Dr Mercè Cortina-Oriol

Drawing from social movements, community development and citizen participation and moving towards political economy and urban politics, my research historically traces and contemporarily critiques the governance systems at the local sphere.

 

Center for Urban Research on Austerity Institute Head of Reserch Students.

Programme Leader for Politics BA, International Relations BA, Politics and International Relations BA, Politics and Economics BA, Economics and International Relations BA, Business and Globalisation BA and Public Administration and Management BA programmes Politics People Place (dmu.ac.uk) and the MA in Urban Studies (https://www.dmu.ac.uk/study/courses/postgraduate-courses/urban-studies-ma/urban-studies-ma.aspx)

Centre for Urban Research on Austerity (https://cura.our.dmu.ac.uk/)

Local Government Research Centre

(https://www.dmu.ac.uk/research/centres-institutes/lgrc/index.aspx)

-Cortina-Oriol, M.; Hernández, M.; Lladonosa, M.; López, E. (forthcoming)“El cooperativismo comoagente articulador de desarrollo local: El caso de L’Olivera”. Política y Sociedad

-Davies, J.; Blanco, I., Bua, A., Chorianopoulus, I., Cortina-Oriol, M., Gaynor, N., Gleeson, B., Griggs,S., Hamel, P., Henderson, H., Howarth, D., Keil, R., Pill, M., Salazar, Y. i Sullivan, H.(Forthcoming 2022) New Developments in Urban Governance. Bristol University Press.

- Gonzalez, R; Cortina-Oriol, M; Aguilera, T. (2019) “Movimientos de Okupación y Políticas Públicas Urbanas: Los casos de Madrid, Barcelona y Bilbao”, REIJ, vol.3 nº5 (Eng: Squatting movements and urban public policies: the cases of Madrid, Barcelona and Bilbao) DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.20983/reij.2019.2.1

- Bua, A. Davies, J. Blanco, I. Chorianopoulos, I. Cortina-Oriol, M. Feandeiro, A. Gaynor, N. Griggs, S. Howarth, D. and Salazar, Y. (2018) “The Urban Governance of Austerity in Europe”, in Kerley, R. Liddle, J. and Dunning, P. (eds) The Handbook of International Local Government. Routledge.

- Davies, J; Bua, A; Cortina-Oriol, M; Thompson, E. (2018) “Why is Austerity Governable? A Gramscian urban regime analysis of Leicester, UK”. Journal of Urban Affairs, DOI: 10.1080/07352166.2018.1490152

- Engelken-Jorge, M. & Cortina-Oriol, M. (2016). Retos y Respuestas Actuales de la Democracia. Política y Sociedad, 53, 1, 9-16. (Eng: Current Challenges and Responses of Democracy).

- Cortina-Oriol, M. and Ibarra, P. (2015). Podemos: límites y retos del populismo como estrategia de asalto institucional. Viento Sur, 143, 84–91. (Eng: Podemos: limits and challenges of the populism as strategy of the institutional assault).

- Cortina-Oriol, M. & Ibarra, P. (2015). Podemos: potencialidades, límites y retos de la opción populista. Anuario de Movimientos Sociales 2014, 16, 1–16. Available at: http://fundacionbetiko.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/anuario_2014_ibarra-oriol_podemos.pdf (Eng: Podemos: potentialities, limits and challenges of the populist option).

- Cortina Oriol, M. & Engelken-Jorge, M. (2015). Entrevista a Pedro Ibarra Güell. In M. Engelken-Jorge, M. Cortina Oriol, & N. Bergantiños (Eds.), Contextos y perspectivas de la democracia: ensayos en honor a Pedro Ibarra Güell (pp. 246–268). Navarra: Pamiela. (Eng: Contexts and perspectives of democracy. Essays in Honour to Pedro Ibarra Güell).

