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George Lawson

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Prof George Lawson

, Professor, Department of International Relations

 https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9110-1883
20052026

Research activity per year

Personal profile

Biography

My work is oriented around the relationship between history and theory, with a particular interest in global historical sociology.

I apply this interest to the study of revolutions in three books: Anatomies of Revolution (2019), Negotiated Revolutions: The Czech Republic, South Africa and Chile (2005), and On Revolutions: Unruly Politics in the Contemporary World (2022), co-authored with Colin Beck, Mlada Bukavansky, Erica Chenoweth, Sharon Nepstad and Daniel Ritter. 

I also apply my interest in history-theory to debates around global modernity, most notably in a book (co-authored with Barry Buzan) that charts the ways in which a range of important dynamics in contemporary international relations have their roots in the 19th century ‘global transformation’. 

More details of my work can be found on my CV here.

Research interests

  • Unruly politics, especially revolutions.
  • Historical Sociology, especially analysis of global dynamics.
  • International Relations theory, especially the relationship between history and IR.

Education/Academic qualification

International Relations, PhD, Negotiated Revolutions: The Czech Republic, South Africa and Chile, The London School of Economics and Political Science

Award Date: 30 Sept 2003

Research student supervision

  • Registered to supervise

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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years

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  • Forum on ‘Revolutions and World Order’

    Lawson, G., Dodge, T., Lawson, G., Gani, J., Tanyag, M. & Abrams, B., Feb 2026, In: Millennium: Journal of International Studies. 54, 2, p. 195-239 45 p.

    Research output: Contribution to journal › Comment/debate › peer-review

    Open Access

  • Introduction

    Goddard, S. E., Lawson, G. & Sending, O. J., 2025, The Oxford Handbook of International Political Sociology. Goddard, S. E., Lawson, G. & Sending, O. J. (eds.). Oxford: Oxford University Press , p. 1-28 28 p.

    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter › peer-review

  • Revolutions are Back!

    Lawson, G., 27 Nov 2025, In: American Journal of Sociology. 131, 3, p. 684-696 13 p.

    Research output: Contribution to journal › Literature review › peer-review

  • The Oxford Handbook of International Political Sociology

    Goddard, S. E. (Editor), Lawson, G. (Editor) & Sending, O. J. (Editor), 2025, Oxford: Oxford University Press . 912 p.

    Research output: Book/Report › Edited Book › peer-review

  • Vision and method in global historical sociology

    Go, J. & Lawson, G., May 2025, In: Social Science History. 49, 1, p. 203-228 26 p.

    Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review

    Open Access
    5 Citations (Scopus)
View all 66 research outputs