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Biography

Matthew Goodwin is Research Associate and joined IPEG in February 2007. Previously, he was Temporary Lecturer at the University of Bath. Matthew holds degrees from the University of Salford (B.A. First Class Hons), University of Western Ontario (M.A. Political Science), and the University of Bath (Ph.D.).

Research Interests

• Political behaviour and participation
• Intergroup relations
• Community Cohesion
• Qualitative research
• Changing Behaviour
• Experimental methods

Political Behaviour and Participation
Undertook research for the Department of Communities and Local Government in examining the barriers and incentives for traditionally under-represented groups in local government (for the full report click here). Matthew has a particular interest in ‘non-mainstream’ forms of participation. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with activists and organizers his doctoral research (completed in June 2007) examined the motive for active participation in extreme right-wing political movements. His dissertation is currently being reworked into a single-authored book (forthcoming with Routledge in 2009).

Matthew is also currently co-editing a volume that examines various forms of political and religious extremism and implications for public policy (with Professor Roger Eatwell). This interest builds on earlier research he has undertaken for both the UK Home Office (Understanding the Role of Racist Groups in Community Tension) and the Young Foundation (Exploring the Drivers of Far Right Support). Matthew’s research in this area has appeared in the journals Ethnopolitics, Political Quarterly, Politics and Patterns of Prejudice (see below), whilst his interest in various aspects of extremism is also represented by his position as co-editor of the ‘Extremism and Democracy’ Standing Group of the European Consortium of Political Research (ECPR): ECPR Extremism and Democracy Standing Group Homepage.

Behaviour Change
Since joining iPEG Matthew has developed a keen interest in behaviour change, policy interventions and experimental research methods. Currently, he is managing a research project that investigates the capacity of school-based interventions to promote pro-environmental attitudes and behaviours. He has also investigated approaches to behaviour change at organizational level, as reflected in the research report (2007) Changing Behaviours: Smart Solutions to the ‘Wicked’ Issues (Ipeg/North West Improvement Network). Alongside colleagues at IPEG, Matthew is contributing to the edited book Local Governance: Changing Citizens? (Durose et al. 2009, Policy Press).

Selected Publications

M. Goodwin (2008) ‘Backlash in the ‘Hood: Support for the British National Party at Local Level’, forthcoming in ‘The Extreme Right in Contemporary Europe, special edition of the Journal of Contemporary European Studies, 16(3)

M. Goodwin (2007) ‘Research, Revisionists, and the Radical Right’, Politics, 28(1), pp.33-40

M. Goodwin (2007) ‘The Extreme Right in Britain: Still an Ugly Duckling but for how long?’, Political Quarterly, 78(2), pp.241-250

P. John, F. Gains, M. Goodwin & L. Richardson (2007) Improving the Representativeness of Councillors: Learning from Five High Performing Councils in England. Research Report 4 for Councillors Commission, London: Department of Communities and Local Government.

M. Goodwin (2006) ‘Grandpa’s fascism and the New Kids on the Block: Contemporary Approaches to the Dark Side of Europe’, Ethnopolitics, 6(1), pp.1-10

M. Goodwin (2006) ‘The Rise and Faults of the Internalist Perspective in Extreme Right Studies’, Representation, 42(4), pp.347-364

Recent Presentations

(2008)  ‘Managing Ethnic Diversity in the North West Region’. Perspectives on City Scales and Cosmopolitan Cultures, National University of Singapore, May

(2007)  ‘Community Cohesion – Understanding and Challenging’, Institute for Political & Economic Governance, University of Manchester, December

(2007)  ‘Tackling Extremism Together: Preventing Intolerance-Increasing Cohesion’, Policy Review/Institute of Community Cohesion, December

(2007)  ‘Examining the Appeal of the British National Party’, Future of Political Parties ESRC Seminar Series, University of Birmingham, October

(2007)  ‘A Tale of Two Boroughs: Right-Wing Extremism at Neighbourhood Level’, 4th ECPR General Conference, Università di Pisa, September

(2007)  Panel Chair - The Impact of the Radical Populist Right, 4th ECPR General Conference, Università di Pisa, September

(2007)  ‘Identity Construction and Political Activism’, 17th Annual ASEN Conference, London School of Economics, April

(2005)  ‘Converting to the Cause: The Dynamics of Extreme Right Party Activism’, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, September.

Forthcoming Publications

M. Goodwin. Fascists on the Fringe? Rise of the British National Party (Routledge, 2009)

M. Goodwin & R. Eatwell (Eds) The New Ethnic Extremism in 21ST Century Britain (Routledge, 2009)

M. Goodwin, ‘Follow the New Piper? Nick Griffin and the ‘Modernization’ of the British National Party’, Patterns of Prejudice, forthcoming in 2009

M. Goodwin, ‘Cohesion through Contact? Intergroup Contact and the Promotion of ‘Cohesive’ Communities’, in C. Durose, S. Greasley & L. Richardson (Eds) Local Governance: Changing Citizens? (Policy Press), forthcoming in 2009

M. Goodwin, ‘Pathways toward participation in extreme right parties’, in N. Copsey and G. Macklin (Eds) British National Party: Contemporary Perspectives (London & New York: Routledge), forthcoming in 2009