Dave Banks has been awarded the 2024 Basil Chubb Prize
SPIRe is delighted to announce that Dave Banks has been awarded the 2024 Basil Chubb Prize.
The award, established by the Political Studies Association of Ireland recognises each year the best PhD thesis (produced in an Irish university) in any field of politics.
Named after Basil Chubb, this award seeks to recognise an outstanding contribution to the research of politics undertaken in Ireland.
Mr Banks' thesis, titled “Integrated Team Sport and Intergroup Relations in a Post-Conflict Society: The Case of Club Rugby in Northern Ireland,” makes a significant contribution to the fields of comparative politics and conflict studies.
It addresses a crucial question in our field: does participation in crosscommunal activities improve mutual perceptions between historically adversarial groups? If so, under what conditions are these improvements most likely to occur, and what are the broader implications for intergroup relations in Northern Ireland and other post-conflict societies?
The empirical focus of the research is on amateur rugby clubs in Northern Ireland with a substantial mix of Protestant and Catholic members.
The thesis addresses longstanding debates in social and political psychology, as well as comparative politics, regarding the impact of group interaction on intergroup perceptions and support for overarching societal goals. It has been highly praised for its empirical rigor and theoretical contributions to the field.
Congratulations Dave!!