Dr Benjamin Franks
- Senior Lecturer (Social and Political Philosophy) (Social & Environmental Sustainability)
telephone:
01387702055
email:
Benjamin.Franks@glasgow.ac.uk
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3258-8091Research interests
Research Interests
Interested in Marxist, anarchist, post-Marxist and post-anarchist political theory and applied ethics especially in the fields of (anti-)political action, education and social research.
Research Projects
Examining ideological hybrids such as 'post-anarchism' and 'tory' or 'conservative anarchism', and the intersections of political theory with ethics, in particular liberal, conservative and revolutionary thought and virtue theory.
Supervision
Currently Supervising
- Lisa Bradley (Urban Studies): The Social Construction of Time: recognising the temporal strands of urban malaise in the contemporary city (working title)
- (School of Social & Environmental Sustainability): Anarchism and the Question of Power (working title)
Previously supervised
- Laura Ferguson (School of Social & Environmental Sustainability). Successfully completed doctoral studies on The Vietnam Syndrome: Representations of Vietnam and Gulf conflicts in fictional American cinemas
- Rory Fairweather (School of Social & Environmental Sustainability): Successfully completed 1 year M.Phil dissertation: An Enquiry into Eco-Phenomenology
- Lowe, Fay
What is the extent to which a locally agreed syllabus can meet the moral education needs of white British boys in an area where there is a high prevalence of far-right wing extremism?
Teaching
Undergraduate (School of Social & Environmental Sustainability: Dumfries campus)
- Level 2: Issues in Contemporary Society (Convenor)
- Level 4: Power, Culture & Criticism (Convenor)
- Level 4: Reading Class: Anarchisms (Supervisor)
Also teaches on:
- Level 1: Text and Communication
- Level 2: Health Care Policy
- Level 3: Research Methods
Undergraduate (School of Politics and Social Science, Glasgow campus)
- Honours class: Contemporary Radical Theory: Marxisms and Post-Marxisms (Convenor)
- Honours class: Political Ideologies (Convenor)
Postgraduate taught (School of Social & Environmental Sustainability: Dumfries campus)
- MSc: Environmental Ethics and Behaviour Change (co-convenor with Dr Sean Johnston and Dr Hanscomb) also offered at the Glasgow campus
Additional information
Non-academic publications
Articles
'Lenin Reloaded: And engaged in friendly fire?', Variant, No. 31 (Spring 2008); 'Who or You to Tell me to Question Authority?: Radical Education in a proto-fascist era.', Variant, No. 29 (Summer 2007); ‘Behind, and beyond, the barricades’ in The Jewish Chronicle, 20 July, 2001; Occasional contributor to various campaign websites, ‘zines and newspapers, 1997 to date.
Conferences and Workshops
Keynote speaker, Lost subject, University of Dundee, ‘Interdisciplinarity and Philosophy: The challenge to managerialism’ (May 2013)
Speaker, Anarchist Studies Conference, Loughborough University, ‘The Virtues of Non-Domination’ (August 2012)
Invited speaker on Invited speaker on ‘Radical Modesty’, Rhetorics of Moderation: Politics and pragmatics (ESRC seminar series): Huddersfield University (June 2011)
Invited speaker on ‘The Ethics of Anti-Fascism’ at Radical Perspectives on Fascism /Anti-fascism workshop, Queen Mary, University of London (May 2011)
Delivered Paper ‘Tory Anarchism’, PSA Workshops in Political Theory , Manchester Metropolitan University. PSA Worskop (August 2010)
Delivered paper 'Anarchism and Marxism:The beginnings and ends of the schism….', Anarchist Studies Network (PSA Specialist Group) conference, September 2009.
Co-organised panels and delivered paper 'Anarchism, Post-Anarchism and Ethics' for the Anarchism and Moral Philosophy panel, Anarchist Studies Network (PSA Specialist Group) conference, September 2008.
Delivered paper 'Revolutionary Modesty' for the Re-Imaging Revolution panel, Anarchist Studies Network (PSA Specialist Group) conference, September 2008.
Delivered a plenary address 'Paternalism and vanguardism' at the Civil Rights, Liberties and Disobedience conference, Centre for the Study of International Governance, Loughborough University, July 2007.
Delivered conference paper 'Virtues and Anarchism: A non-essentialist account' at Alasdair MacIntyre's Revolutionary Aristotelianism: Ethics, Resistance and Utopia, held at London Metropolitan University, June 2007.
Delivered paper ‘Questioning Post-anarchism in the Age of Security’ at the Political Studies Association conference, Reading University, April 2006.
Delivered paper ‘British Anarchisms and the Miners’ Strike’ at The Miners’ Strike 20 years On conference, University of Northumbria, June 2004.
Delivered paper ‘Conflict between Fascism and Anarchism in The Wicker Man’, The Wicker Man: Readings Rituals and Reactions conference, University of Glasgow Crichton Campus, July 2003.
Organiser of the conference, The Wicker Man: Readings Rituals and Reactions conference, University of Glasgow Crichton Campus, July 2003.
Delivered paper ‘The Direct Action Ethic’ at Alternative Futures and Popular Protest Conference, Manchester Metropolitan University, April 2001.
Chaired panel and delivered paper ‘Political violence and Direct Action’ at Representations of Violence, the Violence of Representation conference University of Nottingham, July 2000.
Delivered paper ‘Anarchist Revolutionary Subjects’ at the Conference of Socialist Economists, University of London, June 2000.
Delivered Paper ‘New Left/New Right’ at the Art Historians conference, Courthauld Institute, April 1996.
Other information
Helped create websites for radical environmental and community groups, also written for non-commercial press. Been interviewed by the BBC and RTE discussing on his research on anti-capitalisms. Listed in Political Studies Association Media Register of Experts under Anarchisms, Direct Action and Political Theory. Keen football fan, supports a variety of useless teams, and writes occasionally for fanzines and fansites. Also enjoys cinema and live (if somewhat sickly) comedy.