- Cortina, M. & Vilaregut, R. (2015). Una cuestión de confianza. In Calle, A. Territorios en democracia. El municipalismo a debate. Icaria, Barcelona. (Eng: A matter of confidence).

- Cortina, M. (2014). Conflicto, paz y democracia en el ámbito local: Una propuesta de análisis comparativo. Inguruak, 57-58, pp. 2867-2886. (Eng: Conflict, Peace and Democracy in the local sphere. A comparative analysis proposal).

- Brugué, Q. & Cortina, M. (2013). Conflicte, Pau i Democràcia en L’àmbit Local: Una proposta d’anàlilsi comparativa. ICIP Working Papers, 2013/02, pp: 1-57. (Eng: Conflict, Peace and Democracy in the local sphere. A comparative analysis proposal).

- Cortina, M., Engelken, M., & Paniagua, G. (2011.) La relación participación/cultura política republicana in Bergantiños, N y Martínez, J., Participación, Cultura y Sostenibilidad. Hacer, Barcelona. (Eng: The relation participation/republican political culture).

- Cortina, M. & Ibarra, P. (2010). El Muncipio como espacio para la democracia relacional in Alamany, E; Serra, M. Y Ubasart, G. Construint Municipi des dels Moviments Socials. Candidatures alternatives i populars i barris en lluita. Icaria, Barcelona. (Eng: The municipality as space for the relational democracy).

- Cortina, M. (2008). Acción Colectiva e Identidad en el Espacio Urbano, in Ibarra, P. y Grau, E. La Red en la Ciudad. Anuario de Movimientos Sociales 2008. Barcelona, Icaria Editorial. (Eng: Collective action and Identity in the urban space).

- Ahedo, I.; Bárcena, I.; .Telleria I.; Bergantiños, N.; Cortina, M.; Larrinaga, J. & Rodriguez, G. (2008). Rekalde y Deusto: Identidad e historia contada por sus habitantes. Bilbao, Ayuntamiento de Bilbao. (Eng: Rekalde and Deusto: Identity and history by the locals).

- Cortina, M. (2008). La Participación en el Barrio: Una Cuestión de Escala in Blas, A. y Martínez,  Z. Poder político y participación. Demokrazia: ogi gogorrari hagin zorrotza. Vitoria-Gazteiz, Servicio Central de Publicaciones del Gobierno Vasco. (Eng: The participation in the neighbourhood: a scalar question).

 

Edited Volumes and Special Issues:

- Cortina-Oriol, M; Ibarra, P., Martí, S. and Sribman, A. (ed.) (2018) Nuevos Movimientos Sociales: de la calle a los ayuntamientos. Icaria Editorial, Barcelona. (Eng; New Social Movements: from the streets to City Councils).

- Cortina-Oriol, M. & Engelken-Jorge, M. (ed.) (2017). Crisis y Retos de la Democracia. Betiko, Bilbao. (Eng: Crisis and Challenges of Democracy).

- Engelken-Jorge, M. and Cortina-Oriol, M. (2016). Special Issue: “Retos actuales de la democracia”. Política y Sociedad, 53, 1. (Eng: Current Challenges of Democracy).

- Engelken, M.; Cortina, M.; Bergantiños, N. (ed.). 2015. Contextos y perspectivas de la democracia. Ensayos en honor a Pedro Ibarra Güell. Pamiela, Barcelona. (Eng: Contexts and perspectives of democracy. Essays in Honour to Pedro Ibarra Güell).

- Ibarra, P. y Cortina, M. (ed.) 2011. Recuperando la Radicalidad. Un encuentro entorno al análisis político crítico. Hacer, Barcelona. (Eng: Recovering the Radicalism. A meeting about the critical political analysis).

Governance, Democracy, Participatory Democracy and Local Government, Urban Politics and Urban Development, Critical Urban Theory, State Theory, Collective Action and Social Movements, (Cultural) Political Economy, Public Policies, Political Behaviour, Qualitative Methodologies. 

