A few days ago, I received a piece of news I’d been waiting months to hear - my University (Hull) have awarded me a scholarship to cover tuition fees and living expenses while I read a PhD after I complete my MA at that institution. Needless to say, I was extremely happy and relieved to finally get this news; I must confess it perhaps hasn’t fully registered yet. I will start work on the PhD come October, and have until October 2014 on the scholarship to complete it. Until then, I will be working on my MA dissertation, which will provide some lead-in research for the PhD thesis. 

I will use this blog to provide insights into my research as it develops and unfurls, as well as the current mix of political ramblings, church visits and random snippets. I am a passionate believer in the sharing of knowledge and learning with as many people as possible - there is no point learning about the world if you are simply going to hoard that information. Half the beauty of learning is in telling others what you have learnt - hopefully, I can do that in a friendly and accommodating manner here. 

The current title for my thesis is:

“Perceptions of global power: Where does coalition Britain stand in international society in the early 21st Century?”

Briefly, there are a few key elements in the question. The first is the international society, and perception - as an English School scholar, I think the international environment can best be explained as a society, where the states and other actors have a social dimension. It is extremely important to understand how these states are perceived and perceive themselves - it is the latter that my thesis will focus on, in particular the British elite.

Second, the nature of power - as a social force, it is my firm belief that it is more than the tanks and GDP (to simplify) of realists such as Mearsheimer. I believe power is shaped by cultural factors on many levels, and whilst I will not have much time to expound on this in the thesis proper, I hope to drive forwards future research in this field.

Finally, the coalition Britain that we now live in is more than just a government. In a country where the two largest parties have seen their combined share of votes fall since 1951, there are drivers making our society more atomised and individualistic, requiring the building of coalitions to drive forwards all kinds of movements. To me, this is a coalition country in a way it has never been before; I want to see if the elite share this view, and what that means for how Britain interacts with the world.

Broadly, I hope to bring all this together and demonstrate how Britain’s elite perceives her role in the 21st century - how we’ve been shaped by what we’ve been through, what they think we’re doing at the moment and where they think we’re going. At this juncture, with the world seeming to change ever more rapidly, a re-appraisal needs to be undertaken - it needs to be deep and thorough, on a level only a PhD thesis can accomplish (within my current means). I’m hoping to get interviews with former ministers, generals and other luminaries with the help of my supervisor, as well as the usual forays into the literature. 

This is my big break - I hope you enjoy reading about what I discover, think and try and work out as much as I intend to.