Marking fifty years since the premiere of Trevor Griffiths’ Comedians, Stephen Wagg reflects on the changing role of comedy in modern society. He traces the rise of alternative comedy, the decline of a shared national comedy culture, and the growing influence of comedians in shaping political and social conversations.
Rethinking Democratic Competition
A new book from the British Academy sets out to reframe the role of competition in democratic theory.
Heroes or Villains? Democracy, Discourse, and New Actors in Romanian Politics: Inside the New Journal of Romanian Studies Special Issue
This special issue of the Journal of Romanian Studies, Heroes or Villains? Democracy, Discourse, and New Actors in Romanian Politics, offers a focused examination of Romania’s rapidly shifting political landscape during the 2024–2025 elections.
British Society in Crisis by Neville Kirk
Britain experienced continual crises from the 1970s to Brexit in 2016. Neville Kirk's new publication British Society and its Three Crises: From 1970s Globalisation, to the Financial Crash of 2007-8 and the onset of Brexit in 2016 is an innovative and comprehensive study which pays special attention to three combined crises: the development of neo-liberal … Continue reading
Walking as Methodology: Tracing post-conflict Belfast on foot
Only 20 years old when she first set foot on Northern Irish soil as part of a university exchange, Elizabeth DeYoung (now Dr. DeYoung) spent months getting accustomed to the paths, people, and pubs of Belfast. It wasn’t until her return, years later, during a chance conversation with an old landlord, that she learned of … Continue reading