Public Policy, Democracy and Local Government, Governance, Urban Politics and Urban Development, Collective Action and Social Movements, Comparative Politics, Participatory Action Research

 

PhD in Political Science (International Phd), University of the Basque Country. Thesis title: Scalar Strategies, Identity and Discourse in the Entrepreneurial City: the case of Zorrotza (Bilbao).  PGCert(Postgraduate Certificate) in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education(60 cr.ECT),DeMontfort University.

DEA in Political Science. Programs: “Government and Comparative Political Analysis” and “Models and Areas of Research in Social Science”, University of the Basque Country.

Master in Participatory Democracy, University of the Basque Country.

Honours Degree in Political and Administration Sciences, Autonomous University of Barcelona. 4th year at the University of Copenhagen (Denmark), Erasmus Program.

Teaching Qualifications:

Accredited by ANECA (Spanish National Agency for Quality Assessment and Accreditation), 2014.

Certificate of Research Supervision (De Montfort University), 2017.

High Education Academy Fellowship (FHEA), 2019.

AdvanceHigherEducation(HEA)EnhancingProgramme Leadership, 2021.

POPP1106 - Introduction to Public Policy Making (Module Leader)

POPP3000 – Dissertation (Module Leader and Supervisor)

MARK5030 and POPP5026 (Supervisor)

Awards: 2020 Facultyof Business and Law BEST PHD SUPERVISOR as CURA's Insititute Head of Research Students (De Montfort University, UK)

• Co-convenor of the Local Politics Specialist Group of the Political Studies Association
• Research Member of the Thematic Network on Metropolitan Governance funded by CONACYT (Mexico)
• Member of the RC21,  the research committee on the Sociology of Urban and Regional Development of the International Sociological Association
• Member of the Editorial Board of the Journal "International Critical Thought" ed. Routeledge

Invited presentations:

June 2019 Keynote Speaker: “Municipalist perspectives after the
elections”. Conference: Radical Urbanism, University of Liverpool.

December 2018 Keynote Speaker: “Urban Social Movements in the context of Austerity”.  Conference “20 years later, what has changed in Social Movements?”. Fundación Betiko and the University of the Basque Country.

November 2016 Seminar: “Social Movements Challenges: Reflexions on the responses from the urban sphere”. Social Movements Seminar. Department of Public Law, Political Science Area. University of Girona.

June 2016 Discussant at the Third Critical European Studies workshop. Session: Dispossession and punitive mechanisms of neoliberalism. University of Greenwich.

March 2016 Seminar: “Citizen Participation Experiences: dilemmas and challenges”. Department of Public Law, Political Science Area. University of Girona.

March 2016 Seminar: “The role of the local government in the urban neoliberalization processes”. Department of Political Science. University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU).

November 2015 Keynote Speaker: “Historical-Materialist Policy Analysis and the Strategic-Relational Approach in the study of the relation between Capital, Society and the State”. Political Science and the reconfiguration of the power Colloquia. Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo, México.

November 2015 Seminar: “Democracy, Participation and Public Policies”. Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo, Instituto de CCSS y Humanidades, México.

October 2015  Keynote Speaker: “Current political situation in Spain”. 15 years of Political Science Studies Conference. Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo, México.

June 2015 Seminar: “Public discourses behind urban regeneration processes”. The Humboldt University y la Universidad del País Vasco (UPV/EHU), Bilbao.

September 2014 Seminar: “Urban Planning and Citizen Participation: new challenges, new visions”. BIA Urban Regeneration Forum, ETSASS, ETSAN, Bilbao.

May 2013 Keynote speaker: “Public-private partnership and its impact on urban politics”. Conference “Towards a new urban management”, Bildu Municipal Group in Bilbao City Council.

May 2012 Keynote speaker: The General Plan of Urban Planning from a global frame: The transition from an industrial city to the entrepreneurial city and its impacts”. Conference “The General Plan in Bilbao”, Bildu Municipal Group in Bilbao City Council.

