Barbara Arneil (Ph.D, London) is interested in the areas of identity politics and the history of political thought. As the author of John Locke and America (OUP, 1996) and many related articles, she has a specialization in the intersection between liberalism and colonialism. She is also interested in gender and political theory, publishing Feminism and Politics, Oxford Blackwell, 1999 (translated into Chinese and published by Oriental Press, 2005). In it she examines how gender shapes the definition and scope of ‘politics’. She has written a critique of social capital from the perspective of diversity and inclusive justice, entitled Diverse Communities: The Problem with Social Capital, Cambridge University Press, 2006 and has published a co-edited anthology entitled Sexual Justice/Cultural Justice, Routledge, 2006. She has done research in the areas of social trust and diversity, global citizenship and cosmopolitanism, the role of disability in political theory and domestic colonies. She has published a co-edited book, with Nancy Hirschmann, entitled Disability and Political Theory with Cambridge University Press, 2016 and Domestic Colonies: The Turn Inward to Colony, Oxford University Press, 2017. Her current research is on the theoretical and ideological distinctions between imperialism versus colonialism and is beginning research towards a book on an ‘organic political theory’, She is also principal investigator on a VPRI research catalyzing grant on the Global History of Anti-Colonial Thought. Barbara Arneil is Past President of the Canadian Political Science Association (2019-2020), Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada (2022) and Member of the Order of Canada (2023).

New Research Cluster on the Global History of Anti-colonial Thought, Barbara Arneil Principal Investigator

(a) Books

Domestic Colonies: The Turn Inward to Colony, Oxford University Press, 2017.

• Winner, 2018 C. B. Macpherson Prize from the Canadian Political Science Association for Best book published in Political Theory in 2016 or 2017.
• Co-Winner, 2018 David Easton Award from the American Political Science Association for ‘a book that broadens the horizons of contemporary political science by engaging issues of philosophical significance in political life through any of a variety of approaches in the social sciences and humanities.
• Winner, Weller Prize, BCPSA award for the best monograph on political studies in BC (2016-2017)

Disability and Political Theory, (co-edited with Nancy Hirschmann), Cambridge University Press, 2016.

Diverse Communities: The Problem with Social Capital, Cambridge University Press, 2006

• Shortlisted for the C.B. MacPherson Prize (best book in political theory) by the CPSA 2008.

Sexual Justice/Cultural Justice, co-edited with Avigail Eisenberg, Monique Deveaux, Rita Dhamoon, Routledge 2006.

Politics and Feminism Blackwells Press, Oxford, 1999.

• Translated and Republished in Chinese, Oriental Press, 2005.

John Locke and America: The Defence of English Colonialism, Oxford University Press, Oxford, March 1996.

(b) Articles and Chapters

‘The Intersection of Ableism, Domestic Colonialism and Statistics in Britain from Bentham to Galton, Modern Intellectual History First View, October, 2024.

”Colonialism versus Imperialism’ Political Theory  52:1, September 2023

‘Organic and Inorganic Citizenship’ Citizenship Studies. 26:4, 2022.

‘Jeremy Bentham: Pauperism, Colonialism and Imperialism’. American Political Science Review 115:4, November 2021.

‘Origins: Colonies and Statistics’. CPSA Presidential Address. Canadian Journal of Political Science. 53:4. December 2020.

‘Demobilised Soldiers, Small Holdings Colonies and the Compulsory Acquisition of Land after World War One: Scotland and Canada’. Journal of Northern Scotland. 11:2, Celebrating and Situating the 1919 Land Settlement (Scotland) Act, November 2020.

‘The Failure of Planned Happiness: The Rise and Fall of British Home Colonies’, Happiness and Utility, Mark Philp and Georgios Varouxakis (eds), University College Press, London England, 2019.

‘Domestic Colonies in Canada: Rethinking the Definition of Colony’, Canadian Journal of Political Science, 51:3February 2018.

‘Lactating Mothers in Parliament: Beyond Accommodation’, Mothers and Others: The Role of Parenthood in Politics.  Melanee Thomas and Amanda Bittner (editors) UBC Press, 2017.

‘Disability in Political Theory versus International Practise: Redefining Equality and Freedom’, Disability and Political Theory, CUP, 2016.

‘Disability and Political Theory: An Introduction’ with Nancy Hirschmann, Disability and Political Theory, CUP, 2016.

