Periodic Reporting for period 4 - EoPPP (A Global Comparative Ethnography of Parliaments, Politicians and People: representation, relationships and ruptures)
Reporting period: 2024-04-01 to 2024-09-30
This research was a response to political turmoil. Our objectives were: to (a) pioneer comparative ethnographies of parliaments, politicians and people, (b) offer opportunities to scholars in the Global South, (c) influence academics and politicians to reimagine their communication and relationships. Our overall research question was: How are conflictual and co-operative relationships among and between parliamentarians and people expressed by political communication? More specific questions were: (a) How is knowledge used in different interactions and identity negotiations; (b) What kind of power struggles and exchanges lead to conflict, ruptures, violence, and consensus between politicians and people? (c) How are co-operative relationships, alliances and processes of collusion created? (d) How is political communication shaped by (and shaping) intersectional inequalities? To research these complex questions in six sites, we undertook ethnography (conventional, comparative, visual and collaborative), network analysis and digital analysis. The majority in the team were from the Global South; three Brazilians, one Ethiopian, one Portuguese British, two white British and one Asian British; the two advisors were both Dutch British, while we also employed five consultants from India, Fiji and Ethiopia.
Across all sites, we found that the study of political institutions requires attention beyond the orthodox approach that focuses on individual political leaders, and the outputs and practices that tend to be analysed in wholes: as institutions, systems or structures. We investigated relational processes, for which ethnography is an especially powerful methodological approach due to the inevitable interest in history, entanglements and connections that emerge out of a disposition towards holism and reflexivity. Our framework for analysing relationships and the knowledge was based on a musical analogy. We inquired into how ideologies are contested through ‘riffs’ tailored for different audiences, how rhythms of political work are performed in synchrony, asynchrony or dissonance, and how political rituals are enacted to negotiate or contest power and meaning. How these manifested, and with what results, varied across sites but all six sites shared an increasing rigidity and violence manifested within processes of political polarisation. The music is becoming discordant and repetitive. The polarisation no longer revolves primarily around fiscal policy and state intervention but arises out of disagreement about the nature of politics and even who we are as social, political and moral beings.
Across all sites, we found that the study of political institutions requires attention beyond the orthodox approach that focuses on individual political leaders, and the outputs and practices that tend to be analysed in wholes: as institutions, systems or structures. We investigated relational processes, for which ethnography is an especially powerful methodological approach due to the inevitable interest in history, entanglements and connections that emerge out of a disposition towards holism and reflexivity. Our framework for analysing relationships and the knowledge was based on a musical analogy. We inquired into how ideologies are contested through ‘riffs’ tailored for different audiences, how rhythms of political work are performed in synchrony, asynchrony or dissonance, and how political rituals are enacted to negotiate or contest power and meaning. How these manifested, and with what results, varied across sites but all six sites shared an increasing rigidity and violence manifested within processes of political polarisation. The music is becoming discordant and repetitive. The polarisation no longer revolves primarily around fiscal policy and state intervention but arises out of disagreement about the nature of politics and even who we are as social, political and moral beings.
Sociality in politics is changing, and this plays out in differently in the six sites for historical reasons. The main results:
• Brazil: Bernardes (with Holyer and Fontes), inquired into and wrote about political brokerage, women MPs and the political use of social media in contemporary democracies. The collaborative outputs included a special issue with the PI, book chapters, papers presented at international conferences, and a proposed book on women’s political representation.
• Ethiopia: Gabrehiwot's research on Ethiopian politics combined fieldwork in Tigray, in the Ethiopian parliament and with the diaspora in Europe. He collaborated with local artists to produce animated films, photographs, and paintings, and shared his results at three conferences and film festivals. He has a journal article and monograph being considered for publication.
• Fiji: Kaur’s research involved (1 digital ethnography of the Fiji Parliament and of civilian-political engagement; and (2) collaborative arts-based research with Fijian film-makers. Publications include a film, podcast, and blogs/articles on the anthropology of coups, Fiji’s parliament, and Fiji’s changing relationship to democracy.
• India: Axelby’s research in India, contributed to two journal articles on (1) the marginalisation of Scheduled Tribe groups; and (2) on elections over 20 years. He commissioned an Indian researcher (Vidya Venkat) to research and produce an exhibition exhibit about Freedom of Information.
• The UK: Axelby's research on the Sheffield Council looked at why citizens’ trust was at breaking point. His forthcoming monograph tracks the rebuilding process as Councillors adopt a new governance structure and try to establish better relationships with the people they aim to represent.
• The US: Crewe was immersed in the Texas state legislature in 2023. She collaborated with a political scientist, an artist and another anthropologist to study bipartisanship. In addition to the outputs in the exhibition, she has two journal articles under consideration and has presented findings on Texas at 7 seminars/conferences.
The Living Democracy exhibition compared and synthesised our findings. All outputs are available on the Global Research Network on Parliaments and People website: https://grnpp.org/output-library/(opens in new window)
• Brazil: Bernardes (with Holyer and Fontes), inquired into and wrote about political brokerage, women MPs and the political use of social media in contemporary democracies. The collaborative outputs included a special issue with the PI, book chapters, papers presented at international conferences, and a proposed book on women’s political representation.
• Ethiopia: Gabrehiwot's research on Ethiopian politics combined fieldwork in Tigray, in the Ethiopian parliament and with the diaspora in Europe. He collaborated with local artists to produce animated films, photographs, and paintings, and shared his results at three conferences and film festivals. He has a journal article and monograph being considered for publication.
