The Research Group on Society and Politics (GESP) is an inter-university research group. Formally based at the Faculty of Political Science and Sociology at the UNED, it comprises academic staff and researchers from that institution, as well as from other universities and state research centres (Complutense University of Madrid, Autonomous University of Madrid, University of Barcelona, University of Murcia, University of Granada, University of Málaga, University of Alicante, UDIMA and CSIC). GESP is an interdisciplinary group comprising researchers mainly from the fields of Sociology, Political Science and History. We believe that issues relating to society and politics must be approached from a multidisciplinary perspective. It has been recognised by the UNED as a Consolidated Research Group and functions as a stable collective for carrying out work in the field of socio-political research.
Political sociology is the GESP’s primary and central focus of research, approached from a broad perspective that takes the form of four complementary lines of research which feed into the shared interests of its members: Citizenship, collective action and participation; the State, conflict and violence; Communication and political culture; and Gender, feminism and power. These strands are developed through research projects and publications — some collaborative, others individual contributions by GESP members — and through a process — in this case, deeply collaborative — involving thematic and/or ad hoc seminars. All this activity can be viewed on this website.
GESP is a group with a keen interest and expertise in training early-career researchers and supporting those at post-doctoral stages in their careers. In addition to enthusiastically welcoming applications for pre- and post-doctoral positions, it regularly hosts researchers on research visits.
