD in September 2022 and just a few weeks later, Rishi Sunak became leader of the first British Indian-Hindu Conservative Party and Prime Minister. Since then, I’ve analysed two sets of local elections and the General Election held in July this year, all of which have provided invaluable insights for my research as there has been an increase in Indians being elected and standing as a candidate for one of the two main political parties. With the focus of my research being on Indians who live in England, I have conducted 40 interviews with Conservative and Labour MPs, members of the House of Lords and Councillors in England. The use of interviews has provided a deeper reasoning as to why electoral realignment has occurred for this demographic.
During my PhD journey, I’ve embraced opportunities to share and develop my work. In July 2023, I presented on British Indians, free speech, and conservatism at Churchill College, University of Cambridge. In September, I spoke at the House of Lords on the complex relationship between British Indians and Margaret Thatcher. These were both exciting opportunities for two reasons. Firstly, it was a chance to share my exploration of why British Indians are largely small c conservatives and secondly these conference papers will be included as chapters in forthcoming edited volumes, that are to be released next year. More recently, at the Elections, Public Opinion, and Parties Conference held at the University of Manchester this past September where I presented one of my results chapters, on the role of Asian media, by focusing on The Eastern Eye newspaper. Through presenting at conferences, I have demonstrated that my work holds significant value and contributes meaningfully to the academic community.
Being awarded the PSA Diverse Voices scholarship has been a tremendous honour. I am the first in my family to attend university and I have spent a lot of time understanding this new environment, which I’m slowly becoming more familiar with. Over the next year, I’m looking forward to working with my mentor Dr Heather Alberro, expanding my network and attending the PSA Conference at the University of Birmingham. I have plans to submit my thesis in the next 12 months, following this I am eager to explore research roles where I can continue to build on the work I’ve started and continue to give a political voice to communities who have been under researched.
Associates
Aruni Samarakoon
I am Aruni Samarakoon, a recent PhD graduate in Political Science from the University of Hull, United Kingdom. Embarking on a PhD during the COVID-19 pandemic was challenging, especially as an international student. However, I navigated this journey by exploring diverse opportunities and leveraging social networks effectively.
My academic path includes an MA in Political Science from the University of Oslo and the University of Colombo, Sri Lanka (2012–2014), and an MSc in Development Management from the University of Agder, Norway (2014–2016), which laid a strong foundation for thriving in academia on a global scale.
My PhD research expands radical feminist scholarship by examining the revolutionary politics of marginalized ethnic groups, focusing on Sri Lankan Tamils as a case study from the Global South. Specifically, I explore the revolutionary consciousness of Tamil women involved in the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) movement, which emerged as a post-colonial liberation project advocating for a new nation. My research argues that the resistance of these women transcended their individual emancipation, representing a broader struggle for the liberation of an oppressed nation.
This study also critiques Sri Lanka’s post-colonial political framework, which is shaped by majoritarian democracy, dynastic politics, and nepotism, leaving limited public space for women and ethnic minorities. Tamil women, many from the working class and some with ancestral ties to the Indian plantation labour force relocated under British colonial policies, exemplify the intersection of gender, ethnicity, and class politics. The research examines why and how these revolutionary consciousnesses were sidelined by Leftist movement in Sri Lanka, which prioritised reformist agenda over revolutionary change.
Through a radical feminist lens, I analysed the LTTE's political shifts in "de-gendering" and "re-gendering" Tamil women’s roles. By rejecting traditional family networks to take up arms and embrace militant roles, Tamil women demonstrated revolutionary consciousness. This de-gendering of traditional roles was central to their participation in the Tamil Eelam nation-building project. However, these women were ultimately seen as "compatible militants" rather than autonomous agents, as evidenced by their return to domestic roles after the civil war. This re-gendering was further exacerbated by Sri Lanka's illiberal peace policies, characterized by centralised governance, democratic erosion, and clientelism, which perpetuated negative peace rather than fostering true emancipation.
This PhD thesis utilized Sheila Rowbotham’s radical feminist scholarship on revolutionary politics, extending her theoretical framework to the context of the Global South. While affirming the relevance of Rowbotham’s work, it also addressed a gap in her scholarship by exploring the unique nature of radical feminism in the Global South.
My next career goal is to become a scholar in the UK higher education sector. Being selected for the PSA Diverse Voices program is a significant step toward achieving this aspiration. Collaborating with political scientists from diverse backgrounds will not only broaden my professional network but also provide an opportunity to exchange political perspectives and foster meaningful dialogues. This is particularly valuable given my scholarly focus on radical feminism. Additionally, the program offers a platform to integrate into the academic community, navigate shared challenges, and collectively seek solutions, thereby preparing me for a fulfilling academic career.
Aurore Iradukunda
I am doctoral researcher within the UKRI project ‘Pan-African frontiers: the remaking of African politics in world politics’ at the Department of Politics and International Studies at SOAS University, London. My thesis, provisionally titled "Cartographies of Resistance: Clandestinity and Conscientization in the Liberation Struggles of Guinea-Bissau and Cabo Verde", engages with the spatial politics of clandestinity and political education in the liberation struggles of Guinea-Bissau and Cabo Verde.
In dialogue with the spatial-liberatory practices of the Black Radical Tradition, my research prioritizes the invisible or clandestine as an epistemic site where previously understudied individual and collective trajectories, geographies, and methodologies can be uncovered. In doing so, it hopes to offer new perspectives on an obscured dimension of this worldmaking project and consider what liberatory praxes sub-altern counterpublics can offer us in the neocolonial and neoliberal present.
I currently serve as the EDI Representative for the PSA's African Politics Specialist Group. Through this role, I am particularly passionate about furthering the visibility of African Politics within the PSA and Political Sciences as a whole, as well as to create more research and networking opportunities for African and diaspora scholars.
Prior to joining SOAS, I earned a joint MSc at the London School of Economics and Political Science and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, as well as a BA&Sc in African Studies and Molecular Cell Biology from McGill University.
My wider research interests include Black Geographies, Anticolonial Worldmaking, radical pedagogy, diasporic identities, liberation movements, student movements, transnational solidarity, Cabralism and Pan-Africanism. My work is informed by my desire to facilitate non-hegemonic communal spaces which foster critical inquiry, knowledge production and exchange on the African continent and its diaspora(s).
I am delighted to have joined this year’s cohort of PSA Diverse Voices Scholars and I look forward to the opportunity to engage with peers and mentors alike. As I continue to delve deeper into the transformative potential of black spatial-liberatory practices and political education through my research, I am increasingly interested in creating effective pathways to academia for early careers and aspiring scholars of minoritized backgrounds and I look forward to the opportunity to do so through the PSA Diverse Voices Scholars Programme.
Gladys ama Konadu
My research on 'women's political participation in Africa' is not just an academic pursuit but a reflection of my commitment to understanding and addressing the underrepresentation of marginalized groups in politics. This commitment aligns perfectly with the Diverse Voices PhD Student Programme's mission to support Black and minority students in Politics and International Relations. I am committed to building networks in a field where I am often a minority and navigating insufficient data in Africa, where I am pioneering trend analysis over two decades to understand women's political participation.
I am thrilled to bring my diverse skill set, perspective, knowledge, and experiences to the Diverse Voices PhD Student Programme. I am not just looking to benefit from the program but also to actively contribute to the Diverse Voices community, sharing my experiences and insights while gaining new perspectives from others. The networking opportunities, mentoring sessions, and PSA25 participation offered by the programme particularly appeal to me. Participating in this program would invest in my academic future and the future of a more diverse and inclusive field of political studies.