The School of Geography, Politics and Sociology

Staff Profile

Dr Jonathan Pugh

Senior Academic Fellow

Background

 

KEY RESEARCH INTERESTS


·      Small Islands and Archipelagos 
·      Anthropocene 
·      Contemporary Caribbean 
·      Participatory development
·      Changing nature of critique

 

To download publications

https://newcastle.academia.edu/JonathanPugh 

 

OVERVIEW

Jonathan’s main areas of research are islands and archipelagos. He is particularly noted for his development of what has come to be known as the 'relational turn' in islands studies, producing a number of influential publications examining how contemporary scholarship disrupts insular and isolated island geographies. More recently, Jonathan has extended this concern for island relations to focus upon how island relations are being reconfigured in the Anthropocene. Islands are the emblematic figure of the Anthropocene, and Jonathan has produced a number of papers on this topic which position and explore how islands studies can trouble and critically speak back to wider debates about the Anthropocene. To this end, he is presently working on a monograph which makes the claim for and examines schematic shifts in island ontology, politics and ethics in the Anthropocene. Entitled ‘Anthropocene Islands: new approaches to ontology, politics and ethics' this book will explore and critique how island relations are being reconfigured through dominant debates and practices associated with the Anthropocene; through, for examples, influential tropes of resilience, eco-island technologies, indigeneity, posthumanist and speculative ontologies (under contract with Rowman and Littlefield, Rethinking the Island Series).

Jonathan has also been involved in a range of practical and transformative participatory programmes in the islands of the Caribbean. For example, co-initiating a seven-country programme employing 128 Caribbean fisherpeople funded by the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office to stimulate the development of fishing community networks across the eastern Caribbean archipelago. Drawing upon such practical programmes, Jonathan has published a number of theoretical critiques of participatory approaches (Environment and Planning D: society and space, Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers/Royal Geographical Society; Annals of the Association of American Geographers; Progress in Human Geography; Antipode; Area; Geoforum; Geography Compass, for examples).

Finally, such concerns often intersect with Jonathan's general interest in the changing nature of critique. In 2004 Jonathan launched the 'Spaces of Democracy' network with Chantal Mouffe and Doreen Massey. The network ran until 2014, involved 17 institutions worldwide and examined the changing character of radical politics today. Throughout this time Jonathan launched and was editor of the online magazine Radical Politics Today. In 2009 Jonathan edited the book ‘What is Radical Politics Today?’, which was covered in a range of popular media and launched by the British Council at Canada House, Trafalgar Square.

 

PREVIOUS POSITIONS

 

2004 – 2014 Director ‘The Spaces of Democracy’ network (co-founded with Doreen Massey and Chantal Mouffe).

2003 – 2005 Director of the United Kingdom Foreign and Commonwealth Office Caribbean regional programme ‘Developing Institutional Capital in the Fisherfolk Communities of the Caribbean’ 

2005-2010 United Kingdom Research Council’s Fellowship in Territorial Governance (EP/C509005/1).

2002 – 2004 Three year Economic and Social Research Council Research Fellowship, Royal Holloway, University of London/Centre for the Study of Democracy, University of Westminster. ‘Developing Institutional Capital in the Neo-Liberal Era: Caribbean Environmental Planning’. (ESRC: R00271204. Graded ‘Outstanding’)

 

FOR POTENTIAL PHD STUDENTS

Jonathan is interested in supervising PhD's on the following topics:-

· Small Islands and Archipelagos 
· Anthropocene (resilience, indigeneity, posthumanist and speculative ontologies, hope, rethinking and critiquing relationality in the Anthropocene)
· Contemporary Caribbean 
· Participatory approaches
· Changing nature of critique

 

 

PRESENT PHD SUPERVISION

 

  • Karllen Lawrence, (October 2017-) Can the CARIFORUM-EU Economic Partnership Arrangement’s Aid for Trade Policy in the Eastern Caribbean Help Bridge the Poverty Gap? – Case of Antigua (Tourism), Dominica (Bananas) and St. Lucia (Agro-processing) (co-supervised with Mark Langan)
  • Beth Robertson (2018-) NINE DTP Studentship, Comparison of Dominica and Anguilla and their Recovery of Primary Education Following the 2017 Hurricane Season. (co-supervised with Alastair Bonnett and Marcus Power)

 

 

KEYNOTE ADDRESS

 

