Prestigious political science award winner
4 May 2011
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Dr Roman Gerodimos wins the Arthur McDougall Fund Prize. |
Dr Roman Gerodimos has propelled the status of politics at Bournemouth University by winning the Political Studies Association’s (PSA) prestigious Arthur McDougall Fund Prize for the Best Dissertation in Elections, Electoral Systems or Representation.
On being informed of his accolade Roman said: “I’m thrilled to be receiving such a prestigious award and I’m particularly honoured by the very kind comments of the judges”.
This outstanding achievement confirms the Media School’s status as an internationally-renowned research community in the field of political communication.
Roman’s winning 80,000-word PhD thesis examined whether the internet provides a different type of communicative and participatory environment and whether it can facilitate civic participation amongst young people who may not usually engage with ‘traditional’ politics.
The judging panel for the prize acknowledged the thesis as “a highly convincing and engaging body of research which attempts to explore in considerable detail and depth the various narratives and motivations of youth civic participation in both its traditional and non-traditional forms”.
Dr Gerodimos was commended for the integration and breadth of research, the emerging data from which suggested that young people have a fundamentally ‘consumerist’ attitude towards political participation.
Rounding off their comments, the judges said: “For his contribution to our understanding of questions fundamental to elections and representative government, Dr Gerodimos is a worthy winner of the Arthur McDougall prize”.
Dr Gerodimos was invited to attend the Political Studies Association’s Annual Conference at the London Novotel, where he collected prestigious award from Professor Carole Pateman, President of the American Political Science Association.
The results have been published in several academic journals and a bibliography of Roman’s work and research interests can be found on BURO (Bournemouth University Research Online), and at his personal website.
Roman is also a co-organiser of the Media and Politics Annual Conference which will take place at BU in November, on the theme of Civic and Audience Engagement.
