Hannah Oorts
Profile
I am currently doing a joint-PhD in an EUTOPIA-project, connected to both the department of political science of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel and the department of Politics and International Studies at the University of Warwick. My supervisors are professor dr. Eline Severs and professor dr. Michael Saward. I hold a master's degree in political science from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, as well an advanced master's degree in “Cultural Anthropology and Development Studies” from the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven.
Thesis
The study of political representation has undergone different paradigmatic shifts, bringing it today firmly within the constructivist paradigm. Herein, representation is seen as an act of claim-making wherein the maker of the claim puts one forward with a subject, object, referring to a referent to an active audience. In this interaction, the representative relation takes shape. Whereas the outcomes of representation have been studied, the processes and performances that take place within are gravely understudied. Additionally, the “crisis of representation” has been eroding trust in representative organs. This PhD therefore aims to answer the question: “How does the performance of representation – seen as an act of claim-making – influence representative relations?”
Research interests
My research interests center around the literature on political representation, performance and theatre studies, and the constructivist paradigm. Core interests are thus:
- Claim-making
- Representation
- Performance
- Constructivism
- Archive
Scholarship & Awards
Grant: EUTOPIA - Science and Innovation Fellowship (2022-2026)
Conferences
Oorts, H. (2023). Belgian party leaders’ representation of self(ie): the new face of political leadership on Instagram. Upcoming presentation at the ECPR General Conference 2023.