‘Global Citizenship versus Cosmopolitanism’ Cosmopolitanism and the Legacies of Dissent, Routledge, 2014

‘Liberal Colonialism, Domestic Colonies and Citizenship’ Journal of the History of Political Thought. (Vol.:33:2, Summer, 2012)

‘Animals and Interdependence: Reply to Dolgert’. Political Theory, 38:6, December 2010.

‘Multiculturalism and the Social Sphere’ (with Fiona MacDonald), Ashgate Research Companion to Multiculturalism, Duncan Ivison (ed.) July, 2010.

‘Social Decline and Diversity: The Us vs. the Us’s’, Canadian Journal of Political Science, Special Issue on Diversity and Democracy, Cambridge University Press, June 2010.

‘Gender, Diversity and Organizational Change: The Boy Scouts vs. Girl Scouts of America’, Perspectives on Politics, Special Issue on Gender, Cambridge University Press March 2010.

‘Disability, Self Image and Modern Political Theory’ Political Theory, April, 2009.

‘Women as Wives, Servants, Slaves: Rethinking the Public Private Divide’, John Locke: Critical Assessments. Peter Anstey, editor. (reprinted from Canadian Journal of Political Science, 34 (1): 29-54, March 2001) Routledge, 2008.

‘Global Citizenship and Empire’ Citizenship Studies. Volume 11:3 July, 2007.

‘Citizens, Wives, Latent Citizens and Non-Citizens in the Two Treatises: A Legacy of Inclusion, Exclusion and Assimilation’. Eighteenth Century Thought. (3) Fall 2007.

‘The Meaning of Social in Social Capital’ Assessing Social Capital: Concept, Policy and Practice. Rosalind Edwards (ed.), Cambridge Scholars Press, 2006.

‘Cultural Protections vs Cultural Justice: Post-colonialism, Agonistic Justice and the Limitations of Liberal Theory’ Sexual Justice, Cultural Justice: Critical Perspectives in Theory and Practise, Barbara Arneil, Rita Dhamoon, Avigail Eisenberg and Monique Deveaux (eds.), Routledge, 2006.

‘Gender and Civic Decline’ in Gender and Social Capital, Elisabeth Gidengil and Brenda O’Neill (eds.), Routledge Press, 2005.

‘Becoming vs Being: A Critique of Children’s Rights’. In Children and Philosophy, ed. David Archard . Oxford : OUP, 2002.

‘Politics of the Breast’. Canadian Journal of Women and the Law. 12 (2) December 2000.

‘The Politics of Human Rights’, National Journal of Constitutional Law, Vol. 11, No. 2, March 2000.

‘The Human Security Paradigm Shift’, (with Heather Owens) Canadian Foreign Policy, Vol. 7, No. 1, Fall 1999

‘El colonialismo y la doctrina de la propiedad de Locke,” Estudios, Mexico, Vol. 50, May 1998, pp. 31-61.

‘Engendering Peace-Building’, (with Kim Manning) Canadian Foreign Policy, Vol. 5, No. 1, Fall 1997, pp. 51-68.

‘Gender and Peace-Building:  Report on a Roundtable,’ Canadian Foreign Policy, Vol. 5, No. 1, Fall 1997, pp. 69-72 (with Kim Manning)

“The Wild Indian’s Venison: John Locke’s Theory of Property,” Political Studies, Vol. 44, No. 1, March 1996, pp. 60-74, Winner of Harrison Prize for best article published in Political Studies in 1996 by UK Political Studies Association.

“John Locke and the Economic Defence of Colonialism,” Journal of the History of Ideas, October 1994, pp. 591-609

“John Locke, Natural Law and Colonialism,” Journal of the History of Political Thought, Vol. XIII, No. 4, Winter, 1992, pp. 587-603

Harrison Prize, UK Political Studies Association Prize for Best Article Published in Political Studies (1996)

Peter Wall Early Career Scholar (2000)

Bellagio Centre, Italy Group Project Residency, Rockefeller Foundation (2003)

Killam Teaching Prize, UBC (2005)

C.B. MacPherson Prize Shortlist for best book published in political theory (2008)

Killam Research Prize, UBC (2014)

Faculty of Arts Dean’s Research Award (2014)

C.B. McPherson Prize, Canadian Political Science Association (2018)

David Easton Award, American Political Science Association Foundations of Political Theory Book Prize, Co-Winner (2018)

Weller Prize, BCPSA award for the best monograph published in 2016-17 in political studies in BC (2018)

Clare Hall University of Cambridge International Visiting Fellowship (2019)

Bellagio Centre Academic Writing Residency Program Fellowship, Rockefeller Foundation (2019 – declined)

Fellowship, National Institute for Advanced Studies, Netherlands 2022-23

Fellow, Royal Society of Canada 2022

Member, Order of Canada 2023

I am interested in working with students writing dissertations on gender, diversity, multiculturalism, disability, colonialism and the history of political theory.

