Dr Oscar Berglund
BA, MSc, MSc, PhD
Expertise
Critical Political Economist studying climate change activism and the criminalisation of protest. Extensive expertise on the use of civil disobedience and direct action by social movements.
Current positions
Vice President of UCU
Human ResourcesSenior Lecturer in International Public and Social Policy
School for Policy Studies
Contact
Press and media
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Biography
Oscar works at the intersection of Public Policy, Social Movement Studies and Critical Political Economy. He has established a global reputation for his expertise on climate change activism and criminalisation of protest. He is frequently interviewed by media outlets from around the world about these topics. Oscar also engages frequently with social movements, NGOs, and think tanks, as well as with scholars from across the natural and social sciences with an interest in collective agency in the context of the climate crisis.
Research interests
Oscar Berglund has extensively researched climate change activism and the criminalisation of protest and activism. He has focused particularly on disruptive forms of protest, why activists use them, and what the functions and effects of such protest are. Oscar often takes a Gramscian approach to understand the essential role of social movements in bringing about progressive societal change.
His current research is focused on the following:
- Criminalisation and repression of climate and environmental protest around the world;
- Effectiveness and outcomes of social movements using civil disobedience and direct action;
- The different political and ideological strands within broad climate change movements;
- The role of collective agency in facing the climate crisis.
Projects and supervisions
Research projects
Criminalisation of Climate Protest
Principal Investigator
Description
Exploring the criminalisation and repression of climate and environmental protest around the world, using quantitative and qualitative databases.Managing organisational unit
School for Policy StudiesDates
08/01/2024 to 13/12/2024
Policy & Protest
Principal Investigator
Role
Co-Principal Investigator
Description
This project explored the effects of the protest group Just Stop Oil through interviews, opinion polls and media content analysis.Managing organisational unit
School for Policy StudiesDates
01/01/2023 to 31/12/2023
Green Recovery in Cities
Principal Investigator
Description
The project explored how to deepen climate justice in the post-pandemic context in cities in the South West of England.Managing organisational unit
School for Policy StudiesDates
01/06/2021 to 31/07/2022
“From Anxiety to Insight to Action – How can we best support young people from diverse backgrounds to make their own response to the Climate and Ecological Emergency?”
Role
Co-Investigator
Description
The research seeks to develop new knowledge about how young people can best respond to the CEE, and how artistic experiences can facilitate this. It will do this within a…Managing organisational unit
School of EducationDates
01/01/2020 to 31/07/2020
Thesis supervisions
Neoliberalism and community
Supervisors
Capitalism, finance & climate crisis
Supervisors
Publications
Selected publications
05/06/2023Disruptive Protest, Civil Disobedience & Direct Action
Politics
Whose system, what change?
Environmental Politics
Recent publications
05/06/2023Disruptive Protest, Civil Disobedience & Direct Action
Politics
Just transition in the post-pandemic city
Local Environment: The International Journal of Justice and Sustainability
How effective are climate protests at swaying policy — and what could make a difference?
Nature
Taking risks and breaking new frontiers
Policy and Politics
Transformational Change through Public Policy
Policy and Politics
Teaching
Oscar has always used various interactive methods and activities in his teaching and pushes an interdisciplinary approach, drawing on expertise from across the School and University in his units.
In 2025, Oscar is teaching the unit Climate Emergency (SPOL30074), which is available to 3rd year students across the undergraduate programmes in SPS.
