Professor Mark Wickham-Jones

Professor Mark Wickham-Jones

MA(Edin), PhD(Manc)

Professor of Political Science

Labour politics, social democracy, comparative and theoretical political economy and rational choice.

Office location: 2.7 10 Priory Road
Postal address: 10 Priory Road
Clifton
Bristol BS8 1TU

Telephone: (0117) 928 8828 (Internal: 88828)
Fax: +44 (0)117 331 7500

Email: m.wickham@bristol.ac.uk

Career

Lecturer at the University of Leeds, 1988-89. Lecturer at Bristol from 1989, Senior Lecturer from 1999. University of Bristol Research Fellowship 1997-98. Arts and Humanities Research Board Study Leave Scheme 1999-2000.

Research

My central research interest lies in labour politics and social democracy. My focus is on the development of the Labour Party over the last twenty-five years. I am especially interested in the evolution of the Party's policy commitments since 1983, the changes to its organisational structure and the nature of its electoral outlook.

This project is influenced by a theoretical literature concerned with the multiple constraints placed on social democratic parties in terms of such matters as their economic strategy, electoral alignment and internal power structure. My approach is to use such literature as a framework within which to explore the Labour Party. Where possible this exploration draws on archival and private political papers.

Currently I am undertaking two projects. The first seeks to detail and explain Labour's transformation between 1983 and 1997. The second aims to examine and assess the nature of Labour's economic strategy between 1992 and 2004. I am inching my way towards a conclusion in both.

List of publications (links to IRIS publications database)

Teaching

My teaching interests are rational choice theory and Labour Party politics. I am especially interested in seeing that students studying rational choice are able to assess the strengths and weaknesses of a political science approach to studying politics. My aim is for students studying the Labour Party is to become aware of the historical background to the emergence of 'New Labour' by critically examining a wide range of sources.

I have acted as convenor, tutor and lecturer on:

Currently I teach: