Dr Alejandro Milcíades Peña
Senior Lecturer

Profile

Biography

Alejandro’s interests are thematically and theoretically diverse, crossing international relations theory, political sociology and social movement studies, and Latin American politics. At the moment, he is interested in two intersections: the one between institutionalised and contentious politics, and the one between contentious processes and international structures and dynamics. 

More information on Alejandro’s research 

Alejandro joined the Department in September 2014. Previously he held a Lectureship in the Department of Politics and History at Brunel University London, and was Assistant Lecturer at City University of London, where he was also an Honorary Research Fellow. His research has been published in prestigious journals in diverse fields, including the European Journal of International Relations, International Political Sociology, Regulation & Governance, Mobilization, New Political Economy, and others. He is also the author of ‘Transnational Governance and South American Politics: The Political Economy of Norms’ (Palgrave, 2016).

Alejandro received a PhD in International Politics from City University of London, an M.A in Human Resources and Knowledge Management from Lancaster University, a master’s degree in Sociology and Political Science from FLACSO Argentina, and an Industrial Engineering degree from the Buenos Aires Institute of Technology (ITBA). Prior to landing in the UK, Alejandro worked several years in a large industrial holding in Argentina. He likes academia more but learnt a lot in the private sector. 

Research

Overview

• International Relations: Interface between sociology and international relations theory in general, with a focus on issues of global civil society, social movements, and transnational governance and norm diffusion, as well as applications of Niklas Luhmann’s System Theory.
• Political Sociology. Networks, mechanisms, and dynamics of state-party-movement interaction, contentious strategies and counter-strategies, and the international impact of protest events.
• Latin American Politics: State-society and state-business relations, political culture and governance, civil society and social movements, with a principal but not restricted focus on Argentina and Brazil.

Alejandro welcomes applications in any of these areas and their intersections.

Teaching

Undergraduate

• Introduction to International Politics (convenor)
• Politics and the Street (convenor)

Postgraduate

• Themes and Theories and International Relations (Convenor)

Other teaching

Doctoral Supervision

• Soraya Hamdaoui, ‘Democratisation from the Margins: Cultural policy as alternative governance in Post-Authoritarian Chile’, Leading Supervisor.
• Hafiza Nur Adeen Nor Ahmad, ‘The Rise of Malaysian Islamic Militancy (1980-2015)’, Co-Supervisor with Dr. Claire Smith.
• Matthew Barlow, ‘Tax regimes and development in Latin America: Structuralism, Neostructuralism and Development Debates in Argentina’, Co-Supervisor with Prof. Jean Grugel.
• Rodrigo Duque Estrada Campos, ‘The Transnational Making of Authoritarian Neoliberalism in Brazil: Theory and Praxis of Far-Right Politics’, Leading Supervisor
• Omran Al-Abri, ‘Explaining the autonomy of Oman’s foreign policy since 1979’, Co-Supervisor with Prof. Graeme Davies
• Tamsin Mitchell, ‘Journalists as human rights defenders: countering impunity in Honduras and Mexico’, Member of Thesis Advisory Panel.
• Paulina Flores Martínez. ‘Mapping the Environmental Consequences of Agricultural Value Chains in Latin America: the Case of Mexico’, Member of Thesis Advisory Panel