Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: British antipathy toward European integration is anomalous given the large degree of social transformation evident among domestic economic and social actors and the expectations of the 'Europeanization' scholars, who anticipate a convergence in structures, processes and even attitudes to Europe. This paper examines British governmental preferences toward European integration from an institutionalist standpoint, asking whether British exceptionalism can be explained by domestic political processes that somehow insulate British policy making from forces operating at the European level, creating revealed preferences significantly at odds with the integrationist norm in Europe. We criticize the 'historical-cultural' approach to this subject, and suggest that 'hard institutions,' such as the electoral system, and 'soft institutions,' such as the mythologizing of sovereignty through official and popular discourse, combine to explain British policy choice to a significant degree.

Publication Type: Poster
Abstract: In the wake of terrorist attacks in Britain, carried out by British citizens, as well as rising public discourse over the impact of immigration, there has been discussion about the need to cultivate a British identity and instil in the British public a sense of “British pride”. This idea relates to Tajfel and Turner’s (1979) Social Identity Theory and intends to create and maintain positive intra-group relations. Is it possible to have a single British identity across the United Kingdom (UK) and if so, what would its properties be? The poster will present the results of an investigation to identify the components that are most important in the formation of a British identity; a precursor to creating a British Identity Scale. Data is being collected across the UK from a diverse sample of Sixth Form students regarding their notions of British identity and what they consider to be the key properties of Britishness. While Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s idea for trying to instil a sense of oneness amongst the nearly 61 million residents of the UK is noteworthy, the task may be difficult. Regional divisions (e.g., Scotland-England) may present similar problems to those faced in countries like Belgium, with its geo-linguistic division (e.g., van de Craen, 2002). This investigation should highlight common and divergent notions of Britishness, with respect to the UK’s ethnically and geographic diverse population. In addition, the investigation will be the first step in creating a British identity scale that can be used in future studies.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: The paper will evaluate the process leading to a British decision to maintain its nuclear weapons capability and its consequences for British foreign policy with a view to arguing that a decision to not renew or to reverse a decision to renew could open up new and positive opportunities for British foreign policy. The paper will examine the nuclear decision in the context not just of the unilateral British position but also in relation to Britain's place in the foreign and defence policy process of the European Union. Particular attention will be paid to the role of Britain's European and Transatlantic partners in the framing of the British decision to maintain or not an ongoing nuclear capability.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: Using a structural equation modelling approach, this paper combines available campaign data to produce a latent measure of campaign effort to analyze its direct and indirect effect on party performance at the 2005 British General Election.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: This paper explores racial formation in the construction of immigration law and policy. Using Great Britain 1948-1971 as a case study, I examine the mediations that occurred between the state and society which brought about changes in political, social, and ideological notions of race. The unexpected arrival of significant numbers of migrants from the New Commonwealth in the late 1940s prompted the British government to seek ways of deterring immigration while preserving the idea of free entry and imperial unity. The result of the government’s efforts was the Commonwealth Immigrants Act of 1962 which effectively ended immigration from the Commonwealths. Through an exploration of the British governmental debates around the issue of Caribbean (i.e. black) immigration from 1948 to 1971, I demonstrate how the concepts of ‘race’, ‘nation’, and ‘citizenship’ came to be defined in the political ideology of the time. Also presented is a review and extension of Omi and Winant’s concept of “racial formation” (1994) to British politics. I argue that utilizing this concept as an analytical tool is crucial to our understanding of the ‘racist’ nature of British immigration laws and policies. The paper concludes that the concept of ‘racial formation’ provides researchers with a starting point in developing a racial theory that captures the centrality of race in British political history.