Communication, Cultural and Media Studies, Library and Information Management (UoA 36)
Almost all of the research in this UoA is officially classified as world-leading or internationally excellent in terms of originality, significance and rigour.
The following academic unit forms the submission to UoA 36:
Research is focused within two research centres from the School:
The International Centre for Cultural and Heritage Studies (ICCHS)
Media and Cultural Studies (MACS)
ICCHS
ICCHS has pursued its research strategy through its three overlapping research themes: cultural politics and policy; identity, community and place; and representation and media.
Find out about staff within ICCHS.
MACS
MACS is a new subject area with an evolving and dynamic research identity. Its research strands are:
media, affect and interpersonal relations
identity, culture and society
politics, discourse and ethics
Find out about staff within MACS.
International impact
Our research in this area is making a positive impact on a global scale:
Protecting cultural property during war
The following case studies demonstrate the impact of our research:
Improving the protection of cultural property during armed conflict
Since 2005 Professor Peter Stone’s research has explored what we tolerate as acceptable, and crucially, what we view as unacceptable, practice during armed conflict in relation to the protection of cultural property. It has investigated, within the context of jus in bello, the way in which we wage war and, by implication, the very nature of war itself. This research has impacted on: NGOs; national policy makers, including the HM Government; and the international military:
NGOs and civil society: prioritising the agenda of NGOs and civil society organisations. Measurable through: non-academic publications; media activity; organisational prize; and moves towards the adoption of this research as policy.
National Policy makers: influencing UK and international policy, and HM Government parliamentary business. Measurable through: work with Select Committee; written questions; meetings with and action by government ministers; and contributions to Iraq Inquiry.
UK, NATO and international armed forces: modifying the doctrine of UK and international armed forces. Measurable in: invitations to workshops; development of training modules.
Northern Spirit: co-producing North-East visual culture, histories and identities at the Laing Art Gallery, Newcastle
The ‘Northern Spirit‘ research project entailed the co-production of a new gallery about the visual culture, histories and identities of North-East England at the Laing Art Gallery, Newcastle, the region’s foremost public historical art gallery. The project generated a range of impacts across local and national cultural, social and policy spheres:
Cultural life: it contributed to the production of a new permanent display which challenged, changed and enhanced the ways that the visual culture of North-East England is presented to, and understood by, the public, both local and tourist
Civil society and public discourse: it brought together diverse members of the local community including marginalised and disadvantaged groups, making their perspectives visible in the gallery for the first time. It offered new precedents for combining art historical display with issues of social history and regional identity using digital media and participatory methods
Policy making: it explored and theorised the potential and challenges of working collaboratively with diverse community groups on the production of a public gallery display, resulting in the production of new policy guidelines and feeding into gallery and wider staff training
Public services: through the production of a new permanent and well received gallery display it directly enhanced the provision of cultural services, promoting the artistic heritage of the region and increasing visitor figures for the Laing