Amarasingam, Amarnath

Amarnath Amarasingam

Amarnath Amarasingam

Assistant Professor | Cross-Appointed

School of Religion | Political Studies

Queen's University

Research Interests

Terrorism and political violence; Sociology of religion; religion and violence; social movements; religion and politics in the Middle East; Religion and the public sphere; diaspora politics and activism; religion and media/social media; atheism and non-religion; hate movements and the far-right.

Biography

Amarnath Amarasingam is an Assistant Professor in the School of Religion, and is cross-appointed to the Department of Political Studies, at Queen’s University in Ontario, Canada. He is also a Senior Fellow with the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation. His research interests are in terrorism, radicalization and extremism, online communities, diaspora politics, post-war reconstruction, and the sociology of religion. He is the author of Pain, Pride, and Politics: Sri Lankan Tamil Activism in Canada (2015), and the co-editor of Sri Lanka: The Struggle for Peace in the Aftermath of War (2016). He has also published over 40 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, has presented papers at over 100 national and international conferences, and has written for The New York Times, The Monkey Case, The Washington Post, CNN, Politico, The Atlantic, and Foreign Affairs. He has been interviewed on CNN, PBS Newshour, CBC, BBC, and a variety of other media outlets. He tweets at

Amarasingam is an experienced field researcher, having conducted hundreds of interviews for his PhD dissertation on social movement activism, organizational dynamics, and youth identity in the Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora. He also conducted over 50 interviews with former fighters of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE, or Tamil Tigers) throughout the former war zones of Sri Lanka in 2013 and 2014. He has also conducted field research in Syria, Iraq, Morocco, Somalia, Lebanon, and Israel/Palestine. He co-directed a study on foreign fighters in Syria and Iraq, based at the University of Waterloo, for six years during which he conducted numerous social media and in-person interviews with current and former foreign fighters in Syria and Iraq, as well as parents and close friends of those who traveled to fight.

Graduate Workshop with Pinar Dokumaci

Date

Thursday April 28, 2022
2:30 pm - 4:30 pm

Location

Virtually over Zoom, Link will be shared prior to the event.

All Graduate Students, please join us as we review and discuss Pinar Dokumaci's paper "Relationality, Comparison, and Decolonising Political Theory". 

Abstract
Over the last few decades, relationality has become a buzzword across different disciplines of social and political sciences, which has initiated the talks of a “relational turn.” In its broadest sense, relationality offers a critique of individualist models of analysis. The relations within and in-between individuals, societies, institutions, and human and non-human objects are considered not simply as a mode of interaction between separated and disparate entities, but these entities are thought to be “constituting and being constituted by” the relations of which they are part. In this paper, I aim to explore relationality and comparison in political theory, especially concerning comparative political theory. Although the comparative political theory is an emerging subfield that explores the works of “non-Western” political thinkers as well as “non-Western” ideas about politics; the comparison aspect of comparative political theory is not quite novel. Political theorists have been comparing different ideas from different traditions since the establishment of the field. What is novel about the comparative political theory is rather its growing influence and precursory role in “decolonizing” political theory and theorizing from the margins. While this is a meaningful and inspiring effort, the subject of analysis, as well as both the author and audience in this attempt, is still Western. Hence, comparative political theory has also been argued to reproduce the dichotomy that it was set to demolish, which is the separation, if not the divide, between Western and non-Western intellectual traditions. This paper will rethink this puzzle of comparison as a method for decolonizing political theory concerning relationality and address two main questions: Can relationality provide a better normative basis for decolonizing the way we think about political concepts and issues? Should comparative political theory become more relational to respond to the broader decolonial challenges it addresses?

Eke, Surulola

Surulola Eke

Surulola Eke

Adjunct Professor | Peacock Fellow

He/Him | PhD (University of Manitoba); MA (University of Victoria); BSc (Benin University)

Political Studies

Queen's University

surulola.eke@queensu.ca

Mackintosh-Corry Hall, B310

Research Interests

Global Politics, Global Development Studies, Conflict and Cooperation in Natural Resources Sectors, Politics of Labour, Migration Politics

Biography

Dr. Surulola Eke is an Adjunct Professor and Peacock Fellow in the Department of Political Studies at Queen’s University, where he teaches African Politics, Comparative Politics, Political Economy, and Global Governance. Based on his regular fieldwork across Africa – including Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania, and South Africa – he has independently and collaboratively authored 25 refereed papers on the dynamics of conflict and cooperation impacting agrarian political economies, which have been published in scholarly journals such as , , , , , etc. He has also chaired scholarly panels on development, conflict, and cooperation in agrarian political economies at international conferences organised by the International Studies Association and the British International Studies Association, etc. Dr. Eke was a recipient of Canada’s most prestigious postdoctoral fellowship, the Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship in 2020, Harry Frank Guggenheim Distinguished Scholar Grant in 2022, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada’s Insight Development Grant awards in 2023 and 2025 – as well as mentorship and teaching awards in 2023 and 2024, respectively.

