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            <link>/socsci/blog/2026-school-of-social-science-pgr-writing-retreat/</link>
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            <title><![CDATA[2026 School of Social Science PGR Writing Retreat]]></title>
            <pubDate>Thu, 23 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Since 2024, the School of Social Science has organised an annual writing retreat for our PhD researchers in the small town of Kingussie within the Cairngorms national park in the Scottish Highlands. This year&rsquo;s edition of the Retreat brough together 10 researchers, including one member of academic staff, from Sociology, Anthropology, Politics and International Relations. We spent three nights and two and a half days at the Kingussie Railway Rooms discussing research and career development, walking, cooking, relaxing, and, of course, writing.
The Writing Retreat was initiated and is driven by the School EDI Committee, and its core aims are&#8230;]]></description>
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            <link>/socsci/blog/translocal-deliberation-from-everyday-peacebuilding-to-political-impact/</link>
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            <title><![CDATA[Translocal Deliberation: from everyday peacebuilding to political impact?]]></title>
            <pubDate>Fri, 22 May 2026 00:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[
Public discourse on the constitutional future of the island of Ireland is often polarising or induces disengagement from the topic. How might deliberative engagement push the discussion beyond this point, towards a shared vision for the future? &lsquo;Constitutional Visions from the Grassroots&rsquo; explored this question through a series of deliberative caf&eacute;s across the border. Here the research team share insights from the project, and reflect on the value of translocal deliberation for peace-building and constitution-making.



by Jennifer Todd, Joanne McEvoy and Shelley Deane | May 6, 2026
Translocal Deliberation: from everyday peacebuilding to political impact? | Deliberative Democracy Digest]]></description>
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            <link>/socsci/blog/dr-manu-lekunze-on-what-african-history-can-tell-us-about-us-objectives-in-its-war-with-iran/</link>
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            <title><![CDATA[Dr Manu Lekunze on What African History Can Tell US about US Objectives in its War with Iran]]></title>
            <pubDate>Thu, 16 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Below is a new blog post by Dr Manu Lekunze&nbsp;first published on LSE blogs.
&nbsp;
What African history can tell us about US objectives in its war with Iran
&nbsp;
Since the US and Israel began military strikes against Iran at the end of February, the campaign&rsquo;s objectives have been unclear.&nbsp;Manu Lekunze&nbsp;writes that looking to the history of Western powers&rsquo; attempts to control West and Central African governments, such as the Congo during the Cold War, can give some clues as to US objectives in Iran. Ultimately the US aims to force Iran to &ldquo;make a deal&rdquo; so that it&#8230;]]></description>
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            <link>/socsci/blog/pgr-engagement-committee-pgrec/</link>
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            <title><![CDATA[PGR Engagement Committee (PGREC)]]></title>
            <pubDate>Mon, 09 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The PGR Engagement Committee (PGREC) is well underway in its first year, planning events and initiatives for our PGRs. The committee is dedicated to supporting postgraduate researchers and addressing their needs where possible. You can find our contact information below&mdash;please don&rsquo;t hesitate to get in touch. Keep an eye out for upcoming events organised by the committee!
&nbsp;
PGR Rep: Grace Johnson &ndash; g.johnson.21@abdn.ac.uk
Anthropology Rep: Sophie Henderson &ndash; s.henderson1.24@abdn.ac.uk
Politics &amp; IR Rep: Anna Gaudet &ndash; a.gaudet.23@abdn.ac.uk
Sociology Rep: Rebecca Ebenezer-Abiola &ndash; r.ebenezer-abiola.22@abdn.ac.uk
Distance Learner Rep: Karen Harradine &ndash; k.harradine.24@abdn.ac.uk
PGREC_Meet_the_Team_Poster.pdf]]></description>
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            <link>/socsci/blog/social-science-pgr-writing-retreat/</link>
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            <title><![CDATA[Social Science PGR Writing Retreat]]></title>
            <pubDate>Thu, 18 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Testimonial from Xupeng Han, Politics and International Relations PGR
'The Social Science PGR Writing Retreat was a truly valuable and meaningful experience for me. It offered a rare opportunity to connect with colleagues in a relaxed and friendly environment&mdash;not just about academic topics, but also about our lives and experiences.'
