The Political Psychology Section of the British Psychological Society aims to ‘promote Political Psychology in the UK and globally, enabling and empowering citizens with the political skills to meaningfully shape policy, practice and their worlds.’ In the Summer 2020 bulletin of the Section, two CuSP members write about recent news events:
- Dr Karen Hagan analyses political speeches from the Covid-19 epidemic, looking at how different national leaders manage responsibility, authority and blame in their talk. Her approach, from critical discursive psychology, goes beyond the concept of ‘leadership style’ to show how the speeches perform different actions, with potentially different outcomes.
- Dr Kesi Mahendran writes about three fathers, prompted by the Spike Lee film ‘Three Brothers’. She suggests that in the responses of three fathers, George Floyd, Dominic Cummings and David Merritt, populism finds expression, but with strikingly different consequences in each case. She argues that their ‘differing fortunes’ offer important insights into how equality is measured in the current ‘third wave of decolonisation.’
The bulletin also provides updates about the BPS, the Section and relevant events, like conferences. You can read the bulletin here https://www.bps.org.uk/member-microsites/political-psychology-section/news
