In discussion: Jamie J Hagen

BISA is run by a board of trustees who make up our Executive Committee. They have expertise and interests that represent the main areas of our activity and a breadth of experience from the wider world. We hope this interview series will help you get to know them a little better. This time it's the turn of Jamie J Hagen, who is based at University of Manchester.

Tell us a bit about yourself and where you are from

Hi hi - I’m Jamie J Hagen and I work as a Lecturer in Global Politics at the University of Manchester. I live in Chorlton with my partner Margaret and our two cats. I grew up in the United States, got my PhD in Boston, and moved to Belfast for my first academic job in 2019. I’ve been in Manchester since last year and am still getting to know the city. As a queer lesbian feminist, it has been really exciting to connect with queer organising in the city. Most recently I was part of the LGBT Foundation’s This is What a Woman Looks Like campaign. The campaign celebrates all women, including trans women, lesbian and bisexual women. I really value being a part of this campaign in a climate where trans rights are under attack in the United Kingdom. I met so many lovely people during the photo shoot for the campaign, and then how fantastic to see our beautiful picture together on billboards across UK cities.

Why did you want to be a BISA trustee and what transferable skills do you think a trustee role can help individuals to develop?

BISA plays such an important role in developing to the field of international studies. This is especially true when it comes to providing networking and mentorship opportunities for early-career scholars. For similar reasons, I was previously involved in leadership roles in the International Studies Association, most recently serving as chair for the LGBTQIA Caucus from 2021-2022. The trustee role offers many opportunities for developing transferable skills, but the networking and leadership opportunities are especially important to me. The leadership experience I gain while in my EDI role as a BISA trustee is already proving transferable, as I’m also serving in as the EDI lead in my Politics department at the University of Manchester. I am also invested in supporting a network of scholars engaged in feminist, queer and trans scholarship about peace and conflict - so will bring what I learn as a BISA trustee to those future efforts.

What is your area of research and how did you get into it? What are you currently working on?

My research area is queering peacebuilding. My work is at the intersection of gender, security studies and queer theory. I bring a feminist, anti-racist approach to the work I do, seeking to bridge gaps between academic, policy and activism. I focus on bringing international attention to LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer) populations in security studies, specifically focusing on how Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) initiatives can better include LGBTQ voices and experiences.  I’ve just published my book Queering Women, Peace and Security: Expanding Feminist Approaches to Gender in Peacebuilding. The book features interviews with practitioners of WPS speaking with them about how they understand the concepts "gender" and "women”. The book also includes insights from LGBTQ movements in Colombia and Northern Ireland. I’m excited to be able to share this work after writing about queer perspective in peace and security for about ten years. I’m also excited that the cover of the book features the exquisite work from the banner-quilt Dykes for Trans Rights by local textile artist Sarah-Joy Ford. I’m currently organising events to promote the book, including a launch event in Manchester at the Portico on 6 March where I will be joined by Ford. I plan to organise additional book-related events in collaboration with local LGBTQ organisers in a few places outside the UK, so that’s what I’m currently working on organising for next year.

What do you hope to achieve during your term as the BISA EDI Officer?

Overall, my aim is to keep EDI on the agenda in all aspects of our discussions of serving the international studies community. As I begin my term, my focus as an EDI Officer will be on learning more about how to support the different BISA working groups. I know working groups can be so important to strengthening individual networks and collaborate with colleagues. working groups are one of the main ways BISA aims to contribute to international studies, so they play a big role. This includes not only coordinating part of the annual conference, but also organising and hosting workshops, seminars and lectures. I am active in the Gendering International Relations Working Group (GIRWG), but there are over twenty more including working groups like Colonial, Postcolonial and Decolonial (CPD) and the Critical Military Studies (CMS) Working Group. I want to continue to build on the incredible EDI work BISA has already been active in doing, by improving communication and unifying practices across working groups so that everyone knows what these working groups are up to and how to take part in leadership roles as working group co-conveners if they are interested. In part this will be informed by the great work we’ve already been celebrating through our annual Working Group of the Year Prize (nominations due in January) most recently awarded to the Critical Studies on Terrorism Working Group. Beyond this focus on the working groups, I’ll also continue to find creative ways to integrate attention to gender, sexuality, race and disability in our broader efforts to promote international studies in the UK and abroad.

Is there anything else we should know about you?

I like birds! I like taking pictures of birds and connecting with groups like the Feminist Birding Club, Birders of Palestine, and local bird guides like the ones who have taken me on birding trips in Ecuador and Colombia. Birding is my way of connecting with anywhere I live or visit. I recently went to visit my mom who lives in Biloxi, Mississippi and spent the morning by the Gulf coast watching the birds that come up with the sun. Just minutes away from her house I’ve seen osprey, great blue herons, sanderlings, black skimmers (very cool, look them up), pelicans, royal terns (also very cool) and even a bald eagle.