&nbsp;]]></description>
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            <link>/socsci/blog/the-power-of-the-photograph-the-independents-framing-of-the-ongoing-ukraine-conflict/</link>
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            <title><![CDATA[The Power of the Photograph: The Independent's Framing of the Ongoing Ukraine Conflict]]></title>
            <pubDate>Wed, 26 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[A student who graduated in PIR at the 51cg, Grace Lily Broad, has just published on the LSE blog. The article is based on her dissertation, and titled &ldquo;The power of the photograph: The Independent&rsquo;s framing of the ongoing Ukraine conflict&rdquo;.
Grace Lily Broad is an MA Politics and International Relations graduate from the 51cg, currently studying towards a Masters in Modern and Contemporary Art (History, Curating, Criticism) at the University of Edinburgh. Interested in the dynamic intersection between art and the political, Grace hopes to combine these passions and continue her interdisciplinary research in documentary&#8230;]]></description>
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            <link>/socsci/blog/strategic-studies-scifi-writing-competition-quantum-cascade-the-silent-war/</link>
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            <title><![CDATA[Strategic Studies Sci-Fi Writing Competition - Quantum Cascade: The Silent War]]></title>
            <pubDate>Fri, 21 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Below is the winning entry for the inaugural Science Fiction Writing Competition held by the Strategic Studies team.&nbsp; You can learn more about the competition, and the winners here.
Quantum Cascade: The Silent War
By Kara Schneider
Chapter 1: The Catalyst
The year was 2045, and the world teetered on the edge of a new technological era. Quantum technologies had matured, offering infinite possibilities in energy, computing, and weaponry. At the forefront of this revolution was the Sovereign Network, a distributed quantum intelligence developed by the Coalition of Independent States (CIS) to secure global peace. The Network's purpose was to&#8230;]]></description>
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            <link>/socsci/blog/strategic-studies-scifi-writing-competition-trolljegeren/</link>
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            <title><![CDATA[Strategic Studies Sci-Fi Writing Competition - Trolljegeren]]></title>
            <pubDate>Fri, 21 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Below is the second place entry for the inaugural Science Fiction Writing Competition held by the Strategic Studies team.&nbsp; You can learn more about the competition, and the winners&nbsp;here.
Trolljegeren
By Ramon Jeriel Sawit
Dec 4, 2030 - Svalbard, Norway
It was a cold day in Nordvest-Spitsbergen National Park. "Day" was a misnomer, it was almost noon but it was dark. There wouldn't be daylight for weeks.
Lucas and his 4-man team just left their snowmobiles as they began to trek toward the Troll hot springs. They carried their packs, slung their rifles, and huddled quickly to check the map&#8230;]]></description>
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            <link>/socsci/blog/strategic-studies-scifi-writing-competition-a-human-ideal/</link>
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            <title><![CDATA[Strategic Studies Sci-Fi Writing Competition - A Human Ideal]]></title>
            <pubDate>Fri, 21 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Below is the third place entry for the inaugural Science Fiction Writing Competition held by the Strategic Studies team.&nbsp; You can learn more about the competition, and the winners&nbsp;here.
A Human Ideal
By Milena Rusztowicz
&nbsp;
Oh child sweet child forgive me, forgive us, for we have failed you. You will be nothing but a pawn now, a life, a variable.
When war broke out it was nothing like the centuries before. We made him in our image, inputting the centuries of history our species had lived, teaching him our morals, values, and reasoning for all we do.
It began&#8230;]]></description>
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            <link>/socsci/blog/securitisation-or-intervention-whats-next-for-sweden/</link>
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            <title><![CDATA[Securitisation or Intervention - What's Next for Sweden?]]></title>
            <pubDate>Mon, 10 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Mass shootings &ndash; especially school shootings - are rare in Sweden. On February 4th, 2025, the country experienced the &ldquo;worst mass shooting in Swedish history&rdquo; in the city of &Ouml;rebro. A gunman opened fire at Campus Risbergska, an adult education centre, killing ten individuals and injuring six others before turning the gun on himself. As Sweden mourns, authorities are slowly revealing information about the shooting and perpetrator, leaving many with more questions than answers.
John Johansson, chairman of &Ouml;rebro&rsquo;s municipal board, was interviewed by The Associated Press in the aftermath. He stated, &ldquo;We are still asking questions of why, still&#8230;]]></description>
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            <link>/socsci/blog/dr-malcolm-harvey-shares-his-analysis-on-the-2024-us-elections/</link>
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            <title><![CDATA[Dr Malcolm Harvey Shares His Analysis on the 2024 US Elections]]></title>
            <pubDate>Wed, 13 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The original is always better than the sequel, right?