  1. International Geographical Union Commission on Islands, Penghu Islands (Pescadores), Taiwan Strait, October 2013.
  2. International Small Island Studies Association, Islands of the World Conference XIII Penghu 2014, Penghu Islands (Pescadores), Taiwan Strait, September 2014.
  3. Island Cities and Urban Archipelagos, 21-25 October, 2014, Copenhagen, Denmark
  4. Negotiating Waters: Seas, Oceans and Passageways in the Colonial and Postcolonial Anglophone World, ILCEA 4 – University of Grenoble Alpes & Memorial University of Newfoundland (MUN), February 15th and 16th, 2018

 

 

 

INTERNATIONAL GUEST LECTURES AND FELLOWSHIPS

 

International guest lectures at the Universities of Taipei, West Indies, Westminster, London, Aberdeen, Zurich, Cornell, California, Rutgers, Dublin, Virginia Tech, Harvard, and Institute of Advanced Studies, Princeton. Visiting Fellow: University of West Indies and Virginia Tech.

 

 

 

EDITORIAL BOARDS

 

  • Founder and administrator 'Islands philosophy' (islands-philosophy@newcastle.ac.uk) 
  • Deputy Editor (Island Theory and Philosophy), Island Studies Journal.
  • Editorial Board, Island Studies Journal.
  • Book Reviews Editorial Member, Island Studies Journal
  • Editorial Board of Shima: the international journal of research into island cultures
  • Editorial Board Resilience: International Policies, Practices and Discourses
  • Editorial Board of the Journal of Intervention and State-Building.
  • Founder and Chief Editor Radical Politics Today (2004-2014).

 

 

 

MEMBERSHIPS

 

  • Executive Board Member of the International Small Island Studies Association
  • Steering Committee of International Geographical Union on Islands
  • Fellow of Royal Geographical Society/ Institute of British Geographers.
  • Member of Royal Geographical Society/ Institute of British Geographers Research Groups: Geographies of Justice, Social and Cultural Geography, and History and Philosophy of Geography.
  • American Association of Geographers Caribbean Speciality Group Organising Committee

 

 

 

TEACHING HONOURS

 

  • Voted by PhD and Masters students studying at the Faculty of Humanities of Social Sciences, Newcastle University, to give the annual plenary lecture to PhD and Masters students in the Faculty (19th June, 2014).
  • Nominated three times by undergraduate students for a Newcastle University Teaching Award.
  • Innovation Fund for Teaching, Newcastle University: Pugh, J. Hewett, C. Williams, A. Tate S. and Large, A. Developing Discursive Skills for the workplace: piloting an interactive seminar series. Quality in Learning and Teaching (QuILT) (£4995) [2012].

 

 

 


Research



PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT

 

PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT: CARIBBEAN RESEARCH

  1. Pugh J. Problems of Delivering Aid to Developing Nations. ESRC Society Today 2005.
  2. Pugh J. The real Caribbean war. The New Statesman. 2004, 18/03/04.
  3. Pugh J. A Losing Battle Over Aid. The Guardian. 2004, 13/01/04.
  4. Pugh J. Third Way on the Beach. Prospect. 2004, 102.
  5. Pugh J. The axis of western-style democracy. Jamaican Observer, 18/01/2003.
  6. Pugh J. Democracy in practice: recent developments at the MoBay Marine Park. Jamaican Observer, 17/04/2003.
  7. Pugh J. British Report on fishing communities. St Lucia One-Stop, 2003. Available at: http://207.201.170.18/news/Nov.%2018a%2003.html.
  8. Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation Evening News. Report on the launching ceremony of the regional fisherfolk programme ‘Developing Institutional Capital in the Fisherfolk Communities of the Caribbean’, and an interview with Jonathan Pugh, 13/10/2003. 
  9. The Starcom Caribbean Network covered the work of Jonathan Pugh throughout the week of the 13th October 2003 in a series of radio broadcasts.
  10. Petal Smith, The Barbados Advocate, Wednesday October 15th, 2003: "Fisherfolk Speak Out", p20.
  11. The Daily Nation, Thursday 16th October, 2003: Study: "Six Men's backbone of fishing industry", p24.
  12. ‘Busking, Brighton and Barbados’, Interview with Jonathan Pugh, in The Brighton Graduate, Issue 9, Winter, 1998-1999, p7-9.

