Research priming grant for new CAHR led project

Posted on 25 August 2015

A University of York pump prime grant for a research project entitled 'Democracies in Transition: Austerity and Activism in Southern Europe' has been granted to CAHR's Director Paul Gready and colleagues from four University departments.

The ongoing austerity-driven economic and political crisis in Greece and Spain constitutes a major opportunity to understand what transition means in contemporary democratic societies. A transition is underway, and this project seeks to analyse its political and economic consequences for democracy, activism, citizenship, welfare, etc. How is transition being configured? Transition from what, to what? Who are the actors involved and what are their roles? The project will build an inter-disciplinary network of scholars and practitioners to develop research projects and associated funding applications, using five themes to frame discussion: mobilisation and institutionalisation; spatializing transition; citizen attitudes to democracy and austerity; globalisation of crisis and protest; and political framing and communication.