PAIR Methods Summer School 2025
Declining democratic health: Methods for diagnosis, treatment and recovery
June 23 and 24, Boldrewood Campus, University of Southampton
The Department of Politics and International Relations at the University of Southampton is proud to launch our first Methods Summer School. Recently, the department has strongly invested in faculty with cutting-edge skills in quantitative and qualitative methods. This summer school aims to attract the best and brightest PhD researchers and ECRs working in Politics and IR with whom we can share and grow that expertise.
The event covers intermediate and advanced level methods with a mix of instructor-led ‘masterclasses’ and more collaborative sessions with ample time for interaction and engagement aimed at helping participants think through dilemmas, questions and problems in their current projects. The training will focus on four areas that centre on the core theme of better understanding and addressing the health of contemporary political institutions and politics. This also features the methodological strengths within the department. They include:
- The cutting-edge design of surveys, trust measures, and longitudinal studies in diagnosing the symptoms of democratic decline in advanced liberal democracies, and within regional and global institutions (ie public opinion, trust, legitimacy, representation, disengagement)
- Ethnographic approaches to probe deeper into the underlying causes of these forms of decline, especially in relation to understudied inequalities and challenges (especially in the Global South)
- Experimental approaches, spanning field, lab and survey experiments that can administer and assess the efficacy of ‘treatments’ for democratic ill-health in diverse settings
- The theory and practice of participatory governance models (eg citizens assemblies, participatory budgeting) to plot the course for democratic recovery
The two-day course is free to attend (including refreshments and lunch for all participants). There are also a limited number of bursaries available to support travel and accommodation for those who cannot access adequate funding at their home institutions.
The event will include two full days on June 23 and 24. We want to ensure a high value experience so space at the event is limited. Please register on or before Friday 9th of May to be considered. Submit your application using the MS Forms here . If you have any questions, please contact John Boswell (j.c.boswell@soton.ac.uk).
This opportunity is being supported by the British International Studies Association and Political Studies Association.