&nbsp;
It seems appropriate writing for a Sunday newspaper to begin with a Biblical quote.&nbsp; I guess I could reach for something from Revelations, the impending apocalypse and the Four Horsemen &ndash; and, indeed, that would seem fitting.&nbsp; But the one that keeps coming back to me is from the Old Testament.
&nbsp;&ldquo;There is nothing new under the sun&rdquo; Ecclesiastes tells us.&nbsp; Or in modern language, &ldquo;we&rsquo;ve seen this movie before.&rdquo;
Another US election has come and gone, riven by division, partisanship and polarization.&nbsp; A campaign characterised by distrust, distaste and&#8230;]]></description>
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            <link>/socsci/blog/all-news-finds-them-unravelling-young-adults-use-of-tiktok-for-accessing-news-content/</link>
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            <title><![CDATA[All News Finds Them: Unravelling young adult's use of TikTok for accessing news content]]></title>
            <pubDate>Mon, 26 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Challenges of digital literacy, fake news, and obtaining news content through social media &nbsp;
In today&rsquo;s digital age, social media platforms have evolved into integral components of modern society, shaping how individuals communicate and consume information. Platforms such as Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and TikTok have revolutionised the way news is accessed and shared worldwide due to their ease of access, low cost, and rapid dissemination of content. However, this convenience has introduced a significant challenge: the widespread circulation of fake news, which undermines the credibility of information shared on these platforms. The World Health Organization has even coined the&#8230;]]></description>
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            <link>/socsci/blog/uk-general-election-2024-when-voters-fell-out-of-love-with-the-snp/</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">/socsci/blog/uk-general-election-2024-when-voters-fell-out-of-love-with-the-snp/</guid>
            <title><![CDATA[UK General Election 2024: When voters fell out of love with the SNP]]></title>
            <pubDate>Mon, 15 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The SNP was expected to lose seats in this election. The result, though, was worse than pre-election polls predicted and worse than the party leadership feared. The SNP returned only nine of Scotland&rsquo;s 57 MPs, a dramatic collapse from the 48 elected in 2019, and the party&rsquo;s percentage of the vote declined from 45% to 30%. Labour won 37 seats on 35% of the vote. (The Lib Dems won six seats and the Conservatives five.) To a degree, the 2024 election reversed the events of 2015 when the SNP jumped from six to 56 MPs, an electoral shock which itself&#8230;]]></description>
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            <link>/socsci/blog/2024-uk-election-results-below-the-top-line-a-complex-picture-emerges/</link>
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            <title><![CDATA[2024 UK election results: Below the top line, a complex picture emerges]]></title>
            <pubDate>Mon, 08 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[As with any electoral event, it&rsquo;s difficult to keep track of all the myriad stories interwoven into the broader narrative.&nbsp; The main headline: Sir Keir Starmer is the new Prime Minister, heading a Labour government that has won a landslide of seats.&nbsp; But even that &ndash; predictable but still momentous &ndash; change only tells a partial story.
Labour&rsquo;s majority of 174 is second only to Tony Blair&rsquo;s 1997 landslide in the post-war era.&nbsp; The Conservatives have returned their lowest number of MPs in over a century.&nbsp; The Liberal Democrats got over 70 seats for the first time, comfortably returning to&#8230;]]></description>
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            <link>/socsci/blog/exploring-political-corruption-in-liberal-democracies-a-case-study-on-the-united-kingdoms-response-to-the-partygate-scandal/</link>
            <guid isPermaLink="true">/socsci/blog/exploring-political-corruption-in-liberal-democracies-a-case-study-on-the-united-kingdoms-response-to-the-partygate-scandal/</guid>
            <title><![CDATA[Exploring Political Corruption in Liberal Democracies: A Case Study on the United Kingdom's response to the 'Party-gate' scandal.]]></title>
            <pubDate>Mon, 17 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0100</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Within the field of liberal democracies, the prevalent occurrence of political corruption becomes an inescapable area of study. This rampant issue considerably influences not only government institutions and governing bodies, but furthermore the fundamental structure of the democratic society. The recent 'Party-gate' scandal in the United Kingdom provides a noteworthy case study into the subject of political corruption - an examination that encompasses not merely the wrongdoing but also the ensuing repercussions and sentiments.
The 'Party-gate' scandal is centred around a series of alleged social gatherings orchestrated by government officials. These events, however, were not any typical gathering or assembly,&#8230;]]></description>
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