Alison James

Alison James is a PhD student in the department of Political Science. Alison’s doctoral research looks at the interplay of transitional justice and settler colonialism and asks how Indigenous resurgence politics challenge state and scholarly assumptions in the field and practice of transitional justice, and serve to re-set the Indigenous-State relationship. Other academic interests include Southern Africa, and gender in politics.

Prior to returning to academia, Alison worked in project management and training and facilitation in the non-profit and government sectors in the United Kingdom, and on provincial election campaigns in British Columbia. She also works with VIDEA, a Victoria based international development organization, and in freelance facilitation and writing. She holds an MA and a BA in Political Science, both from the University of Victoria. Her MA research focused on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of South Africa. She has presented her scholarly work at conferences of the Canadian Political Science Association, the European Consortium of Political Research, the Pacific NorthWest Political Science Association, and the Canadian Society for the Study of Higher Education.

Alison was a SSHRC Storytellers winner in 2013, and is a Liu Scholar, a UBC Graduate Fellow, and a Montalbano Fellow of International Relations.

Selection of relevant publications:

Sam Grey and Alison James: “Truth, Reconciliation, and “Double Settler Denial”: Gendering the Canada-South Africa Analogy”. Human Rights Review, 22 April, 2016. DOI: 10.1007/s12142-016-0412-8. http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12142-016-0412-8?wt_mc=internal.event.1.SEM.ArticleAuthorOnlineFirst

Opinion: Elections yield mixed results for women by Grace Lore, Edana Beauvais, and Alison James: http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Opinion+Elections+yield+mixed+results+women/10413374/story.html

Alison’s discussion of her MA research, ‘Memory as Resistance,’ can be heard here: https://soundcloud.com/ubcresearchcommons/sets/firecasts

Alison’s SSHRC Storytellers video, detailing VIDEA and the University of Victoria’s joint research project can be seen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAYnA12Db9s