Event aims to uncover how voters and politicians think
Tuesday 9 May 2017
AN EVENT bringing together experts to shed some light on the current political situation is being organised by the University of Salford.
The event, entitled Psychology of Democracy – What’s Going On? is being held at the University’s MediaCityUK campus on Monday May 15 and features specialists in the fields of psychology, political science and media to consider how well our political system works.
The free event will feature discussions about how politicians think, what they believe and how they communicate their ideas, what role the media plays, as well as what influences voters about their decisions when they enter the ballot box.
Dr Ashley Weinberg, Senior Lecturer in Psychology at Salford University and organiser of the event, said: “Politics is everywhere – emotions are running high after victories for Brexit and Trump and with the British public preparing to go to the polls yet again after Theresa May’s snap General Election call, people are keen for clarity about what’s going on.
“This is more than an academic conference – we’re genuinely hoping to stimulate debate and discussion and we welcome members of the public who are puzzled about what’s happening to democracy to come to the event.”
The event will feature Dr Sharon Coen, the University’s Senior Lecturer in Media Psychology, who will talk about how people share ideas about politics using the internet, how social media has been used during uprisings such as Arab spring, and whether following online news about politics encourages people to become more involved offline.
Other speakers will include the psychiatrist Dame Jane Roberts, former leader of the London Borough of Camden, who wrote the book Losing Political Office based on in-depth interviews with former British politicians about their experiences of being voted out of a job.
James Weinberg, a Research Associate at the University of Sheffield’s Crick Centre, which aims to promote the public understanding of politics, and a member of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Democratic Participation, will also talk about his work, along with his colleague Professor Matthew Flinders, author of Defending Politics.
Peter Bull, honorary psychology professor at Salford and author of Microanalysis of Political Communication along with Maurice Waddel will be examining the significance of the behaviours we see at Prime Ministers Question time, while Salford Royal NHS Foundation neuropsychologist Dr Russell Sheldrick will help the audience gain an insight into the role of the brain in people’s responses to political events. Dr Tereza Capelos will also consider the role of media and emotions in the context of Brexit.
Dr Weinberg, editor of the Psychology of Politicians, added: “We’ll be aiming to promote understanding our human responses to politics in these turbulent times and considering the roles of politicians and of the media. But the focus will be on the most important players in any democratic system – the voting public.”
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