 

PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT: ‘SPACES OF DEMOCRACY’ NETWORK

  1. The book “What is Radical Politics Today?” was launched by the British Council, at Canada House, Trafalgar Square in 2009. It has been reviewed by, among others, the Times Higher Educational Supplement, Compass, the British Council, Left Foot Forward, The New Statesman, Red Pepper, Catholic Herald, Soundings, Fabian Review, Total Politics, Town and Country Planning and the Big Issue.
  2. Support for the book has been expressed in reviews by Neal Lawson (Compass Chair, Gordon Brown’s speechwriter), Michael Hardt (Co-author Empire), Lord Bhikhu Parekh (Deputy Chair of the Commission for Racial Equality), Catherine Fieschi (Director of British Council Think Tank), Tom Bentley (Policy Director for Australia's Deputy Prime Minister), Emily Young (sculptor and contributor to the band Pink Floyd), Noel Castree, James Tully, Ruth Lister, Achin Vanaik, and Avital Ronell.
  3. A promotional copy of the book was given to subscribers by The New Statesman in 2010.
  4. Blackwells Bookshop: “Recommended Read” 2013.
  5. Invited by Scottish British Broadcasting Corporation (23 April, 2009), Newsweek, to debate the nature of radical politics today with Hilary Wainwright.
  6. Pugh J. ‘Attending to the spatialisation of politics’. Red Pepper. 2007, 6-7.
  7. Pugh J. ‘What is radical politics today? Asks Jonathan Pugh’. London: Compass, 2009. Available at: http://www.compassonline.org.uk/news/item.asp?n=5991.
  8. Pugh, J. The World After Neo-liberalism, The Guardian. 15 April, 2009.
  9. Interview with British Broadcasting Corporation about the book ‘What is Radical Politics Today?’, Look North. 25 June, 2007.

 

 

FUNDING

 

FUNDING: CARIBBEAN RESEARCH

  1. AHRC Network member: ‘Risk and Resilience in the coastal Caribbean’ PI Dr Henrice Altink (£53487.18) 2017-2018
  2. Santander Mobility Fund Mapping urban degradation in Barrancabermeja: the effect of intense energy production in urban areas (with Fátima Elena and Gareth Powells (£1391) 2016
  3. Santander Mobility Fund plus Centre for Latin American and Caribbean Studies, Newcastle University: Participatory mapping for disaster management in the Caribbean (£3000) 2016
  4. Santander Mobility Fund What do government workers in the Caribbean think of ‘resilience’?: a pilot study £1475.75
  5. Newcastle University, HASS Faculty Research Fund (2011, £4,000). 
  6. Newcastle University, School of Geography, Politics and Sociology Smalls Bids Fund (2011, £1000).
  7. Newcastle University, School of Geography, Politics and Sociology Travel Top-up Fund (2011, £500). 
  8. Research Council United Kingdom Fellowship (2005-2010, £125,000).  
  9. United Kingdom Foreign and Commonwealth Office regional programme “Developing Institutional Capital in the Fisherfolk Communities of the Caribbean” (2003, DfID), £25,000, plus matching funding from local Caribbean businesses.
  10. 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).
  11. “Deconstructing Participatory Environmental Planning: Dispositions of Power in Barbados and St Lucia.” Royal Holloway, University of London PhD (1998-2001, ESRC studentship: R00429834850).

 

FUNDING: ‘SPACES OF DEMOCRACY’ NETWORK

  1. 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).
  2. 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).
  3. SARCHA (School of ARCHitecture for All), Athens supporting The Spaces of Democracy network (Euros 80,000).
  4. Newcastle University Public Lecture Series supporting The Spaces of Democracy network (£1000).
  5. British Academy Small Research Grant supporting The Spaces of Democracy network (£3564.30).
  6. California State University supporting The Spaces of Democracy network (£3000).
  7. Essex University, Department of Government supporting The Spaces of Democracy network (£2000).
  8. Goldsmiths College, University of London supporting The Spaces of Democracy network (£3000).
  9. The Global Urban Research Unit and the School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape, Newcastle University supporting The Spaces of Democracy network (£600).
  10. University of Newcastle Faculty Futures programme supporting The Spaces of Democracy network (£1000).
  11. The Barry Amiel and Norman Melburn Trust supporting The Spaces of Democracy network (£600).
  12. One North East, Newcastle University Faculty Futures Programme and Newcastle City Council (£200).
  13. Harvard and Cornell University supporting The Spaces of Democracy network (£2000).
  14. Personal Assistant for Jonathan Pugh supporting The Spaces of Democracy network, funded through University of Newcastle Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences (£15,000).
  15. 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).