Teaching

  • POLS 441 - Gender and International Relations (Winter 2026)
  • POLS 395 - Topics in International Political Economy (Fall 2025)
  • POLS 499 - Politics of Free Expression in Canada and the World (Summer 2025)

Larin, Stephen

Stephen Larin

Stephen Larin

Assistant Professor

He/Him | PhD, MA (Queen's University); BA (McGill University)

Political Studies

Queen's University

stephen.larin@queensu.ca

Mackintosh-Corry Hall, Room C423

Research Interests

Politics of majority–minority group relations; politics of artificial intelligence; nationalism, especially civic nationalism; migrant integration; multiculturalism; conflict regulation, especially consociational power-sharing; relational social science; academic integrity

Supervisory Interests

Stephen Larin would be interested in supervising graduate students in the areas of nationalism, migration, or the politics of artificial intelligence.

Biography

Stephen Larin is an Assistant Professor of Political Studies, Coordinator of the Internship in Political Studies, and the Associate Director of the Centre for the Study of Democracy and Diversity. Previously, he has been a Senior Researcher with the Institute for Minority Rights at Eurac Research in South Tyrol, Italy; an Endeavour Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Sydney, Australia; and a Visiting Researcher at Aarhus University, Denmark.

Research

Dr. Larin's research is divided into two broad areas: the politics of majority–minority group relations and the politics of artificial intelligence.

The main focus of his research in the first area is the relationship between majority-group nationalism and minorities such as migrants and sub-state nations, and he is engaged in two ongoing projects. The first project focuses on the relationship between majority-group nationalism and migrant integration, especially the role of civic nationalism in so-called ‘civic integration’ policies (see, for example, “”). The second project deals with Italy’s predominantly German-speaking province of South Tyrol, and is currently focused on the possibility of revising the province's Autonomy Statute to include ‘Others’—those who do not want to declare membership in one of the three official linguistic groups, such as people from mixed-language families, migrants, and declaration objectors—in its executive proportionality rule. This change would shift South Tyrol from ‘corporate’ toward ‘liberal’ consociation, and could serve as a model for similar transitions in other cases (for the first statement of this proposal, see “”).

Dr. Larin’s research on the politics of artificial intelligence focuses on how AI affects the distribution of power, problems with using AI in public decision-making such as the violation of due process, how AI affects migrants and other minorities, and the relationship between AI and academic integrity. He has been teaching a fourth-year seminar on the politics of artificial intelligence since 2020.

Teaching

Dr. Larin teaches courses in comparative politics and political theory that also draw on international relations, sociology, and law. He was nominated for the Arts & Science Undergraduate Society’s W.J. Barnes Teaching Award in both 2019 and 2020, and the Alma Mater Society’s Frank Knox Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2020.

D'Orazio, Dax

Dax D'Orazio

Dax D'Orazio

Peacock Post-Doctoral Fellow of Pedagogy

He/Him

PhD Political Science (University of Alberta); MA Political Economy (Carleton University); BA Public Affairs and Policy Management (Carleton University)

Political Studies

Post-Doctoral Fellow

dax.dorazio@queensu.ca

Mackintosh-Corry Hall, B311

Research Interests

The philosophy, politics, and policy of free expression; academic freedom; the politics of higher education; access to information; political theory and philosophy; law and legal studies; law and politics

Brief Biography

Dax D'Orazio is a Post-Doctoral Fellow in the Department of Political Studies at ŸĆĐăֱȄ. His research is primarily focused on the philosophy, politics, and policy of free expression. His doctoral dissertation was an analysis of the alleged 'crisis' of free expression on Canadian university campuses. A multidimensional approach to the politics of free expression, his project included theoretical understandings of free expression and harm, the theory and practice of ‘de-platforming,’ the history of free expression on campus in a comparative context, and analysis of provincial higher education policy. As a qualitative researcher, his mixed-method approach typically includes literature reviews, case studies, semi-structured interviews, and freedom of information requests. His doctoral dissertation research was recently the subject of a National Post article written by Joseph Brean ("").

His current research project examines the law and politics of extending constitutional protections for expression (i.e. the Charter) to university campuses, which responds to some developments in law and policy that occurred during the course of his doctoral research. Additional research projects include the history of stand-up comedy in battles over free expression and a book about the politics of free expression on campus (under contract with the University of Toronto Press). His research and writing can also be found in various non-academic and current affairs venues, including blogs, newspapers, and websites. He blogs at the at Toronto Metropolitan University and is a member of its Working Group on Academic Freedom. Passionate about free expression, academic freedom, and the public's right to know, he is a tireless advocate for robust public discourse and public intellectualism. You can learn more about his research, teaching, and writing here: 

Teaching 

POLS 422 Public Opinion (Fall 2023)

Martel, Stéphanie

Stephanie Martel

Stéphanie Martel

Associate Professor | Hardy Chair

She/Her | PhD (Université de Montréal)

International Relations

Political Studies

Queen's University

stephanie.martel@queensu.ca

(613) 533-3120

Mackintosh-Corry Hall, C410

Research Interests

International institutions; international security; global governance; security regionalism; multilateral diplomacy; the role of discourse and practice in world politics; Southeast Asia and the Asia-Pacific.

Supervisory Interests

Stéphanie Martel would be interested in supervising graduate students in the areas of International Relations Theory; constructivist/interpretativist/critical approaches to IR; multilateral diplomacy; regional governance; international/regional institutions; international security; IR in the Global South; security communities; the role of discourse and practice in world politics; discourse analysis; Southeast Asia; and Asia-Pacific IR.

Biography

StĂ©phanie Martel is an Associate Professor and Hardy Chair in the Department of Political Studies, and a Distinguished Fellow at the Asia-Pacific Foundation of Canada. Her research is on multilateral diplomacy and regional security governance, with a focus on Southeast Asia and the Asia/Indo-Pacific. Dr. Martel’s work has been published in peer-reviewed journals such as International Studies Quarterly, International Affairs, European Journal of International Relations, International Studies Perspectives, PS: Political Science & Politics, and The Pacific Review, among others. She is the author of Enacting the Security Community: ASEAN’s Never-Ending Story (2022, Stanford University Press). Dr. Martel regularly represents Canada in various expert diplomacy mechanisms and policy dialogues on issues of Indo-Pacific security, including the ASEAN Regional Forum's Eminent and Expert Persons Group and the Council for Security Cooperation in the Asia-Pacific. She is a member of the Research Network on Women, Peace and Security.

Goodyear-Grant, Elizabeth

Elizabeth Goodyear-Grant

Elizabeth Goodyear-Grant

Professor

She/Her | PhD (McGill University); MA (Dalhousie University); BA (Guelph University)

Canadian Politics, Gender and Politics

Political Studies

Queen's University

elizabeth.goodyeargrant@queensu.ca

Mackintosh-Corry Hall, C331

Research Interests

Canadian and comparative politics; elections and voting behaviour; gender and political behaviour; women candidates and legislators; media and politics; representation

Supervisory Interests

Dr. Goodyear-Grant is interested in supervising students and postdoctoral scholars working on Canadian and comparative projects focused on gender and representation; gender and political communications; women candidates and legislators, particularly as it relates to their access to electoral office and/or substantive representation of women/gender; and various other related topics in Canadian and comparative politics. Please see Dr. Goodyear-Grant’s CV for a list of past students and their graduate projects for examples of past supervisions.

Biography

Elizabeth Goodyear-Grant (Ph.D. McGill) is a Professor in the Department of Political Studies at Queen’s University, and the Director of the Canadian Opinion Research Archive (CORA). Her research focuses on Canadian politics, with particular interests in electoral politics, voting behaviour, and public opinion; news media; the political representation of women; and the conceptualization and measurement of sex and gender. She is the author of (Vancouver: UBC Press, 2013), which won the 2016 Pierre Savard Award from the International Council of Canadian Studies, and was one of three books shortlisted for the Canadian Political Science Association’s 2014 Donald Smiley Prize.

