Bryony Vince
Department of Politics and International Relations
PhD research student
Full contact details
Department of Politics and International Relations
Elmfield Building
Northumberland Road
Sheffield
S10 2TU
- Profile
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Bryony is an ESRC funded doctoral student in the Department of Politics and International Relations and an Affiliate Researcher at Stellenbosch University. She is co-editor of the Lexington book series Global Dialogues: Non-Eurocentric Visions of the Global and Editor-at-large at E-International Relations. She is also a fellow of the Centre for the Comparative Study of Civil War and was previously an Associate Lecturer at Sheffield Hallam University. Her research broadly seeks to decenter, dismantle and move beyond Eurocentric, racist and imperial approaches to and understandings of international relations.
Her current PhD research is investigating the value of contextually specific approaches to conflict resolution and peacebuilding, and looks specifically at how the pan-African worldview of Ubuntu has been/is being used by government, Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) and community organisations in South Africa to inform approaches aimed at resolving conflict and creating peace.
Her article, Constructing a Non-Western Theory of IR: A Cosmological Framework, was shortlisted for the 2019 Northedge Essay Prize by Millennium: Journal of International Studies, and her essay How Global is Security Studies? The Possibility of Non-Western Theory was awarded the E-International Relations Essay Award in 2018.
She blogs at unapologeticacademic.com.
- Qualifications
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BA (Hons), Politics and International Relations, University of Sheffield
MA, International Politics, University of Sheffield
MA, Social Research Methods, University of Sheffield
- Research interests
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PhD working title: Forgetting IR: How Ubuntu is used as a tool for peacebuilding in South Africa.
Supervisors: Prof. John Hobson and Dr. Helen Turton
Funding: ESRC Doctoral Studentship
Brief summary:
Bryony’s research seeks to decenter, dismantle and move beyond Eurocentric, racist and imperial approaches to and understandings of international relations by looking beyond orthodox IR concepts, theories and methodologies. As such, her research is investigating the value of contextually specific approaches to conflict resolution and peacebuilding, and looks specifically at how the pan-African worldview of Ubuntu has been/is being used by government, Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) and community organisations in South Africa to inform approaches aimed at resolving conflict and creating peace.
This research aims to shed light on how approaches to peacebuilding based on knowledge and experiences that are specific to the site of conflict can provide sustainable solutions that are culturally and contextually relevant to the target population. Methodologically, this research draws on the 'ontological turn' in anthropology, decolonial and feminist standpoint theory and includes both unstructured and semi-structured interviews, ethnographic observations and autophotography.
Research Interests:
- Decoloniality
- Peacebuilding
- Conflict resolution
- International Relations
- Anti-Eurocentric/anti-racist IR
- Ubuntu
Recent publications:
The importance of indigenous solutions during post-war peacebuilding | Civil War Paths blog
- Teaching interests
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Experience
Module Leader - MA Decolonising and Decentering International Relations, Sheffield Hallam University (2021/2022)
Interests
My teaching interests broadly lie in International Relations. In particular, I am interested in teaching decolonial, anti-Eurocentric and decentered approaches to International Relations and peacebuilding/intervention. I am passionate about decolonising the curriculum and wider University, and strive to adopt inclusive strategies into my teaching practices.
- Professional activities and memberships
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Book series co-editor – Global Dialogues: Non-Eurocentric Visions of the Global
Editor-at-large – E-International Relations
Co-convenor – International Relations Group, Department of Politics and International Relations
Fellow - Centre for the Comparative Study of Civil War
Affiliate researcher - Stellenbosch University (2022)
Funding and awards
1+3 PhD Studentship (2019-2023)
Awarding body: Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)
Highest Achievement in MA International Politics (2019)
Awarding body: Department of Politics and IR, University of Sheffield
Northedge Essay Prize (Shortlisted – 2019)
Article: Constructing a Non-Western Theory of IR: A Cosmological Framework Awarding body: Millennium: Journal of International Studies
E-IR Essay Award (2017)
Essay: How Global is Security Studies? The Possibility of Non-Western Theory Awarding body: E-International Relations