Angry Publics and New Politics: making sense of populism, nationalism, authoritarianism and more
L.R. Wilson Hall Room 1003, McMaster University
20/03/2018, 12:00 pm - TO 20/03/2018 - 2:00 pm
Organizer: Faculty of Social Sciences
As part of McMaster’s Socrates Project, and the Hooker Distinguished Lecturers series, Professor Emeritus John Clarke of the Open University, United Kingdom will be giving a series of five talks on a range of topics including austerity, new politics, policy in transition, contesting citizenship and remaking public service.
In recent years, a wave of new politics has appeared across the globe: Brexit in the UK, Hindu nationalism in India, Trump in the USA, ‘illiberal democracy’ in Hungary and many more. A variety of diagnoses have been offered – a new age of populism; the return of nationalism; a new authoritarian turn; or a new age of popular anger.
In this presentation I will suggest that focusing on a singular ‘ism’ misses the point. Instead, we might think through the mixtures of similarities and differences that connect popular politics in different places. How do popular feelings of anger, loss or dispossession come to be mobilised in political projects? Why have nativist, racist, misogynist and supremacist themes played such important roles in articulating anger? Are other popular politics possible?
Professor Clarke is giving this lecture to graduate students in a Global Social Policy course. Alumni of the School of Social Work and community partners are welcome to sit in on the class.
There is no cost to attend and a community parking rate is available. If you’d like to receive the readings, please email: sw50@mcmaster.ca