The Centre for Political Ethnography (CPE) was established by Professor Rod Rhodes in the Department of Politics and International Relations (PAIR) to promote ethnographic research in political science. CPE is an interdisciplinary platform that brings together researchers from across the University of Southampton who use—or are curious about using—ethnographic methods to study politics in its many forms.
Our members come from a wide range of disciplines, including political science, sociology, cultural studies, anthropology, geography, criminology, and law. Together, we explore timely issues such as political dissatisfaction, misinformation, political parties and the representation of marginalised groups, political elites and the bureaucracy, public policy, migration and forced displacement, social movements, criminal justice, and sustainability.
At the heart of our work is a shared ethical commitment to careful listening and to taking seriously the lived experiences of those we study, as a way of producing more relevant, grounded, and impactful research.