The Anthropology of Parliaments
Professor Emma Crewe

Speaker:

Professor Emma Crewe

Bio:

Emma Crewe is a Head of the School of Anthropology, Media and Gender, a Research Professor at SOAS, University of London and a Research Supervisor at the University of Hertfordshire in management. She has taught anthropology at Sussex University and SOAS and worked for international development NGOs. Her research focuses on parliaments. She has published on development (with E. A Harrison), House of Lords, House of Commons, the expenses scandal (with A. Walker), the Texas State Legislature, and the Anthropology of Parliaments. She is also Chair of the Study of Parliament Group UK (a network of parliamentary officials and scholars) and Vice-President of the Royal Anthropological Institute.

Date:

17 February 2027

Time:

7:30pm – 9:00pm

Venue:

Sir Charles Wilson Building, University of Glasgow

Add to your calendar 17 February 2027 19:30 17 February 2027 21:00 Europe/London Lecture: Professor Emma Crewe

Summary

Parliaments are at the centre of complex networks created by democracy. This is where parliamentarians engage with constituents, journalists, officials, lobbyists, and each other, and the work of representation, law-making, advocacy and scrutiny is claimed and sometimes achieved. They are also buildings, a period of time, a place to talk and much besides. Relationships, rituals and morality are at the heart of parliaments, so it is surprising to find that few anthropologists have ventured into them. The select few that have researched politicians have revealed surprises, contradictions, and the partially hidden everyday workings. They do more than fill gaps in knowledge. Based on 25 years of ethnographic studies of the Westminster Parliament, and a review of anthropological parliamentary research from around the world, this lecture will offer some reflections on how anthropology has the potential for us to rethink what we mean by parliamentary culture and political work.