Matthew Francis - Research Portal | Lancaster University

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Keywords

Violence, Ideology, Belief

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Dr Matthew Francis

Senior Research Associate

Department of Politics Philosophy and Religion

County South

Lancaster University

Bailrigg

Lancaster LA1 4YL

United Kingdom

E-mail: Show email

Location:

Professional Role

I am the Senior Research Assistant on the Global Uncertainties: Ideology, Decision-making and Uncertainty project, which is funded by the RCUK Global Uncertainties programme. I work with the Leadership Fellow, Professor Kim Knott, on making interdisciplinary links between researchers, drawing in a range of external stakeholders and undertaking an original programme of research into the role that beliefs, commitments and ideologies make in decision-making in the face of risk and uncertainty.

Research Interests

I currently research the role that beliefs, commitments and ideologies make in decision-making in the face of risk and uncertainty.

This builds on previous research where I analysed the move to violence in religious and non-religious groups. I mapped the significance of shared non-negotiable beliefs through coding the public utterances of members and leaders of groups, focusing on case-studies on Aum Shinrikyo, al Qaeda, the Red Army Faction, Agonshu, the Student Non-violent Coordinating Committee and Hizb ut-Tahrir.

At present I am following up on these interests through research on far-right movements and groups in the UK.

Additional Information

I recently undertook research into the role of religion, and the place of religious literacy, in a UK university. I was the Programme Manager and Research Associate on a national HEFCE-funded project on religious literacy in Higher Education and have presented on a role for religious literacy in broader public settings at human rights and equalities events.

I founded and am Editor of the website RadicalisationResearch.org, which is funded by the AHRC/ESRC Religion and Society Programme and which brings high-quality academic research on radicalisation and extremism to the attention of people working in policy and media settings.

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Publications & Outputs

Published
Return? It never left. Exploring the ‘sacred’ as a resource for bridging the gap between the religious and the secular (Workshop paper)
Francis, M. & Knott, K. 2011
Research output: Other contribution
Published
The Roots, Practices and Consequences of Terrorism: A Literature Review of Research in the Arts & Humanities, Final Report (for the Home Office)
Knott, K., McFadyen, A., McLoughlin, S. & Francis, M. 2006 Leeds: University of Leeds. 92 p.
Research output: Book/Report/Proceedings › Commissioned report
Published
Leeds Pilot Faiths Consultation Exercise on Restorative Justice and the Rehabilitation of Young Male Ex-Offenders
Knott, K. & Francis, M. 2004 Community Religions Project and Leeds Church Institute for the Home Office. 51 p.
Research output: Book/Report/Proceedings › Book

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Activities

Social relations and human security conference
Activity: Conference participation › Participation in conference
Methodological approaches to the study of religion
Activity: Conference participation › Participation in workshop, seminar, course
EHRC Religion or Belief Dialogue
Activity: Business and community › Other