Research Interests

Social theory, Political sociology, State theory, Social movements, Nationalism

Contact Information

Ph: 709-864-7455
Em: kstanbri@mun.ca
Office: A-40461

Personal Profile

I study and try to say interesting things about the ways that groups of people engage with the state, and how each affects the other. Much of my work is historical and case-driven; so far, I have examined instances of policy-making and collective action in the 18th century, the WWI era, and the post-WWII period, in places such as Ireland, Canada, and Newfoundland. In the process, I have acquired some expertise in theories of the state (including historical institutionalism), and approaches to nationalism, and social movements/contentious politics. Over the past few years, I have drawn on this experience to publish some general works on political sociology, including a book co-authored with Howard Ramos, Seeing Politics Differently (OUP 2012). My most recent investigations concern the place of children and cultural constructions of childhood in nationalism theory and discourse. Right now, I am most interested in how successful nationalisms have the capacity to "nationalize" the very different experiences of place and practice that people experience during childhood, and mobilize them toward common ends.

Research

Stanbridge, Karen. 2014. "How to commit Canadian Sociology, or 'What would Innis do?'" Canadian Review of Sociology. 51(4): 389-94

Stanbridge, Karen. 2014. "Thrift and the good child citizen: The Junior Thrift Clubs in Confederation-Era Newoundland." In Creating This Place: Women, Family, and Class in St. John's, Newfoundland 1900-1950. L. Cullum and M. Porter (eds.). McGill-Queen's University Press.

Stanbridge, Karen, and Howard Ramos. 2012. Seeing Politics Differently: An Introduction to Political Sociology. Oxford University Press.

Ramos, Howard and Karen Stanbridge. 2012. "Politics and political movements." In Sociology: A Canadian Perspective, Third Edition. L. Tepperman and P. Albanese (eds.). Oxford University Press

Stanbridge, Karen. 2011. "Do nationalists have navels? Where is childhood in mainstream nationalism theory?" In Against Orthodoxy: New Directions in the Study of Nationalism. S. Drakulic and T. Harrison (eds.). University of British Columbia Press.