Cultural Politics University of Buckingham

Overview

Cultural Politics at University of Buckingham is intended to impart all the skills necessary for the student to work as an independent researcher and writer – skills that are valued by both academic and non-academic employers. But the PhD can be undertaken just as fulfillingly as an exercise in the pursuit of knowledge for its own sake, and as a means of exploring areas of enquiry that are of particular interest to the student. A number of our most successful student researchers are those who take up doctoral study at the end of a successful career in a different field or profession.

There is an enormously broad range of possible thesis subjects in cultural politics. This could range from questions of nationalism and populism, to problems of liberalisation and value change to the rise of the cultural left to culture wars to issues or those of political demography. Religion and politics is also within our purview. While the central interest is the modern West, those seeking to venture further back in time or explore non-Western societies are also welcome to apply. Given sufficient evidence to illuminate it, almost any thesis that involves a cultural and political dimension may potentially form an appropriate focus of study. The definition of the PhD subject is an iterative process, and it is usual for the candidate’s first thoughts on the topic to be modified in the course of the first year of study.

After your course

The University’s Course Directors, students’ supervisors, and the Research Officer and Tutor for Graduate Students are available to discuss students’ post-graduation plans and how they may utilise most effectively the skills acquired during their studies.