Dr Graham M Smith

Profile

I am a political theorist with a special interest in friendship and how this relates to our understanding of 'the political'. More generally, I have interests spanning from the Ancients to post-modernity. My approach to political thought is both open and broad and this allows me to connect its themes and problems to allied fields such as International Relations, Philosophy, and Religion.

Responsibilities

• Deputy Director of Student Education

Research interests

My research focuses on the notion of friendship and how this relates to our understanding of the political. I understand friendship to be a concern with the bonds between person and person. These bonds can be located and conceptualised in a variety of ways but they provide the basic fabric upon which the political is woven. I understand the political to indicate a domain of order and value constructed by persons who must negotiate their mutual dependency and freedom.

I am the co-editor of the online, peer-reviewed, open-access journal AMITY: The Journal of Friendship Studies

Qualifications

• BA Hons Political and Religious Thought (University of Lancaster)
• MA Philosophy (University of Sheffield)
• Ph.D. Political Theory (University of Lancaster)

Student education

I teach political theory in the School.  This has involved teaching on:

PIED 1601 Freedom Power and Resistance

PIED 2601 Revolution and Reaction

PIED 3611 Radical Political Ideas

Research groups and institutes

• Centre for Contemporary Political Theory

Current postgraduate researchers

• Gareth George
• Sam Mace
• Paul Geyer