Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Thomas Prosser

Rosie Campbell @profrosiecamp.bsky.social · 1d

@electoralstudies.bsky.social If you’re interested in academic studies of political polarisation we have loads of great papers at Electoral Studies. Check out this one by Joseph Phillips www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Affective polarization and habits of political participation

Affective polarization, or relative dislike of opposing partisans, is associated with several negative outcomes for democracy. However, a number of st…

www.sciencedirect.com

1 7 10

Thomas Prosser @prossertj.bsky.social · 2d

There are problems with the logic here. For example, how would you explain these trends?

1

Thomas Prosser @prossertj.bsky.social · 3d

Looking at latest BES. On the allowing more or fewer immigrants 0-10 scale (higher is liberal), the mean score is 3.11 and <20% of voters are >5.

Many have shown that anti-immigration stances are inefficient for Labour, but I'm unconvinced that the opposite position would lead to better polling!

Reposted by Thomas Prosser

Professor Alice Sullivan @profalices.bsky.social · 11d

I am honoured to be shortlisted for the Maddox Prize. The prize recognises researchers for standing up for science and showing courage and integrity in the face of challenges and hostility.

Sense about Science @senseaboutsci.bsky.social · 11d

The 2025 #MaddoxPrize shortlist is here! This year, 6 researchers from around the world are recognised for standing up for science and evidence-based policy in the face of adversity.

Read their stories here ➡️ senseaboutscience.org/activities/2...

1 2 23

Thomas Prosser @prossertj.bsky.social · 3d

Notwithstanding some bad stuff, I've met some amazing people; the advantages definitely outweigh the disadvantages!

Conrad Hackett @conradhackett.bsky.social · 4d

Has anything great happened in your life because of social media?

2

Reposted by Thomas Prosser

Tim Bale @timbale.bsky.social · 4d

Constant, morale-sapping, self-doubting rejection throughout their careers is one thing that all but the luckiest/most talented academics, no matter how supposedly senior they are, share with each other! I rather liked this advice about staying positive regardless - I just wish I could follow it!

‘Stay true to yourself – and fly closer to the sun’: what I’ve learned from 50 years of rejection

As a writer, I have been rejected thousands of times, and it initially led to shock, denial and anger. Then I accepted it. Here’s what you can gain from doing so too

www.theguardian.com

3 6 45

Thomas Prosser @prossertj.bsky.social · 4d

The standard in the Welsh league isn't *quite* as good as the Premiership... but we still love it 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿⚽️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

4

Thomas Prosser @prossertj.bsky.social · 5d

Hehe, there have been rather a lot of these pieces!

Michael Hobbes @michaelhobbes.bsky.social · 5d

FINALLY

A conservative professor on how to fix campus culture

1

Thomas Prosser @prossertj.bsky.social · 7d

Congratulations!

Thomas Prosser @prossertj.bsky.social · 7d

Why bother with Chelsea v Liverpool when you can watch Colwyn Bay v Caernarfon?!? 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿⚽️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

1

Thomas Prosser @prossertj.bsky.social · 8d

Really hope things get better with your dept asap

1 1

Reposted by Thomas Prosser

Georg Picot @gpicot.bsky.social · 8d

Rest in peace, Claus Offe! Great, critical, inspiring scholar.

www.hertie-school.org/en/news/deta...

The Hertie School community mourns the passing of Professor Claus Offe

Offe was a distinguished political sociologist and a founding member of the Hertie School.

www.hertie-school.org

1 6

Thomas Prosser @prossertj.bsky.social · 9d

😊😊😊

1

Thomas Prosser @prossertj.bsky.social · 9d

Link here: www.thepathnottaken.net/p/i-cant-fin...

www.thepathnottaken.net

1 3

Thomas Prosser @prossertj.bsky.social · 9d

🚨🚨NEW🚨🚨

The 'progressive cat lady' is a staple of culture war discourse; J. D. Vance once dismissed Democrats as 'a bunch of childless cat ladies with miserable lives'.

But I can’t find any evidence for them…

1 1 4

Reposted by Thomas Prosser

Cardiff UCU @cardiffucu.bsky.social · 10d

Modern Languages; Music; and History, Archaeology & Religion remain in scope.

Compulsory redundancy is a red line.

It is time to vote in the consultative ballot on industrial action NOW - the deadline is tomorrow.

Almost 200 Cardiff University staff left in limbo as they face losing jobs

Cardiff University confirmed it cannot rule out compulsory redundancies as it also apologised to students for problems with a new timetabling system as the academic year begins

www.walesonline.co.uk

2 3

Reposted by Thomas Prosser

Sam Freedman @samfr.bsky.social · 11d

Can someone ask Farage or Zia Yusuf why, if they're so concerned about incitement to violence, they had Lucy Connolly as a guest star at their conference?

61 750 2.7K

Reposted by Thomas Prosser

Valentina Ausserladscheider @vapunkt.bsky.social · 13d

super refreshing to see this taken seriously by political scientists who work quantitatively theloop.ecpr.eu/assessing-th...

Assessing the degree and drivers of sensitivity in political science

Michael Ganslmeier and Tim Vlandas have developed a new approach to measure the fragility of findings in political science. Showing that empirical results can change substantially when researchers var...

theloop.ecpr.eu

1 1

Thomas Prosser @prossertj.bsky.social · 13d

Yes, that's certainly a danger! Yet institutions such as universities/literacy tend to be more resilient than many credit...

1

Thomas Prosser @prossertj.bsky.social · 13d

Over the past week, I've enjoyed reading about the James Marriott 'post-literacy' thesis and there's definitely something to it. But are proponents overstating things? Literacy in modern society has profound stabilizing mechanisms, not least mass higher education!

1 6

Reposted by Thomas Prosser

Sunder Katwala (sundersays) @sundersays.bsky.social · 15d

Nathan Gill, Reform's leader in Wales at the last Welsh parliament election, has pled guilty to 8 bribery charges, taking Russian cash while he was one of Nigel Farage’s MEPs to speak in favour of Putin's Russia in that parliament
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

Reform UK’s ex-leader in Wales Nathan Gill pleads guilty to bribery charges

Gill admits to eight counts of bribery relating to pro-Russia statements made in the European parliament and articles

www.theguardian.com

28 320 500

Thomas Prosser @prossertj.bsky.social · 15d

If/when Reform get serious numbers of representatives in the UK and devolved parliaments, I worry profoundly for the quality of our legislators. Time and time again, Reform's personnel have shown that they're not up to it.

Thomas Prosser @prossertj.bsky.social · 15d

No, that won't happen. On the bright side, it's very unlikely they'll get into government here.

1

Thomas Prosser @prossertj.bsky.social · 15d

Dreadful

1

Thomas Prosser @prossertj.bsky.social · 15d

Another indication of the quality of Reform's personnel - the problem seems even more acute in Wales
nation.cymru/news/former-...

Former Reform leader in Wales admits bribery charges over pro-Russian statements

The former leader of Reform UK in Wales has admitted making pro-Russian statements in the European Parliament for cash. On Friday, Nathan Gill, 52, of Anglesey, North Wales, pleaded guilty at the Old ...

nation.cymru

1 8 14