PhD Students:

Past (Supervised and Co-Supervised):

Murray, Karen. PhD (1996-2001) Genealogy of Single Mothers (York University)

Kershaw, Paul, PhD (1997-2002) Ethic of Care and Social Policy (UBC)

Dhamoon, Rita. PhD (2000-2005) Difference and Identity Making ( University of Victoria)

MacDonald, Fiona. (2002- 2008)Social Welfare, Multiculturalism and Neoliberalism (University of the Fraser Valley)

Pemberton, Sarah. (2004- 2011) Foucault and Prisons (University of South Florida, now Barrister in London)

Beausoleil, Emily. (2006-2012) Art as Democratic Engagement/Politics (Lecturer, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand)

Wrightson, Kelsey.  (2010-2015) Museums and Dene Resurgence Against the Politics of Recognition (Director of Policy and Programming, Dechinta Centre for Research and Learning)

Kornelsen, Derek Post-colonial Citizenship (2009-2015) Post-colonial citizenship (U of Manitoba)

Chapelas, Katrina (2008-2016) Representation Politics of Proximate Identity, (Columbia College).

Afsahi, Afsoun (2009 – 2016) Can We Talk? Willingness and Deliberative Capital (UBC)

Elena Choquette (2013 – 2019)The Making of a ‘Peaceable Kingdom’: Land, Immigration, and Progress in an Expanding Canadian Dominion, 1857-1885 (Universite du Quebec en Outaouais)

Sarah Munawar (2014-2019) In Hajar’s Footsteps: A De-colonial and Islamic Ethic of Care (Elizabeth D. Rockwell Center on Ethics and Leadership Visiting Professor, University of Houston)

Deanne Leblanc (2015-2020) The Colonial Denizen: From a Politics of Recognition to a Politics of Responsibilities (Academic Development Officer, Six Nations Polytechnic)

Waged Jafer (2015-2020) (re)interpretation of Politics of Victimhood and Resistance: Narratives of Everyday Life of a Sh’i Muslim community diaspora in BC (International Committee of the Red Cross Regional Ombuds for the Middle East and North Africa)

Kathy Walker, OKÂWÎMÂWASKIY: Regenerating a Wholistic Ethics (University of Saskatchewan)

Current Doctoral Student Supervisions and Co-Supervisions:

Martina Zago

Addye Susnick

Julia Greening

Current PhD Committees:

Denali Youngwolfe

Kelsey Brady

Nicholas Croce (Syracuse University)

MA student Supervisions:

Manning, Kim. MA (1997) – Women and Chinese Politics

Zupanec, Nives. MA (1999) – Gender and Former Yugoslavia

Armitage, Faith. MA (2000) – Justice and Gender

Dwyer, Michelle. MA (2000) – Ethic of Care

Trinh, Linh MA (2002) – Women and Chinese Politics

Kaljich, Helena MA (2002) Indigenous politics

Pemberton, Sarah MA (2002) Politics of Consent

MacGregor, Cara MA (2004) Metis and Identity Politics

Ianitti, Valerie MA (2004) Eugenics and Liberalism

Banack, Clark (2005) Multiculturalism and Western Canada

DeMerich, Diego MA student (2007)  EU and Ethic of Care

Afsahi, Afsoun (2009) Gender and Culture

Laura Munn-Rivard, (2009) Ontario Municipal Politics and Identity

Dana Granofsky (2009) Reasonable Accommodation and Deliberative Democracy

Nihan Sevinc (2010) In/visibility of Identities and Disability

Daniel Westlake (2010) Multiculturalism and Ukrainian Canadians

Sarah Munawar (2014) Disability and Democracy

Kate Stewart (2017) Resisting Rationality: The Transformative Capacity of Anxiety

Jake Collie (2020) Colonialism and Sovereignty

Talia Holy (2022) Transcending Identity in Settler Colonial States

Charlie Picui (2024) Ted Hughes, Male Power and Assia Wevill

Post-Doctoral Supervision:

Olena Hankivsky, Ethic of Care and Public Policy

Torrey Shanks, Post Doctoral Teaching Fellow