About Us

The Poverty Research Network was founded by Warwick historians, and formed part of the Global History and Culture Centre from 2015 to 2017. The project has now moved to the University of Glasgow, where it is directed by Dr Julia McClure. See here for the webpage. The network brings together together scholars from different disciplines, working on broad themes of poverty and social justice from the local to the global level. The Warwick Global History and Culture Centre continues to be one of the partners of the network.

At Warwick, the Network hosted a series of interdisciplinary workshops and guest seminars, generously supported by the Warwick Global History & Culture Centre, the Warwick Institute of Advanced Study, and Warwick's Global Research Priorities: International Development.

Evolution of the Network

The Poverty Research Network is now led by Dr Julia McClure and based at the University of Glasgow. Please visit our new website for further information on our exciting research projects and themes.

Beyond Development: Local Visions of Global Poverty

The Poverty Research Network is currently focused on delivering an exciting AHRC Research Network for International Development. Beginning on 1 November 2016, the 24-month grant internationalises the Network by holding workshop events at partner institutions in Bangladesh, Brazil, Mexico, Slovenia, and South Africa. These will explore how different narratives of poverty and poverty reduction have been conceptualised and articulated in specific countries, to deepen our understanding of the social and political construction of poverty. For more information please see our dedicated project page.

Previous Workshops

‘Empires of Charity’ (March 2017) - international workshop exploring the historical entanglement of charitable giving with colonialism, from the early modern era to the present epoch.

‘The Aesthetics of Poverty’ (June 2016) - brought together scholars interested in the aesthetic dimensions of poverty, and how it has been represented historically.

Previous Lectures

Steven Serels (Zentrum Moderner Orient, Berlin), ‘Rethinking the Link Between Poverty and Colonialism: the African Red Sea Littoral since the Nineteenth Century’

Jonathan Vickery (Centre for Cultural Policy Studies, University of Warwick), ‘Understanding Poverty as Aesthetic Deprivation: empirical and theoretical issues’

Jonathan Glennie (Director of Policy & Research, Save the Children UK), ‘The end of the beginning: Development cooperation in a new era’

Inaugural Lecture: Jason Hickel (LSE), ‘Rethinking Development: How the aid industry misses the point about poverty’