SPIN Spring Newsletter

A very happy spring greeting from SPIN. Here is a roundup of all the goings-on.

New Members:

A very warm welcome to all new members.

• Luca Trenta – Associate Professor in International Relations in the Department of Political and Cultural Studies at Swansea University
  • Research: Current project focuses on the US government’s involvement in the assassination of foreign officials from the Cold War to the present day.
  • Profile: Dr Luca Trenta – Swansea University
• Jamie Johnson – Lecturer in Security, Conflict and International Development at the University of Leicester
  • Research: Focuses on two main areas – the ethics of war, and scandals in global politics.
  • Profile: Jamie Johnson | People | University of Leicester
• Linsey McGoey – Professor in the Department of Sociology at the University of Essex
  • Research: Focuses on the role of power, ignorance and knowledge in contemporary society, with an emphasis on how corporate power and corporate domination affects well-being and inequality around the world.
  • Profile: https://www.essex.ac.uk/people/mcgoe74808/linsey-mcgoey
• Susan Maret – Lecturer at SJSU School of Information
  • Research: Focuses on sociology of knowledge and information policy, particularly secrecy, censorship, privacy, freedom of expression, information rights as human rights, and technology.
  • Profile: Susan Maret Faculty Profile (sjsu.edu)
• Ana Flamind – PhD Student at University of Groningen
  • Research: Focuses on the politics of scandals and cosmologies of the end.
  • Profile: Projects of A.A. (Ana) Flamind, MA MA | How to find us | Find a member of staff | University of Groningen (rug.nl)
• William Walters – Professor in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Carleton University
  • Research: Focuses on unemployment, the supranational governance of Europe, migration, and, most recently, secrecy.
  • Profile: William Walters – Department of Sociology and Anthropology (carleton.ca)
• Natalie Ferris – Lecturer in the Department of English at the University of Bristol
  • Research: Focuses on new connections between the history and practice of data science, theories of gender, and the creative arts.
  • Profile: Natalie Ferris — University of Bristol

New Publications:

• Natalie Jester (Gloucester) recently published an article which conceptualises the militarisation of digital space by examining the social media presence of three large US arms manufacturers.
  • Jester, Natalie (2023) ‘Accessible, Transparent, Progressive: Conceptualising the Militarisation of Digital Space Through the Social Media Presence of Arms Manufacturers.’Millennium, online first: https://doi.org/10.1177/03058298221137930
• Lukas Griessl (Essex) has a new article out on secrecy and ignorance at the Rand Corp in relation to Christian Dayé’s recent book,
  • Griessl, Lukas (2023) ‘The Power of Secret Knowledge: The RAND Corporation, Ignorance Studies and Sociology’.The American Sociologist, online: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12108-023-09567-2
• Oliver Kearns’ (Bristol) new book ‘The Covert Colour Line: The Racialised Politics of Western State Intelligence’ is coming out 20^th April, 2023
  • Where to Find it: The Covert Colour Line (plutobooks.com)
  • About: ‘An innovative theory of state intelligence’…‘Oliver Kearns shows how the catastrophic mistakes made by British and US intelligence services since 9/11 are underpinned by orientalist worldviews and racist assumptions forged in the crucible of Cold War-era colonial retreat.’
  • See also the event notice below and as a separate email
• Manjeet Ramgotra (SOAS) has a new edited volume (in which she has also written several chapters) rethinking the political theory canon
  • Manjeet Ramgotra and Simon Choat (eds) (2023), Rethinking Political Thinkers, OUP.
  • Where to find it: Rethinking Political Thinkers

Events:

• SPIN is pleased to have hosted two panels and sets of speakers at the International Studies Association Annual Convention in Montreal. More details on the SPIN website.
• Lunchtime working paper session: Elspeth Van Veeren invites SPIN members and interested colleagues to read and comment on the latest draft of her new working paper, ‘The Labour of Secrecy’, Wednesday April 5^th 4-5:30pm. Email to follow.
• Oliver Kearns, The Covert Colour Line book launch, 26 April, 4-6pm in the Verdon-Smith International Seminar Room. Please watch out for the separate email or register to attend via the SPIN website:
• Next Research in Progress, 24 May 2023, 2-4pm. Online. Email to follow.
• Manjeet Ramgotra, Rethinking Political Thinkers book launch, London, May 18^th, Details to follow.
• Luca Trenta is holding an interdisciplinary hybrid conference and workshop exploring the role of state-sponsored assassinations in international politics, history, and law – the aim of which is to identify a group of scholars to work towards a joint grant application. Luca welcomes full papers, short presentations, and round-table contributions. Please watch out for more details.
  • Location: Swansea University
  • Date: 16-17 May, 2023
  • Deadline for Submissions: 31^st March, 2023
• Edmund Clark will be exhibiting work in the upcoming ‘State of Violence’ exhibition for a/political
  • Details of the Event: ‘Artists, investigative journalists and fashion icons will unveil and oppose techniques of government oppression alongside the largest-ever physical publication of top secret government cables, never before available in the UK in hardcopy.’ A fantastic line up of artists.
  • More details: a / political.org: https://a-political.org
  • Date: 24 march – 8 April, London, SE11 4AA

Website Updates:

• We would like to invite all members to suggest any updates for the website.

In case you missed it:

• Our 2022 SPIN-MPF Art Commission: Emily Graham, Cash’s Pit
  • About: ‘A photographic essay, commissioned by SPIN and the Martin Parr Foundation, Cash’s Pit is the site of an ancient woodlands which were occupied for over a year in protest against the building of the HS2 railway on this land.’…’These photographs explore the role of secrecy in occupation and resistance movements’
  • Cash’s Pit – SPIN (secrecyresearch.com)
  • Postcards from the photo-essay are available from SPIN and from the Martin Parr Foundation Gallery in Bristol.

Cash’s Pit. Emily Graham.