Democracy in Action

Jimena Vazquez is PhD candidate in the Government Department and member of the Centre for Ideology and Discourse Analysis. Her PhD research focuses on theories of political subjectivation and critique in Michel Foucault’s thought. More broadly, her research interests focus on subjectivity in post-structuralist discourse theory and its interplay with power and the possibilities for political action. Her interest in possibilities for political action has led her to become involved in interdisciplinary projects, such as Democracy in Action, that allow precisely for the exploration of such possibilities.

“Being able to participate in the drafting of Democracy in Action and its pilot module was an extremely enriching experience. I have always been interested in better understanding how to connect theory and practice, as well as exploring practice-based learning, and this module allowed for precisely that! The engagement that I witnessed from students was amazing and so fulfilling.”

Julius is a PhD student in the Government Department and studies the rise of the far-right in Germany. He is intrigued by the inter-disciplinary nature of the seminar and enjoys accompanying the projects of the students on topics they are passionate about in a supportive role.

"As an undergraduate student myself I was often frustrated how even assignments from a critical perspective had no real-life impact and stayed files-to-be-forgotten on one's laptop and therefore wanted to be part of this project which aims to strengthen ties with and bring about positive change in the community."

Anne undertakes her PhD in Accounting at the Essex Business School. She is also a member of the Centre for Ideology and Discourse Analysis. Anne studies the political nature of performance measures in workplaces. For this, she draws on the lived experiences of employees with the autoimmune disorder Coeliac Disease.

“After supporting the pilot module, I am excited to assist with the teaching and running of Democracy in Action this year. What makes the module so different to other modules is that it engages students actively in the learning outcomes. Rather than providing students with case studies in the classroom, we take them to the action, right into the local community.”

Anam Kuraishi is a PhD candidate in the Government department. Her PhD research focuses on reconceptualising the post-truth phenomenon. She bridges post-structuralist discourse theory with empiricism to develop an alternative definition of post-truth in relation to discourse and exemplifies post-truth accounts in Pakistani newspapers, alongside measuring the perceived truthfulness of post-truth accounts using a survey experiment. Her research lies at the intersection of comparative politics, and critical political theory with a regional specialization in South Asia. Her interest in interdisciplinary research led her to be involved in projects such as Democracy in Action that allow the exploration of practice-based learning.

"Democracy in Action provides a platform where students can implement the theories learnt in class into practice to bring about a positive change in their communities. The practice-based learning offered in this course is an enriching and exciting experience."

Kostis is a Lecturer in Social Work and Social Justice division at the School of Health and Social Care. He is interested on the social impact of community-based and grassroots forms of welfare provisioning. He is a founding member of the centre for Ideology and Discourse Analysis, and his recent research focuses on the politics of the commons, social movements, and social and solidarity economy. He has worked with various organisations and community projects in Europe and the UK.

"Democracy in Action gave us the opportunity to coproduce a space of learning as a common good, in terms of equality, freedom and active participation. Thus, our approach attempted to engender an educational space where students do not rely on teachers to explain reality to them. In this sense, one main aim was to enact a pedagogical practice that does not recognise any natural intellectual hierarchy. Students were encouraged to think and take action for themselves and in turn this enabled us to adopt a facilitating-companion role in helping students to become active learners."