Capturing Geographical Imaginations: Methodological Reflections

This workshop will introduce participants to methods to analyse popular culture as a form of vernacular political theory (McLaughlin 1998) for the purposes of identifying geographical imaginations that are central to world politics. It will outline what vernacular political theory is, and distinguish it from reflectivist or allegorical views of popular culture in world politics. It will then outline how to analyse vernacular political theory in practice. It will show the value of adopting a mixed-method approach that is sensitive to genre conventions, historical contexts, scholarly theoretical framings, and the potential for an artefact to be disruptive to predominant political understandings and practices. The session will then engage in a hands-on analysis of a section from the Paddington Bear series of children's books.

*Please note that this workshop is intended primarily for those interested in academic research on popular culture*

Facebook event: Capturing Geographical Imaginations: Methodological Reflections

The workshop will be followed by the seminar with Dr. Grayson on the same day in the afternoon at 16:00.

Dr. Kyle Grayson (PhD York University, Canada) is a Senior Lecturer in International Politics in the School of Geography, Politics, and Sociology at Newcastle University UK and Acting Honorary Secretary of the British International Studies Association. He is a co-editor of the UK Political Studies Association's journal POLITICS, an associate editor of the journal Critical Studies on Security, and a co-editor of the Popular Culture and World Politics Series (Routledge). Recently, his research has appeared in BJPIR, Political Geography, Review of International Studies, and Security Dialogue. His first monograph entitled Chasing Dragons: Security, Identity, and Illicit Drugs in Canada was published by University of Toronto Press in 2008 and his second 'The Cultural Politics of Targeted Killing: Drones, Counter-Insurgency, and Violence' was published by Routledge in 2016.