Christopher Hobson

Tel: +81-3-5467-1329

Web: http://unu.edu/faculty/christopher-hobson

I am a Research Associate at the Institute for Sustainability and Peace, United Nations University, Tokyo. I previously worked as a Post-Doctoral Fellow in the Department of International Politics, Aberystwyth University.

My research related to the ‘Political Economies of Democratisation’ project focuses primarily on embedding democracy promotion practices within a longer historical perspective and connecting them more closely to political theory. Much of my work seeks to uncover and challenge the dominant role liberalism plays in structuring the thought and practice of democratisation and democracy promotion. I have done so by examining the historical development of democracy and the contingent nature of the prevailing liberal democratic model. Related to this, I have been slowly working on a book length project that provides a conceptual historical account of the development of democracy in modern international politics. More recently, I have also started to examine how a ‘conceptual politics’ approach to democratisation and democracy promotion can be extended to provide insights on other important international issues, such as climate change and the global movement towards abolition of the death penalty.

Publications linked to the project:

Books

Christoper Hobson and Milja Kurki, The Conceptual Politics of Democracy Promotion (London: Routledge: 2011).

Publications in Refereed Journals

Christopher Hobson, ‘Addressing Climate Change and Promoting Democracy Abroad: Compatible Agendas?’, Democratization, 19:5 (forthcoming, October 2012), pp. 973 – 991.

Christopher Hobson, ‘Liberal Democracy and Beyond: Extending the Sequencing Debate’, International Political Science Review, 33:4 (forthcoming, September 2012).

Christopher Hobson, ‘The Limits of Liberal Democracy Promotion’, Alternatives, 34:4 (2009), pp. 383-405.

Christopher Hobson, ‘Beyond the End of History: The Need for a “Radical Historicisation” of Democracy in International Relations’, Millennium, 37:3 (2009), pp. 627–653.

Christopher Hobson, ‘Democracy as Civilisation’, Global Society, 22:1 (2008), pp. 75–95.

Christopher Hobson, ‘A Forward Strategy of Freedom in the Middle East: US Democracy Promotion and the “War on Terror”’, Australian Journal of International Affairs, 59:1 (2005), pp. 39–53.

Christopher Hobson, ‘Rethinking Democracy: The End of Democratic Transitions?’, Melbourne Journal of Politics, 29 (2003/04), pp. 56–67.

Book Chapters

Christopher Hobson and Milja Kurki, ‘Democracy Promotion as a Practice of Liberal World Order’ in Tim Dunne, Trine Flockhart and Marjo Koivisto (eds), Liberalism and World Order (forthcoming).

Christopher Hobson, ‘Democracy, Democratisation and the Death Penalty’ in Madoka Futamura and Nadia Bernaz (eds), The Politics of the Death Penalty in Countries in Transition (forthcoming).

Christopher Hobson, ‘Democracy Promotion’ in Stephen Stockwell and Benjamin Isakhan (eds), The Edinburgh Companion to the History of Democracy (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, forthcoming, October 2012).

Christopher Hobson and Milja Kurki, ‘Introduction: the Conceptual Politics of Democracy Promotion’ in Christopher Hobson and Milja Kurki (eds), The Conceptual Politics of Democracy Promotion (London: Routledge, 2011).

Christopher Hobson and Milja Kurki, ‘Conclusion: Reflections on a New Approach in a New Era of Democracy Promotion’ in Christopher Hobson and Milja Kurki (eds), The Conceptual Politics of Democracy Promotion (London: Routledge, 2011).

Christopher Hobson, ‘Escaping the Liberal Straitjacket: Re-examining Democracy’s History’ in Joe Hoover, Meera Sabaratnam and Laust Schouenborg (eds), Interrogating Democracy in World Politics (London: Routledge, 2011).

Other Publications

Christopher Hobson, ‘Review: The Secret History of Democracy, edited by Benjamin Isakhan and Stephen Stockwell’, Global Change, Peace & Security, 24:1 (2012), pp. 193–194.

Christopher Hobson, ‘Review: The Life and Death of Democracy by John Keane’, International Affairs, 86:2 (2010), pp. 557-558.

Christopher Hobson and Milja Kurki, ‘Democracy and Democracy Support: A New Era’, OpenDemocracy, 20 March 2009, published online at: http://www.opendemocracy.net/article/idea/democracy-and-democracy-support-a-new-era