November 2011 Keynote speaker: “Participatory Democracy”. Conference “Ctrl + Alt + Supr Democracy”, 15M Committee and Donosti-San Sebastián City Council meeting.

June 2009 Keynote speaker: “Expectatives on the re-urbanization plan of Punta Zorrotza”. V Conference on Participatory Democracy: Territory, City and Participation”. Department of Political Science, University of the Basque Country.

June 2005 Keynote speaker: “Activist Research and Social Movements”. II Conference on Participatory Democracy: toward a net of experiences in the Basque Country”. Department of Political Science, University of the Basque Country.

May 2005 Keynote speaker: “Social research as transformation tool”. Annual Meeting of the CIMAS net, Complutense University of Madrid.

 

Conference Presentations:

September 2017 How participation and co-production contribute to the hollowing out of welfarism: the case of Transforming Neighbourhood Services in Leicester (UK). Annual Conference of the Research Committee on Urban and Regional Development (RC21), International Sociological Association. Leeds.

April 2017  “Localism in an Austerian Context; the view from Leicester”. 67th Political Studies Association Annual Conference” Together with: Adrian Bua and Jonathan Davies

April 2014  “The impacts of the squat movement on the public policies in the spanish state: a comparative analysis of Madrid, Barcelona and Bilbao”. XI Conference of the Spanish Assosiation of Sociology, 2013 and II Seminario Internacional de Instituciones, Gobierno y Políticas Públicas, soluciones de Gobierno en la Crisis, México, 2014. Together with: Robert Gonzàlez and Thomas Aguilera

August 2013  “Urban Politics after the financial crisis: new restrictions, new directions?”  Annual Conference of the Research Committee on Urban and Regional Development (RC21), International Sociological Association. Berlin.Together with Xavier Gainza

September 2012  “Conflict, Peace and Democracy in the local sphere: a proposal for a comparative analysis.” IX Basque Conference of Sociology and Political Science.

September 2010  “Neighbourhood Movement and Municipal Candidacies: the urban and municipal side of the Local Movement”. XXIV Conference of the SISP (Società Italiana di Scieza Politca). Together with Pedro Ibarra and Gemma Ubasart

July 2010 “Alternative Municipalism: towards a definition”. X Conference of the Spanish Association of Sociology.Together with Gemma Ubasart

April 2010  “Popular and Alternative Muncipalism in Catalonia and the Basque Country”. XV International Conference on Alternative Futures and Popular Protest. Manchester Metropolitan University. Together with Jordi Bonet and Gemma Ubasart

Febrary 2010  “The scalar perspective in the urban movements”. VIII Basque Conference of Sociology and Political Science.

Febrary 2008  “Scalar identities in the grassroots protest. Re-scaling the center-periphery”. I International Conference of Critical Political Analysis. University of the Basque Country,

July 2007  “Urban Identity and Collective Action facing Urban Strategic Plans”. First International Conference of Young Urban Researchers (FICYURB), Lisbon.

Febrary 2007  “Urban Resistance in the City-Fabric”. VII Basque Conference of Sociology and Political Science.

July 2006 IV Seminar of the Spanish Association of Political Science (AECPA) for phd candidates. Presentation of the methodological chapter of the doctoral thesis, Universidad Autònoma de Barcelona.

July 2006  “Neighbourhood Identities facing Urban Restructuring.” Urban Conditions and Life Chances. AMIDSt,

January 2004  “Metropolitan social movements evolution: experiences in glocal work”. I International Conference on Social Movements and Research. Autonomous University of Barcelona. Together with: Robert Gonzàlez, Marc Martí, Eva Alfama, Mauyo Fuster and Jeff Juris.

 

Chair:

November 2012  “Democracy: For what?, a critic to the liberal democratic model”. II International Conference of Critical Political Analysis “+Democracy”. University of the Basque Country.

