Soraya Hamdaoui

Teaching Fellow in Political Theory
soraya.hamdaoui@warwick.ac.uk

Advice and Feedback Hours:

By appointment only. Please email me directly.

Room E1. 24

Research

My research is focused for the most part on the opposition to populism, also known as 'anti-populism.' My work is both theoretical and empirical as I look at the different ways anti-populism is manifested. Usually, anti-populism is expressed through discourses that delegitimise populists and the 'people' that follow them/vote for them. I am also interested in the policies seeking to 'repair' politics and society after a populist era. Populism is commonly considered a political and social disease and part of my research highlights the pathologisation of this phenomenon and the 'medecine' that politicians and civil society actors propose to 'heal' from populism. Another aspect of my work is the accommodative strategy that anti-populists use as they seek to weaken or deal with populism. My case-studies include various countries/regions: the United States, Latin America, France, Italy, and the UK.

In addition to anti-populism, I am interested in culture and politics in the Maghreb: Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, in the relationship of these countries to their colonial French heritage, their foreign policy and the development of their soft power.

Teaching (2025-2026)

This year I will be teaching PO379 United States Foreign Policy and PO2E2 Topics in Political Theory.

Publications

My latest paper on anti-populism and foreign policy in the US is available here.