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Political Bulletin Political Psychology Section Bulletin December 2019 Welcome to your second issue of the Political Psychology Section Bulletin. You are receiving this as one of almost 200 members who have joined since the Section was approved in November 2019. Thank you so much for your support and participation over the last year and we look forward to seeing you in upcoming events in Birmingham and London, after a busy year which has attracted members to Salford and Harrogate and seen two elections. See inside this issue for news of upcoming events and an exciting winter line up and please get in touch with your ideas for the spring issue. From the Editorial team Pressure on our politicians to perform In this Issue 1. From the Editorial team o, we promised you another We know that even for up to 80 general election! Yes, those who MPs the emotions aroused by the 2. Upcoming events Shave attended the Psychology EU referendum were the tipping of Democracy conference in Salford point which led to their choice to 3. Featured articles from will recall that each time we hold this stand down. While we might expect members Saskia Perriard- biennial event, a general election them to have a more cushioned Abdoh, Steve Myers, takes place in the same year. political afterlife, this is not always Jill Ruddock and the case, especially following the Antigonos Sochos Of course, this has to be psychological battering so many coincidence, doesn’t it? Hmmm… have taken on the tumultuous Brexit 4. Book overview by well, we couldn’t possibly comment. journey. Alan Waring Let’s see what further revelations our joint conference with the Political For many more MPs the 5. Report on Stories of Studies Association brings on uncertainties of job selection by mass Psychology event by 16–17 December, which includes a vote, often dependent on the mood Sharon Coen and Peter Bull symposium on compassion in politics of the nation and influenced by a presented by section members. host of uncontrolled variables from 6. Joining the Political mass media to party differences, is Psychology Section No doubt thoughts of the festive an unwelcome yet familiar trial. holiday season are rising priorities, but for those who have been fighting for For those who are the party leaders, their political careers this is not such a the prospect of defending their own jolly time at all. records and attacking those of others has been given an extra frisson by Get in Touch Clearly, facing the risk of live television debates. unemployment is bad enough and @psych _political we know there are far too many In these, where every move is [email protected] people in the country struggling with almost immediately scrutinised by joblessness, reduced income and the analysts for a potential highlight, for Edited by: Ashley Weinberg hardships that accompany them. social embarrassment or indeed to 1 Political Psychology Section Bulletin December 2019 From the Editorial Team continued pronounce ‘who’s won’, the stakes could not To hear a leader ‘welcome the hatred’ have been higher. It was instructive to see how of opponents as the potential price for a many leaders stepped back as these rolled on. campaign is particularly poignant given tragic events in recent times. Surely our experience of Each leader is mindful that the nation is democracy should not be so precarious? watching – even if we are not – and even though it is likely their moves and counter- Perhaps, as those with interests in political thrusts have been carefully considered in psychology, we can encourage others to pre-debate warm-ups and dummy runs with remember that politicians are human, including campaign teams, the pressure to perform could the ones we haven’t voted for. not be greater. This issue of the Bulletin welcomes The limelight is both friend and foe. Their contributions from those who are observing careers, colleagues and potentially the the Brexit phenomenon from a range of country’s future depend on how things go in perspectives. Each seeks to unpick the the course of these debates. emotions we have witnessed during this tumultuous time, examining potential For those who are inclined to observe motivations as well as consequences around with interest, there is something curiously the Brexit experience. fascinating about the meaning of the non- verbal behaviours on display, as much as for Saskia Perriard-Abdoh examines the policy what is actually said. context and the warning bells for democracy, Steve Myers writes about his study of how we For the empathic viewer who feels inclined to see those on the ‘other side’ of the debate, cringe at the foibles of each leader, perhaps Jill Ruddock considers the challenges for there is emotional comfort in recalling that it is identity and trust, while Antigonos Sochos a certain type of person who puts themselves highlights the role of the unconscious in such forward for the leadership role, but it is unclear heated politics. Thank you all. how much an apparently bullet-proof persona diminishes the potential threat for psychological Whether the general election has served up your damage after such high-profile encounters. favourite or not, let’s hope the season of jollity more closely matches your expectations. May Leaders rarely admit to their vulnerabilities – at we take this opportunity to thank you for all your least not in the same time frame as they are support in 2019 and we look forward to seeing standing. It is sometimes only apparent later on you at the AGM in London on 17 January or how much psychological impact there has been. later in the year. Perhaps we are witnessing a form of this delayed Season’s greetings, good wishes and a very ‘shock’ in the testimonies of MPs who decided happy 2020 to all from your editorial team that the death threats to themselves and loved Ashley Weinberg and Jennifer Robertson. ones were understandably too much to bear. Upcoming events for your diary 2nd UK Political Psychology Conference – to be 1.30–3.30pm the highly acclaimed Political held at Birmingham University in the Institute Skills workshop facilitated by Professor Richard for Conflict, Cooperation and Security. Monday Kwiatkowski (free attendance for section 16 and Tuesday 17 December. members). Political Psychology Section Annual General 70th Annual International Political Studies Meeting at the British Psychological Society Association Conference – Edinburgh. 6–8 April London Office, 30 Tabernacle Street, London 2020. Follow the link for more information. EC2A 4UE. Friday 17 January, 11.30am– 12.30pm, followed by light lunch and from 2 Political Psychology Section Bulletin December 2019 Featured article Democracy depends on our psychology When I first began working at the BPS, I was • balancing responsibilities to all groups; asked, along with the other members of the policy • the search for structure and a sense of team, to write a short opinion piece on how we felt connection; psychology could be embedded in public policy. • the human side of policymaking and As I said then, and as my work with BPS the impact of the individual on policy members has continuously demonstrated, outcomes. despite how impersonal policy may seem at Beyond the fundamental impact the first glance, ‘politics is personal’. Saskia Perriard-Abdoh, referendum had (and continues to have) Policy Advisor, British Indeed, the very word ‘policy’ is usually on our political landscape, it is clear that Psychological Society invoked to underline the impersonal nature the issue of Brexit served to expose existing of a structure or decision: ‘it’s not up to me… divisions and allowed unvoiced frustrations to it’s policy’ or ‘I’m not sure, let me check the be made visible. No matter which side people policy’. In effect, it is a word which is used to took during the referendum, ultimately they distance rather than bring together. were talking about issues of identity through the way they connected to policy issues such That being said, it is people who formulate, as immigration, the future of the NHS, access maintain and enforce policy. The pressures to education and sustainable employment. this can have on individuals can be difficult and even insurmountable at times. What made the referendum particularly divisive was that these important policy issues were This notion was underlined at the end spoken about in unhappy and often unpleasant of September at the BPS Psychology of ways through this prism of identity – even Democracy event, which took place during though it ultimately wasn’t the issue on the the Conservative Party Conference. Because ballot paper. of the significant political upheaval people are experiencing, it was refreshing to see a Brexit became a proxy debate which became full room of people who had come together to increasingly disconnected from the issue hear a panel drawn from across the ideological on the ballot. In effect, it was a battle over spectrum explore questions of identity, representative versus direct democracy. belonging and what it means to represent a I believe that we are only beginning to diverse society within a functioning democracy. understand the psychological underpinnings As was said throughout the event, of this debate, let alone the manner in which understanding who we are, how we feel and our democracy is evolving as a result. where those feelings come from is incredibly More than two months have now passed since important. Several of the speakers noted that this discussion took place and, if anything, the this is also true of elected officials, who are atmosphere and tensions in Westminster and responsible for taking decisions that affect the in the country have heightened. lives of their constituents and the state of their nation.
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