November 2008  “Subject and Social Change”. I International Conference of Critical Political Analysis. University of the Basque Country.

 

 

2014 Project: Qualitative Evaluation of the compliance, development and implementation of the 4/2005 Law, on the Equality of Women and Men. Funding Body: Emakunde (Basque Woman Institute). 1 year. 68.329 €

2014 Project: Design development for the assessment of the Regional Law of Citizen Participation of the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa. Funding body: Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa. 1 year. 12.000 €

2013 Project: Participatory assessment to establish the basis for a Plan of Culture in Laudio (Álava). Funding body: Laudio City Council. 10 months. 6.000 €

2013 Project: Proposal for resolution of conflict around the different urban planning figures in Laudio (Álava). Funding body: Laudio City Council. 5 months. 5.200 €

2007 Project: Citizen expectations on the urban planning for Punta Zorrotza.  Funding body: Bilbao City Council. 1 year. 12.000 €

Angie Sibley-White (DMU)

Leon Reichle (DMU)

Arumina Ghoshal (DMU)

Tabea Latocha (DMU)

Miguel Bravo Candela (DMU)

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My research supervision interests cover areas around urban political economy, local governance, community development and social movements. I am interested in critical approaches to governance in the local sphere, in the relation between the local and the national, in studies on austerity and its impact on local policies, in forms of social and political innovation in public policy-making (i.e. Co-production, self-management, citizen participation), and in experiences of resistance.

Also potential interest in studies on collective identities.

Contribution to grant applications as Researcher:

2013 Project: Participatory Democracy: Local Democracy, Gender and Nationalism (IT-698-13). Funding body: Basque Government. Main researcher: Iñaki Bárcena. 3 years. 126.000 €

2011 Project: The Squat Movement in Spain and Europe: contexts, cycles, identities and institutionalization (MOVOKEur) (CSO2011-23079). Funding body: Ministry of Science and Innovation, Spanish Government. Main researcher:  Miguel Ángel Martínez López. 3 years. 96.800 €

2010 Project: Participatory Democracy: Participation, Culture and Sustainability (GIC 10/23). Funding body: Basque Government. Main researcher: Iñaki Bárcena. 3 years. 210.000 €

2007 Project: Participatory Democracy in the local sphere (GIC 07/80-IT-362-07). Funding body: Basque Government. Main researcher: Pedro Ibarra. 2 years. 84.704 €

 

Researcher:

2016 Project: Collaborative Governance under Austerity. An eight-case comparative study. Funding Body: Economic and Social Research Council. Main Researcher: Prof. Jonathan Davies. 2 years.

2010 Project: Participation and innovation in public policies. Funding Body: Innobasque. Main Researcher: Rafa Ajangiz. 1 year.

2006 Project: History of the Neighbourhoods of Bilbao and their inhabitants: Deusto and Rekalde, identity, conflict and integration (652500000043). Funding Body: Billbao City Council. Main Researcher: Pedro Ibarra Güell. 1 year.

2005-2006 Project: Citizen Participation and reformulation of the Inter-Basque institutional frame (GIU 05/53). Funding Body: Government of the Basque Country. Main Researcher: Igor Ahedo

2005-2006 Project: Diagnosis of the Citizen Participation in the Municipality of Berriz (Bizkaia).Funding Body: University of the Basque Country and Berriz City Council. Main Researcher: Imanol Tellería.

2005-2006 Project: Map of the citizen participation experiences in the Basque Country municipalities. Funding Body: University of the Basque Country. Main Researcher: Rafa Ajangiz. 

2016 Contributor and reviewer of the Strategic Plan for the Research, Development and Innovation Office (Participation and Neighbourhood Councillorship) of the Barcelona City Council. This role involved making relevant contributions to the core text and a meticulous review, correcting possible conceptual mistakes and making proposals for its improvement.