Newcastle University

Qualifications

Ph.D., Graduate School of International Studies, University of Denver, 1996.
M.A., Graduate School of International Studies, University of Denver, 1986.
B.A. in Spanish, Colorado College.

Previous Positions

Assistant Professor, Political Science Department, Pennsylvania State University-Erie, 1998-2005
Visiting Professor, Political Science Department, York University (Toronto), 2002-2004
Visiting Professor, Wabash College, Crawfordsville, Indiana, 1995-1997.

Memberships

International Studies Association
British International Studies Association
Political Studies Association

Languages

English (first language)
Spanish (fluent)

Research Interests

International Political Economy, Culture, and Work

Other Expertise

popular culture and everyday life; politics of the Southern Cone countries of Latin America

Current Work

My current research involves a theoretical critique of contemporary International Political Economy. The problem I address is the tendency of the field to ignore work. But the discipline itself is structured in such a way to devalue work or to treat it as something else -- e.g., a commodity in circulation. Thus I am drawing on cultural theory, aesthetics, and the critique of everyday life to develop a theoretical foundation for understanding what work is, to contribute to a critique of International Political Economy. My publications have covered diverse topics from a consideration of the division of labour in cultural political economy; to punk rock as international relations; to the consequences of the critique of everyday life for international political economy; to the power relations affecting unprotected workers in international political economy; and a forthcoming article on a theory of work as articulated in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Current projects include a critique of financialization through an aesthetic theory of work, drawing on a critical reading of John Ruskin, and a monograph on everyday life and international relations (co-authored with Michael Niemann). The theoretical influences I draw most heavily on are Henri Lefebvre, Raymond Williams, Jeffrey Harrod, David Levine, Walter Benjamin, and Antonio Gramsci; but I am also very interested in the aesthetic and political theory of Jacques Ranciere and the debates about politics and democracy between Ranciere, Zizek, and Laclau.

Future Research

Future research will continue to focus on work, poverty, and culture in the global political economy. In the near term, I will be working on an article witih Simon Philpott on methodology in popular culture and world politics and an article with Magnus Ryner updating our work on unprotected workers in the global political economy.

Postgraduate Supervision

Chen-Wei Wang, From developmentalism to neoliberalism? Taiwan's Economic Transition (co-supervisor with Professor Barry Gills).
Mark Edward, The Presence and Construction of the Caribbean in Electronic Representations (co-supervisor with Dr Simon Philpott)
George Brathwaite, Free Movement of 'Community Nationals': An Inductive Approach to Caribbean Regional Integration (co-supervisor with Dr Kyle Grayson and Dr Jocelyn Mawdsley)
Mai Stabell, Petroleum-Related FDI, Local Conditions, and Poverty Reduction: The Macae Region of Brazil (co supervisor with )

Postgraduate Teaching

POL8005 Theories and Theorists of International Political Economy
POL8029 Politics of Global Change
POL8048 World Politics and Popular Culture
SOC8100 Politics of Development and Social Struggle in Latin America
SOC8101 The Shaping of Latin America: Social and Political Themes

• Davies M. The Public Spheres of Unprotected Workers. Global Society 2005, 19(2), 131-154.
• Davies, M. Do It Yourself: Punk Rock and the Disalienation of International Relations. In: Franklin, MI, ed. Resounding International Relations: On Music, Culture, and Politics. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2005, pp. 113-140.
• Davies, M. Everyday Life in the Global Political Economy. In: de Goede, M, ed. International Political Economy and Poststructural Politics. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2006, pp. 219-237.
• Grayson K, Davies M, Philpott S. Pop Goes IR? Researching the Popular Culture-World Politics Continuum.. Politics 2009, 29(3), 155-163.
• Davies M. Works, Products, and the Division of Labour: Notes for a Cultural and Political Economic Critique. In: Paterson, M; Best, J, ed. Cultural Political Economy. London: Routledge, 2009, pp. 48-63.
• Davies M, Magnus R, ed. Poverty and the Production of World Politics: Unprotected Workers in the Global Political Economy. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2006.
• Davies M. International Political Economy and Mass Communication in Chile: National Intellectuals and Transnational Hegemony. London and New York: Macmillan and St Martins, 1999.
• Davies M. "Human Security, Culture, and Globalization: Transculturality, Creative Practice, or Oeuvre?”. In: Pasha,M.K, ed. Globalization, Human Security and Difference. Routledge, 2012. Submitted.
• Davies M, Ryner JM. Spectres Haunting the World? ‘Working Classes’ and Transnational Change. In: Cafruny, A; Schwarz, H, ed. International Political Economy Yearbook 2011: The Permanent Crisis. Boulder, CO (USA): Lynne Rienner, 2012, pp.not available yet. Submitted.
• Davies M, Philpott S. Militarization and Popular Culture. In: Kassimeris, C., Gouliamos, K, ed. The Marketing of War in the Age of Neo-Militarism. London: Routledge, 2011, pp.42-59.
• Davies M. Review of Mira Schor, A decade of negative thinking: Essays on art, politics, and daily life. Visual Studies 2011, 26(2), 180-181.