Ian Gwinn

Dr. Ian Gwinn is a Senior Lecturer in Politics at Bournemouth University, Faculty of Humanities and Law. He joined the university in 2019 as a full-time academic and currently serves as Programme Leader for the BA (Hons) Politics and Economics. His teaching covers critical debates in contemporary politics, civil society, social movements, and modern British history.

Education:

• PhD in Culture, Languages and Area Studies, University of Liverpool, 2015

His research lies at the intersection of contemporary history and politics, focusing on the European Left, grassroots activism, feminist history, and the intellectual and historiographical developments in the social sciences since 1945. He is particularly known for his work on the History Workshop movement in Britain and West Germany, exploring how radical, feminist, and labour historians democratized historical knowledge production. His current research extends into the institutionalization of academic feminism across Britain, the Netherlands, and West Germany since the 1970s.

Dr. Gwinn’s recent publications reflect a strong engagement with cultural and political history, including a 2021 monograph with Berghahn Press and articles in journals like Socialist History and Historische Anthropologie. His public scholarship includes contributions to The Conversation and a documentary film on local democracy. His recent research projects, such as 'Two Tone Towns' and 'Local Democracy in a Time of Crisis,' demonstrate an interdisciplinary and community-oriented approach to historical and political inquiry.

Scientific Awards and Memberships:

• Member, Political Studies Association (2021–)
• Member, Media, Communication and Cultural Studies Association (MeCCSA) (2019–)

Dr. Gwinn has received research funding from the British Academy ECRN South West and the Economic and Social Research Council. He has presented at major conferences such as the Working-Class Studies Association and VIEWS AND VOICES OF 1968. He is actively engaged in outreach and public engagement, organizing and contributing to public conferences on unofficial histories and radical pasts. He is also involved in academic leadership through the Teaching Leadership Group at Bournemouth University.

His work continues to explore the politics of knowledge, democratic scholarship, and the role of history in shaping contemporary political consciousness.