DPhil in Sociology

I will be looking at the influence of place, class and community on narratives around populism, nativism and authoritarianism. Using focus group discussions, I will explore the factors that influence position-taking on what has been termed "the new political divide". These discussions will take place in London and the East Midlands, with people across backgrounds and social positions. Rather than treating support for populists as an outlier or a sign of deviancy, I am interested to explore how any citizens position themselves along this spectrum, which runs from liberal cosmopolitanism to populist nativism.