Dr Jonathan Pugh
Senior Academic Fellow

Overall research interest 

As a geographer of institutional development, I am interested in how people discover and develop their voice and subjectivity through institutional processes. My work focuses upon three main areas: post-colonial institutional development; the various expressions of radical politics today; and a public engagement initiative based in the North East of England called 'The Great Debate'. I combine an interest in theories of voice, subjectivity and institutional development with detailed empirical research and often hands-on practical programmes. Breaking down my three specific areas of interest, they are as follows: 

1] Post-colonial institutional development

My work explores many aspects of post-colonial institutional development, but I am especially interested in the everyday lives of those who work for and struggle to develop institutions in the Caribbean. My research often documents these lives in detail through intensive ethnographic research; examining overlapping themes of voice, subjectivity and institutional change. I have analysed a wide variety of post-colonial institutions, from those concerned with participatory planning, physical and environmental managment, folklore traditions, and activism. I have actively been involved in the latter, for example, developing a seven-country programme with Caribbean fisherpeople.

Conceptually, although previously I have drawn upon post-Marxist and deliberative approaches, I am increasingly engaging with the writings of post-colonial writers from the Caribbean (esp Harris, Brathwaite, Glissant and Walcott) and the Wittgensteinian and Emersonian-inspired work of Stanley Cavell. Conceptually I have also recently become interested in how post-colonial approaches to Island Studies could be reconceptualised through refocusing upon the archipelago and island movements, rather than the static island form.

2] The various expressions of radical politics today

For me radical politics is about how people express their voice and subjectivities through and against the institutions of society. In 2004 I launched the Spaces of Democracy network with Chantal Mouffe and Doreen Massey (www.spaceofdemocracy­.­org). The network presently involves 17 institutions worldwide and examines the nature and character of radical politics today after the spatial turn in the social sciences and humanities. In 2009 I produced the book What is Radical Politics Today?, launched and became Editor of free online magazine, Radical Politics Today.

On the book What is Radical Politics Today?:-

"Jonathan Pugh gathers some of the most innovative and insightful voices from Britain and beyond to stage a series of debates on the central issues facing radical politics today. This collection is a model for the kinds of discussion we need to move forward." (Michael Hardt, co-author of Empire).

"Radical politics is about rethinking the common sense, the taken for granted assumptions, of the age. This timely and well-planned collection of essays by distinguished and concerned scholars throws much new light on where we should be looking for new ideas. It represents a major contribution to the ongoing debate on the problems of our times." (Lord Bhikhu Parekh)

"This is a bold, brave and timely book. As we emerge, blinking into the light after three decades of neo-liberal darkness, Jonathan Pugh has put together a collection of essays that will provoke and provide clues to the question of what comes next; what indeed is radical politics today?" (Neal Lawson, Director, Compass/ Speechwriter to Gordon Brown) 

3. The Great Debate

The Great Debate is a group of people based in the North East of England who believe that social debate and the development of people's voices are a vital elements to the institutions of society. We have organised over 100 events in the last 15 years on topics ranging from theories of human nature and internet freedom to development, sustainability and environment (http://www.thegreatdebate.org.uk). In 2007, The Great Debate co-authored a successful United Nations Regional Centre of Expertise in Education for Sustainable Development, which was recognised by the United Nations University Institute of Advanced Studies.

Ways of Communicating Research 

In addition to the above concern with wider public engagement, I have guest lectured at the Universities of California, West Indies, Westminster, Cornell and Harvard.

Reflecting my research interests, I have also published three edited books and more than forty shorter articles, interviews and commentaries. My work has been reviewed in the New Statesman, Red Pepper, Soundings, the Big Issue, Compass, the British Council, Left Foot Forward, Fabian Review, Total Politics, Town and Country Planning and the Times Higher Educational Supplement.

For potential PhD students

I am interested in supervising PhD's on the following topics:-   

Participatory Development: Students are invited to submit proposals that examine all aspects of participatory development. Potential projects could include the changing nature of participatory planning, institutional capacity building and collaborative approaches to planning in the Global South. PhD proposals that examine the policy, practice and theory of participatory development will be reviewed.

Caribbean Development: Sudents are invited to submit proposal on any aspects of contemporary Caribbean development, governance or planning. 

Contemporary Island Development: Students are invited to submit proposals that analyse any aspects of contemporary Island development. Proposals seeking to undertake empirical analysis of governmental, non-governmental or inter-government practices are particularly welcome. 

Institutional Development in the post-colonial world: Students are invited to submit proposals examining any aspects of institutional development in the post-colonial world. Those with a contemporary angle are particularly welcomed. 

 

Roles and Responsibilities 

Geography Tutor and liaison Geography and Planning BA Honours Degree.

Academic Coordinator of the Geography Staff-Student Committee

Full Membership: Newcastle University Public Lectures Committee                

Qualifications

BSc Hons (Biology and Geography, Brighton).

PhD (Geography, London).

Previous Positions

Fellow of the Centre for the Study of Democracy, Westminster. 

Memberships

Fellow of Royal Geographical Society/Institute of British Geographers; Member Royal Institute of Philosophy; Newcastle Philosophical Society.

Honours and Awards

ESRC PhD studentship (1998-2001)

Three year ESRC Fellowship (2002-2005)

RCUK Fellow in Territorial Governance (2005-2010).

Member of Newcastle University 'Faculty Futures' programme.

In 2008, made the first Honorary Fellow of the Centre for the Study of Democracy, University of Westminster. 

Peer Review

ESRC, Leverhulme, European Union, British Academy.