CONSULTANCY

CARIBBEAN CONSULTANCY PUBLICATIONS
  1. Pugh J, Hinds E, Ifill C, Paton B. Developing Institutional Capital in the Fisherfolk Communities of the Caribbean: the case of Carriacou. Barbados: United Kingdom Foreign and Commonwealth Office, 2004. Developing Institutional Capital in the Neo-Liberal Era: Caribbean Environmental Planning.
  2. Pugh J, Hinds E, Ifill C, Paton B. Developing Institutional Capital in the Fisherfolk Communities of the Caribbean: the case of Dominica. Barbados: United Kingdom Foreign and Commonwealth Office, 2004. Developing Institutional Capital in the Neo-Liberal Era: Caribbean Environmental Planning.
  3. Pugh J, Hinds E, Ifill C, Watson A. Developing Institutional Capital in the Fisherfolk Communities of the Caribbean: the case of St Lucia. Barbados: United Kingdom Foreign and Commonwealth Office, 2004. Developing Institutional Capital in the Neo-Liberal Era: Caribbean Environmental Planning.
  4. Pugh J, Hinds E, Ifill C, Paton B, Richardson P. Developing Institutional Capital in the Fisherfolk Communities of the Caribbean: the case of St Kitts and Nevis. Barbados: United Kingdom Foreign and Commonwealth Office, 2004. Developing Institutional Capital in the Neo-Liberal Era: Caribbean Environmental Planning.
  5. Pugh J, Hinds E, Ifill C, Paton B. Developing Institutional Capital in the Fisherfolk Communities of the Caribbean: the case of St Vincent. Barbados: United Kingdom Foreign and Commonwealth Office, 2004. Developing Institutional Capital in the Neo-Liberal Era: Caribbean Environmental Planning.
  6. Pugh J, Hinds E, Ifill C, Pierez D. Developing Institutional Capital in the Fisherfolk Communities of the Caribbean: the case of Barbados. Barbados: United Kingdom Foreign and Commonwealth Office, 2004. Developing Institutional Capital in the Neo-Liberal Era: Caribbean Environmental Planning.
  7. Pugh J, Hinds E, Ifill C, Watson A. Developing Institutional Capital in the Fisherfolk Communities of the Caribbean: the case of Antigua. Barbados: United Kingdom Foreign and Commonwealth Office, 2004. Developing Institutional Capital in the Neo-Liberal Era: Caribbean Environmental Planning.
  8. Pugh J. Developing Institutional Capital in the Fisherfolk Communities of the Caribbean: a regional programme supported by the British High Commission. Barbados: United Kingdom Foreign and Commonwealth Office, 2004. Developing Institutional Capital in the Neo-Liberal Era: Caribbean Environmental Planning.

 

 

FUNDING: THE GREAT DEBATE

  1. The Great Debate: Engineering Transmission Using Deliberative Events: Royal Academy of Engineering (£40,417.00) [2013].
  2. Pugh, J. Hewett, C. Williams, A. Tate S. and Large, A. Developing Discursive Skills for the workplace: piloting an interactive seminar series. Innovation Fund, Newcastle University, Quality in Learning and Teaching (QuILT) (£4995) [2012].
  3. The Policy Press sponsored the filming of Economic Growth: Bane or Boon? [2010] and Limits to Growth in the 21st Century [2010].
  4. RCE North East sponsored Living in a Changing World [2010] and The Great Debate Green Phoenix Festival programme [2010].
  5. 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).
  6. 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].
  7. Green Phoenix Festival / Patchwork Planet Productions sponsored The Great Debate Green Phoenix Festival programme [2010].
  8. Mediabox sponsored Living in a Changing World [2010].
  9. 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].
  10. 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].
  11. Edinburgh University Press sponsored Agents of Change? Darwinian Thought and Theories of Human Nature [2008].
  12. Atlantic Books sponsored: The Great Debate: Reprogramming Life [2006].
  13. Dewjoc Architects sponsored: The Great Housing Debate [2006].
  14. NESTA sponsored a 'Development and Environment', three day conference [2006]. 

 


 

 

Teaching

Undergraduate Teaching


Globalisations, Culture and Development (GEO2103)

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

Dissertations (GEO3099).

 

Postgraduate Teaching

Nature of Explanation and Enquiry (HSS8007)

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

 

 

 

 

 

  

Publications