Please join John Bowers KC and the Oxford International Relations Society for a Principal's Conversation entitled 'Ukraine and Gaza: the challenges for Western Democracy', with Brasenose College alumnus, Con Coughlin.

The redistribution of welfare resources to migrants continues to polarise societies, including the UK. Not only politicians from the radical right but also from more mainstream parties are capitalising on the idea of 'welfare for our kind', or welfare chauvinism. In her new book "Welfare Chauvinism in Europe", Gianna creates an extensive overview of welfare chauvinism's causes and consequences. In particular, the book sheds light on the multidimensionality of the opposition towards welfare for migrants across countries, time, social policies, and migrant groups.

The talk will explore the current ‘refugee crisis’ in Europe. Drawing on in-depth interviews with refugees and NGOs in Europe and Africa, it will examine the drivers of forced migration, explain why it is at a historical high, and propose solutions that (a) assuage hostile European publics and (b) respect member states’ obligations under international law to refugees.

On the 50th anniversary of the fall of the dictatorships in Southern Europe (Portugal and Greece, 1974 and Spain, 1975), our panellists will be discussing comparatively, the breakdown of authoritarianism, the transitions that followed, the choices and risks in these uncertain times, as well as the domestic and international legacies of this important period in the history of the three countries of Southern Europe.

Since 2008, the European Union has been engulfed in several crises. While distinct, these crises are feeding into each other and are testing the capacity and resilience of EU and member states, bringing forward common policy questions and new forms of cooperation. The permanent character of this state of crisis has made analysts talk about our times as the age of permacrisis. As a result, a trend towards a new mode of ‘coordinative Europeanization’ in EU decision-making has been observed since the Covid-19 crisis.

This workshop addresses the contemporary challenges facing deliberative citizens' assemblies. As these mechanisms face evolving social, political, and global dynamics, it is imperative for academics, public officials, and global civil society actors to critically assess and adapt. This workshop highlights the need for a comprehensive examination of these challenges and underlines the importance of formulating innovative perspectives to respond effectively.

Annette Lareau discusses the tensions in how researchers approach the design for qualitative data. Emphasizing the need for depth and richness in the data, as well as a systematic discussion of conceptual issues, Lareau calls for limiting variability in data collection by making very hard choices. By focusing on specific class, race, or gender groups, and limiting the number of these groups, researchers have a greater possibility of creating very high-quality data.

Why is the gender gap in support for internationalism in Western Europe closing? Traditionally, women have been less supportive of processes of globalization - including free trade and European integration - than men. However, over the last two decades, this gender gap has been shrinking in several countries.

As countries of strategic importance on opposing sides of the Cold War divide, the domestic and foreign policies of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) and Japan were expected to align closely with those of their respective superpower hegemons. At the same time, West Germany’s Hallstein Doctrine threatened to cut ties with any country that recognized the GDR as a legitimate state, severely restricting East Germany from establishing diplomatic relationships with states outside of the Soviet sphere of influence.

Abstract will be posted shortly.