Editorial Boards

Founding and Chief Editor: Radical Politics Today 

Island Studies Journal

International Intervention and Statebuilding 

Informal Interests

Surfing

Funding

Caribbean Planning:-

Newcastle University, HASS Faculty Research Fund (2011, £4,000).

Newcastle University, School of Geography, Politics and Sociology Smalls Bids Fund (2011, £1000).

Newcastle University, School of Geography, Politics and Sociology Travel Top-up Fund (2011, £500).

United Kingdom Foreign and Commonwealth Office regional programme “Developing Institutional Capital in the Fisherfolk Communities of the Caribbean” (2003, DfID, approximately £60K including funding from Caribbean businesses, charities, consultancies and academics).

Research Council United Kingdom Fellowship 2005–2010 (EP/C509005/1; £125,000).

Three year Economic and Social Research Council Research Fellow. “Developing Institutional Capital in the Neo-Liberal Era: Caribbean Environmental Planning”. (2002-2004, ESRC: R00271204, total £100,121).

“Deconstructing Participatory Environmental Planning: Dispositions of Power in Barbados and St Lucia.” Royal Holloway, University of London PhD (1998-2001, ESRC studentship: R00429834850).

 

Spaces of Democracy network:-

SARCHA (School of Architecture for All), Athens (Euros 80,000).

Pugh, J. Mouffe, C, Thein, D. Marres, N. Howarth, D. and Griffin, L. The Spatial Turn and Political Subjectivity in the Social Sciences and Humanities, Economic and Social Research Council Seminar Series, May 2009 – December 2011, RES-451-26-0566 (£9213.20).

Pugh, J. Massey, D. Mouffe, C. and Verges, F. The Spaces of Democracy and the Democracy of Space, Economic and Social Research Council Seminar Series, 01/01/2007-31/12/2009,RES-451-25-4226 (£20511.68).

Newcastle University Public Lecture Series (£1000).

British Academy Small Research Grant (£3564.30).

California State University (£3000).

Essex University, Department of Government (£2000).

Goldsmiths College, University of London (£3000).

The Global Urban Research Unit and the School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape, Newcastle University (£600).

University of Newcastle Faculty Futures programme (£1000).

The Barry Amiel and Norman Melburn Trust (£600).

One North East, Newcastle University Faculty Futures Programme and Newcastle City Council (£200).

Harvard and Cornell University (£2000).

Personal Assistant for Jonathan Pugh, funded through University of Newcastle Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences (£15,000).

Spaces of Democracy PhD studentship. The Institute of Research on Environment and Sustainability, and the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Newcastle University (£48,000).

 

The Great Debate:-

Engineering Transmission Using Deliberative Events: Royal Academy of Engineering (£40,417.00) [2013].

RCE North East sponsored Living in a Changing World [2010] and The Great Debate Green Phoenix Festival programme [2010]

Northumbria University sponsored Economic Growth: Bane or Boon? [2010], The Great Sustainable Energy Debate 2008 and The Great Debate Human Nature Series 2008 (consisting of Progress of the Human Mind, Selfish Genes, Sex, and Sanity, Unnoticed Connections and Agents of Change? Darwinian Thought and Theories of Human Nature).

Newcastle University sponsored Developing World Challenges [2008], The Great Debate: Post-Territorial Governance and Anti-politics [2006], Politics of Fear: An Audience with Frank Furedi [2006], Science and the Human Potential [2006] and the second conference on Development, Sustainability and Environment (DSE2) [2005]

Green Phoenix Festival / Patchwork Planet Productions sponsored The Great Debate Green Phoenix Festival programme [2010]

Mediabox sponsored Living in a Changing World [2010]

Economic and Social Research Council sponsored: Getting Real About Climate Change [2010], Don’t Shout at the Telly, Change What's on it! [2009], Developing World Challenges [2008] and DSE3: Film Training with a Global Edge [2007]

Newcastle Science Festival sponsored: Getting Real About Climate Change [2010], Development, Sustainability and Environment 3 [2007], Science and the Human Potential [2006], The Great Energy Debate [2006], The Nature of Being Human [2005], The Great Debate: Being Human [2005], Whatever Happened to the Subject? [2004], Playing it Safe: Science and the Risk Society [2004], and Of Blank Slates and Zombies [2004]

Edinburgh University Press sponsored Agents of Change? Darwinian Thought and Theories of Human Nature [2008]

Atlantic Books sponsored: The Great Debate: Reprogramming Life [2006]

Dewjoc Architects sponsored: The Great Housing Debate [2006]

NESTA sponsored a 'Development and Environment', three day conference [2006]

 

Postgraduate Supervision

Carolyn Fahey (full scholarship funded by Jonathan Pugh, through the Spaces of Democracy network).

Amanda Machin, Centre for the Study of Democracy (co-supervised with Chantal Mouffe). Amanda is funded through the Centre for the Study of Democracy, University of Westminster, PhD scholarship, established by Jonathan Pugh.

 

 

Undergraduate Teaching

Geography Tutor and liaison Geography and Planning BA Honours Degree.              

Academic Coordinator of the Geography Staff-Student Committee.               

Module leader: Putting a Social Science Degree into Practice (GEO3120).

Module leader: Caribbean Societies: development, voice and the everyday (GEO3125). 

Contemporary Human Geography of the UK (GEO1015).

Advanced Study Skills (GEO2111).

Dissertations (GEO3099). 

Postgraduate Teaching 

Masters in Human Geography: Concepts in Action (GEO 8017).