In , Goodyear-Grant presents compelling evidence that gender structures certain aspects of news coverage of candidates and politicians – not how much they’re covered, but certainly how they’re covered – and demonstrates that these differences can impact negatively on female candidates and leaders’ electoral prospects and political careers, contributing to the persistent under-representation of women at all levels of politics. Goodyear-Grant has also published work on measuring sex and gender in political research, attitudes toward democracy and political representation, attitudes toward the use of referenda, and so on, all part of a larger research agenda that concentrates on representation and political behaviour published in venues such as Political Behavior, Politics & Gender, Electoral Studies, Commonwealth & Comparative Politics, and the Canadian Journal of Political Science.

In the Department of Political Studies at Queen’s, Goodyear-Grant teaches courses on campaigns and elections; women, gender, and politics; and Canadian politics more generally.

Albaugh, Quinn

Quinn Albaugh

Quinn Albaugh

Assistant Professor

They/Them | BA, MA (McGill University); MA, PhD (Princeton University)

Canadian Politics, Gender and Politics

Political Studies

Queen's University

quinn.albaugh@queensu.ca

Mackintosh-Corry Hall, C302

If you have questions or concerns about POLS 284, please email POLS284@queensu.ca.


Research Interests

Gender and Sexuality Politics; LGBTQ+ Politics; Parties, Elections, and Representation; Political Behaviour; Canadian Federal and Provincial Politics; Political Science as a Discipline; Quantitative and Mixed-Method Research

Supervisory Interests

Quinn Albaugh is happy to supervise a broad range of projects related to their research interests. They are particularly interested in prospective undergraduate and graduate students interested in working on LGBTQ+ politics, including LGBTQ+ representation in politics, LGBTQ+ voting behaviour, and public opinion on LGBTQ+ rights. They have a strong interest in mentoring 2SLGBTQIA+ scholars, particularly trans and nonbinary scholars, along with scholars from other marginalized groups.
Please visit for more information on applying to ŸĆĐăֱȄ.

Biography

Quinn Albaugh is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Studies. Their work focuses on gender and sexuality in electoral and party politics in Canada. They have won the John McMenemy Prize for the best article published in the Canadian Journal of Political Science (2023) and the Kim Nossal Award for Undergraduate Teaching (2024-2025). Their work has appeared in the Journal of Politics, Perspectives on Politics, and Politics and Gender, among other journals. They are an Associate Editor of the European Journal of Politics and Gender (2026-2029).

Baisley, Elizabeth

Elizabeth Baisley

Elizabeth Baisley

Assistant Professor

PhD, MA (Princeton University); MA (Queen’s University); Honours BA (Wilfrid Laurier University)

Canadian Politics, Gender and Politics

Political Studies

Queen's University

keab@queensu.ca

613-533-6000 ext. 78124

Mackintosh-Corry Hall, C405

Biography

Dr. Elizabeth Baisley is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Studies at ŸĆĐăֱȄ and a Fellow at the Centre for the Study of Democracy and Diversity. Their research and teaching focus on LGBTQ2S+ politics, gender and politics, and Canadian politics, often in dialogue with American and comparative work.

Baisley's current research examines LGBTQ2S+ rights, political representation, and political behaviour in Canada. Their work investigates why support for LGBTQ2S+ rights is declining in Canada, among whom, and how it might be strengthened. Another strand of research examines the barriers and opportunities facing LGBTQ2S+ people seeking elected office. A third strand explores how LGBTQ2S+ voters respond to LGBTQ2S+ candidates and representation. Beyond LGBTQ2S+ politics, Baisley is also conducting research on gender and diversity within the discipline of political science, especially the development of gender and politics as a subfield.

Baisley is methodologically pluralist, drawing on a wide range of quantitative and qualitative materials, including public opinion surveys, experiments, legislative data, interviews, archival research, participant observation, and original dataset creation.

Their work has been published in outlets including The Journal of Politics; Politics & Gender; Electoral Studies; Politics, Groups, and Identities; the Canadian Journal of Political Science; and Human Rights Quarterly.

Before joining ŸĆĐăֱȄ, Baisley earned a PhD in Politics and a Certificate in Gender and Sexuality Studies from Princeton University. They subsequently held postdoctoral appointments at the University of Toronto. 

Supervisory Interests

For additional information about current research projects and supervision opportunities, please visit Baisley's personal website: .