The British Council, in partnership with the British International Studies Association (BISA), launched the New Voices in Cultural Relations – a competition aimed at recognizing exceptional Master’s dissertations that contribute new scholarly insights or propose innovative policy directions in the field of international relations.
The judging panel was chaired by Professor Kyle Grayson (Chair of BISA and Newcastle University) and included Dr. Nancy Annan (Coventry University), Dr. Yoav Galai (Royal Holloway, University of London) and Dr. Victoria Hudson (King’s College London).
Joanna Enu Obeng – who graduated from the University of Westminster with an MA in International Relations – received a special commendation for her dissertation 'Discrimination in Europe from a Black European perspective: a framework for inclusion and anti-discrimination based on qualitative expert interviews with Black politicians in Europe’.
Joanna used Critical Race Theory (CRT) to investigate and address the phenomenon of Afrophobia/Anti-Black racism in Europe. The dissertation contributes to understanding and addressing Afrophobia/Anti-Black racism in Europe through a critical lens, emphasizing the need for intersectionality, legal reform, organizational change, and empowerment of marginalized voices.
By employing CRT and qualitative research methods, the study aims to inform policy, activism, and scholarly discourse on combating racism and promoting racial justice in Europe.
The judging panel commented
The dissertation ambitiously tackles anti-Black racism in the EU, offering an insightful framework for addressing racism in Europe. It incorporates narrative interviewing and grounded theory to generate valuable empirical findings that contribute meaningfully to the discipline.
Citation
Enu Obeng, J. (2024). Discrimination in Europe from a black European perspective: a framework for inclusion and antidiscrimination based on qualitative expert interviews with black politicians in Europe. British Council. doi.org/10.57884/CFYC-1D23