• Fiji: Kaur’s research involved (1 digital ethnography of the Fiji Parliament and of civilian-political engagement; and (2) collaborative arts-based research with Fijian film-makers. Publications include a film, podcast, and blogs/articles on the anthropology of coups, Fiji’s parliament, and Fiji’s changing relationship to democracy.
• India: Axelby’s research in India, contributed to two journal articles on (1) the marginalisation of Scheduled Tribe groups; and (2) on elections over 20 years. He commissioned an Indian researcher (Vidya Venkat) to research and produce an exhibition exhibit about Freedom of Information.
• The UK: Axelby's research on the Sheffield Council looked at why citizens’ trust was at breaking point. His forthcoming monograph tracks the rebuilding process as Councillors adopt a new governance structure and try to establish better relationships with the people they aim to represent.
• The US: Crewe was immersed in the Texas state legislature in 2023. She collaborated with a political scientist, an artist and another anthropologist to study bipartisanship. In addition to the outputs in the exhibition, she has two journal articles under consideration and has presented findings on Texas at 7 seminars/conferences.
The Living Democracy exhibition compared and synthesised our findings. All outputs are available on the Global Research Network on Parliaments and People website: https://grnpp.org/output-library/(opens in new window)
This programme went beyond expectations in reaching scholarly and public audiences:
The PI, Axelby and Kaur established a Committee on Policy and Practice at the Royal Anthropological Institute and ran a webinar series during Covid-19 about how ethnography has enabled collaboration with policy-making institutions. Recognising the value of ethnographic expertise, Axelby was invited to join Sheffield Council’s Governance Committee Advisory Group supporting new approaches to citizens’ engagement.
The PI secured the editorship of a new book series at Berghahn on Living Democracy, with two books already accepted (by Axelby and Amir Massoumian, the Project Co-ordinator) and a third under review. The value of ethnography in parliamentary studies gained further recognition with the PI being commissioned to co-author three articles in Parliamentary Affairs on the past, present and future of parliamentary studies; to edit the first Elgar Encyclopedia in Parliamentary Studies (with Bernardes); and to Chair the Study of Parliament Group UK (a network of parliamentary scholars and officials).
The film festival and Living Democracy exhibition attracted over 10,000 visitors, including parliamentary officials, students and the public, who saw democracy portrayed in entirely new ways. This is available online (https://exhibition.grnpp.org/virtual-exhibition/(opens in new window)) with an accompanying catalogue Open Conversations (https://eprints.soas.ac.uk/42856/1/Catalogo_v7_20240812.pdf(opens in new window)).
The filmmaking was far more extensive than planned. We produced: (1) two ethnographic documentary films about politics in Sheffield: ‘Mugut: The Wheels of Democracy’ (directed by Gabrehiwot) examining political culture from an Ethiopian perspective, while ‘Full Council’ (by Axelby and van der Maarel) reveals the ritual practices of city councillors. (2) The Elections in Paradise, by Fijian filmmakers, screened across the Pacific, to citizens, academics, activists, and politicians, (c) The Chamber, a film produced by Bernardes and de Aragão in Brazil, screened in England, France, Portugal, Mexico, Peru, and numerous cities across Brazil, exploring experiences of Brazilian congresswomen. It was awarded Best Film by the Public Jury at the 57th Brasília Film Festival.
A book about Reimagining Parliament, edited by CI Leston-Bandeira, has been praised as “a fascinating and thought-provoking set of essays by experts in their fields" and was the subject of a panel at the annual conference of the UK Study of Parliament Group.
The PI, Axelby and Kaur established a Committee on Policy and Practice at the Royal Anthropological Institute and ran a webinar series during Covid-19 about how ethnography has enabled collaboration with policy-making institutions. Recognising the value of ethnographic expertise, Axelby was invited to join Sheffield Council’s Governance Committee Advisory Group supporting new approaches to citizens’ engagement.
The PI secured the editorship of a new book series at Berghahn on Living Democracy, with two books already accepted (by Axelby and Amir Massoumian, the Project Co-ordinator) and a third under review. The value of ethnography in parliamentary studies gained further recognition with the PI being commissioned to co-author three articles in Parliamentary Affairs on the past, present and future of parliamentary studies; to edit the first Elgar Encyclopedia in Parliamentary Studies (with Bernardes); and to Chair the Study of Parliament Group UK (a network of parliamentary scholars and officials).
The film festival and Living Democracy exhibition attracted over 10,000 visitors, including parliamentary officials, students and the public, who saw democracy portrayed in entirely new ways. This is available online (https://exhibition.grnpp.org/virtual-exhibition/(opens in new window)) with an accompanying catalogue Open Conversations (https://eprints.soas.ac.uk/42856/1/Catalogo_v7_20240812.pdf(opens in new window)).
The filmmaking was far more extensive than planned. We produced: (1) two ethnographic documentary films about politics in Sheffield: ‘Mugut: The Wheels of Democracy’ (directed by Gabrehiwot) examining political culture from an Ethiopian perspective, while ‘Full Council’ (by Axelby and van der Maarel) reveals the ritual practices of city councillors. (2) The Elections in Paradise, by Fijian filmmakers, screened across the Pacific, to citizens, academics, activists, and politicians, (c) The Chamber, a film produced by Bernardes and de Aragão in Brazil, screened in England, France, Portugal, Mexico, Peru, and numerous cities across Brazil, exploring experiences of Brazilian congresswomen. It was awarded Best Film by the Public Jury at the 57th Brasília Film Festival.
A book about Reimagining Parliament, edited by CI Leston-Bandeira, has been praised as “a fascinating and thought-provoking set of essays by experts in their fields" and was the subject of a panel at the annual conference of the UK Study of Parliament Group.