I have just returned home from an intensive-yet-relaxing two and a half day writing retreat at The Gladstone Library in Hawarden, organised by The Sociological Review. Now in its fourth year, the retreat is designed for early career researchers with places awarded on a competitive basis that priorities scholars from communities that are under-represented in academia. It is an extremely useful and important initiative, reflecting well on TSR that it is focusing its resources on supporting emerging scholars rather than more high-profile events.

Despite the blistering heat, the combination of dedicated writing time, relaxing walks in the countryside, great food and isolation from the 24-hour news cycle has been immeasurably useful. Not only have I been “productive” in terms of writing, but I have also been stimulated by colleagues working on exciting topics across a variety of disciplines, all connected to sociology – and pushing its boundaries. It has been a welcome temporary break from anthropology-heavy recent experiences, and one that finds me returning home with a new-found determination not necessarily to write more, but certainly to take more joy in the process, appreciate collegiate communities, and feel confident in my own work.

Our extremely timely latest issue of Red Pepper takes a dual focus on two of the most pressing issues of our time: climate emergency and the rise of the far-right.

The Culture Section features a diverse set of takes on independent music, from a co-op venue in Bristol to anti-fascist and feminist music festivals in Manchester and Washington, D.C., to a revealing interview with London-based rapper Lowkey.

 

 

After handing over the reigns to Dr Jara Carrington for a great episode on Queer Anthropology, and to Ruthie Flynn for an insightful intro to Hunters & Gatherers, I’m back in the Producer role for our latest bite-sized overview of a key concept in anthropology: NGOs. I spoke to Dr Mark Schuller about the foremothers and groundbreakers in feminist anthropology, and about the politics of citations.

Click here for resources, links, additional background, and episode transcript. Earlier episodes, on Feminist Anthropology, Sovereignty and on Scientific Racism are also available at the Society for Cultural Anthropology.

Immensely proud of our latest issue of Red Pepper, which takes an extensive look at feminist futures, presents and pasts.

The Culture Section addresses Museums from a number of important perspectives, from the importance of decolonising and dissenting methodologies, to industrial actions protecting our institutions, to an appreciative exploration of the People’s History Museum in Manchester.

In the latest Red Pepper, we focus on exciting new strategies embraced by unions in and beyond the UK, and discuss the rise and impact of Brazil’s new right-wing President.

The Culture Section is on Cinema, with excellent pieces on new films Sorry to Bother You and Peterloo as well as an in-depth look at The Star & Shadow, a community-run cinema in Newcastle embracing a DIY ethos.

Very proud to have my research published in the Political and Legal Anthropology Review. The journal is doing an impressive job responding to current trends and events without long delay, and is making a great deal of material Open Access.

Full citation: McGuirk, S. (2018), (In)credible Subjects: NGOs, Attorneys, and Permissible LGBT Asylum Seeker Identities. PoLAR, 41: 4-18. doi:10.1111/plar.12250

Please get in touch if you would like to read a copy of the article, or would like to share your thoughts on it.

Now I’m back in the UK, I’m able to return to contributing more regularly to Red Pepper magazine – a vital outlet for non-partisan leftist debate and analysis. I’ve been involved with the magazine for ten years, and am proud to be a member of the Editorial Collective.

My commissioning focuses on Culture. As we move to a quarterly publishing cycle, I’m embracing a different theme for each issue. This gives us the chance to take a deeper look into topics rather than an overview. I will also be writing a regular column introducing the section.

This month, following a summer of World Cup fever, our Culture theme is: Football. Other sections of the magazine focus on The World Transformed and new socialist trends across Europe.