The Culture and Politics Research Group (CPRG) brings together scholars interested in power, conflict, and ideas. CPRG's aim is to build a collaborative community of scholars.
CPRG is a space for postgraduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and faculty members to discuss the impact of selected readings on their research and thinking. They also consider joint projects and share ideas.
Texts discussed are published or developing studies of power relations in culture and politics. Subject matter includes:
- the role of ideas and intellectuals,
- ideological groups and social movements,
- popular opinion and the public sphere,
- revolution and political change,
- war and social violence.
This year’s theme is Culture Wars.
Format
- The group meets four times a term.
- Participants read a pre-selected text before each meeting. The text can be a published academic article, book chapter, or drafts by group members. See details of this term's readings below.
- Sometimes guest speakers or group members are invited to present their projects
- Discussions are open, rigorous, and challenging.
Convenor and contact
Click here to join the CPRG mailing list.
For more details on participation and involvement, please contact the convener, Santiago Vargas-Acevedo sv471@cam.ac.uk.
The CPRG team is Zeina Al-Azmeh (za268), Patrick Baert (pjnb100), Hazem Kandil (hk376), Sebastian Raza Mejia (slr75) and Santiago Vargas-Acevedo (sv471).
Upcoming Meetings
Venue: Sociology Board Room, Free School Lane
Monday 28 October | 14.00 - 15.30
Baert, Patrick and Al Azmeh, Zeina. Forthcoming. "Stop the Performance! 'Cancel Culture' in
the Contemporary Academy." In Dramatic Intellectuals, edited by Javier Pérez-Jara and Nicolás
Rudas. Palgrave Cultural Sociology Series.
Monday 11 November | 14.00 - 15.30
Ikuta, Jennie. 2020. Contesting Conformity: Democracy and the Power of Political Belonging. Oxford
University Press (“Chapter 2: Countering conformity through intellectual freedom in
Tocqueville’s Democracy in America”).
Monday 25 November | 14.00 - 15.30
Johansen, Mikkel Bækby. 2024. "Culture War Complexity: How Contaminated Words and
Heterodox Positions Challenge Traditional Dichotomies." International Journal of Politics,
Culture, and Society (2024): 1-14
Image: 'Change the Politics' by Joanna Penn [CC BY 2.0