ÌÇÐÄlogoÈë¿Ú

Skip to main content

Dr Brendan Mcgeever

Positions held:
  • Reader in Sociology, School of Social Sciences
  • Reader in Sociology, School of Social Sciences
Email
  • Overview

    Overview

    Biography

    Brendan is Co-Director of the ÌÇÐÄlogoÈë¿Ú Institute For The Study of Antisemitism and is Reader in Sociology. HisÌýcore areas of specialism are the study of antisemitism, racism and anti-racism, historicallyÌýand inÌýthe present day; the sociology of class; the study of the former Soviet Union, Marxism and Marxist theory. He is particularly interested in the relationship between racialization and antisemitism and exploring the extent to which these two areas of research can be brought together within the wider sociology of racism and ethnicity studies.

    Brendan is the author of 'Antisemitism and the Russian Revolution' (Cambridge University Press, 2019). This work of historical sociology explores the Bolshevik response to antisemitism during the Russian Revolution, uncovering how it grappled withÌýthe racialization of class politics. It alsoÌýtracesÌýanti-racist agency within the Bolshevik movement. Based on archival fieldwork in Russia, Ukraine and the United States, the book finds that the Soviet response to antisemitism was led not by the Party leadership, as is often assumed, but by a loosely connected group of radicals who mobilized around a Jewish political subjectivity.

    As part of his wider interest in antisemitism, racism and class politics, Brendan has collaborated with Professor Satnam Virdee (University of Glasgow) on a project exploring the significance of antisemitism in the socialist movement of fin de siècle Europe. A collection of papers based on this work was published as a Special Issue of the journal Patterns of Prejudice in September 2017.Ìý

    In 2019, Brendan was selected as a ‘New Generation Thinker‘ by the BBC and AHRC.

    His most recent book, co-written with Satnam Virdee, isÌýBritain In Fragments: Why Things Are Falling Apart, published by Manchester University Press in 2023.Ìý

    Web profiles

    Administrative responsibilities

    • Programme Director, BA Psychosocial Studies and BA Psychosocial Studies with Principles of Psychodynamic Counselling

    Visiting posts

    • Cornell Distinguished Visiting Professor, , 01 August 2024 to 01 July 2025

    Honours and awards

    • BIAJS Annual Book Prize 2021 ,
    • Reginald Zelnik Book Prize 2020 ,
    • 'Honourable Mention', W. Bruce Lincoln Book Prize 2020 ,
    • Ronald Tress Prize 2019 ÌÇÐÄlogoÈë¿Ú, University of London ,
    • 'Honourable Mention', Alexander Nove Book Prize 2021 ,
    • 2019 New Generation Thinker ,
  • Research

    Research

    Research interests

    • antisemitism
    • 'race’ and racism
    • racialization
    • the former Soviet Union
    • Marxism
    • social theory
    • historical sociology
    • ethnographies of the archive
    • class

    Research Centres and Institutes

    • Research Associate ,
    • Department Representative,
  • Supervision and teaching

    Supervision and teaching

    Supervision

    Supervisions within ÌÇÐÄlogoÈë¿Ú:
    2

    I welcome enquiries from prospective PhD students who are interested in undertaking research in any of my areas of research interest:Ìýantisemitism,Ìý'race’ and racism,Ìýracialization, class,Ìýthe former Soviet Union,ÌýMarxism,Ìýsocial theory,Ìýhistorical sociology,Ìýethnographies of the archive.Ìý

    Former and current PhD projects include:

    Dr Anna Shadrina 'Babushkas: Former Soviet Women Pensioners Ageing in Russia and the UK',Ìýsupervised with Prof Lynne Segal and Prof Sasha Roseneil.

    Ieisha James 'Bordering on whiteness? An intergenerational study of the racialised subjectivities of Italian migrants living in post-Brexit London', supervised with Dr Ben Gidley. UBEL DTP award.Ìý

    Lizaveta van Munsteren, 'The Vicissitudes of Psychoanalysis in the Soviet Union', supervised with Prof Stephen Frosh.Ìý

    Evan Sedgwick-Jell, 'Depression and the Political - Mental Health, System Antagonism and Social Transformation', supervised with Prof Felicity CallardÌý

    Annie Teriba, 'The New Black Atlantic: Empire, Class and Race in the Neoliberal Era', supervised with Dr Margarita Aragon. UBEL DTP award.

    Yu Qian, 'The nation building and the national identity crisis in China: A case study of Hong Kong 2019 through an interdisciplinary lens of philosophy and psychoanalysis', supervised with Prof Stephen Frosh.

    Ìý

    Current doctoral researchers

    • ALZIRA MINIKEEVA
      Nature of supervision:
      PRINCIPAL SUPERVISOR,
      Title of thesis:
      Exploring Ethnic Identity and Resistance Among the Volga Tatars in Contemporary Russia

    Doctoral alumni since 2013-14

    • YU QIAN
      Nature of supervision:
      Joint Principal Supervisor,
      Title of thesis:
      Fantasy and Enjoyment in Digital Nationalism: The Hong Kong 2019 Anti-Extradition Law Amendment Bill Movement on Bilibili
      Awarded:
      2026

    Teaching

    On the BA Psychosocial Studies I teach or have taught the following modules: 'Racism and Antisemitism', 'Power', 'Class', 'Dissertation'. At MA level I have taught on the following modules: 'Independent Research Module' and 'Masterclass in Social Research'. 

    Teaching modules

    • Dissertation Module
  • Publications

    Publications

    Article

    • Gidley, Ben and Feldman, David and Mcgeever, Brendan (2025) . Political Quarterly blog ISSN 1467-923X.
    • Mcgeever, Brendan and Gidley, Ben and Feldman, David (2025) . Prospect ISSN 1359-5024.
    • Feldman, David and Gidley, Ben and Mcgeever, Brendan (2025) . Vashti
    • Mcgeever, Brendan (2022) . Ethnic and Racial Studies 45 (8), pp. 1528-1535. ISSN 0141-9870.
    • Gidley, Ben and McGeever, Brendan Francis and Feldman, David (2020) . The Political Quarterly 91 (2), pp. 413-421. ISSN 0032-3179.
    • McGeever, Brendan and Gidley, Ben and Feldman, David (2020) . RACE.ED
    • Feldman, David and Gidley, Ben and Mcgeever, Brendan (2020) . The Guardian ISSN 0261-3077.
    • Feldman, David and Gidley, Ben and Mcgeever, Brendan (2020) . The Political Quarterly Blog
    • McGeever, Brendan (2020) . Jacobin Magazine
    • Feldman, David and Mcgeever, Brendan (2018) . Haaretz
    • Feldman, David and Mcgeever, Brendan (2018) . Independent ISSN 0951-9467.
    • Kuper, R. and McGeever, Brendan Francis and Segal, Lynne and Yuval-Davis, N. and Hakim, J. and Little, B. (2018) . Soundings: A Journal of Politics and Culture 70, pp. 22-70. ISSN 1362-6620.
    • McGeever, Brendan and Virdee, S. (2018) . LSE Brexit
    • Virdee, S. and McGeever, Brendan Francis (2017) . Ethnic and Racial Studies 41 (10), pp. 1802-1819. ISSN 0141-9870.
    • McGeever, Brendan Francis (2017) . Patterns of Prejudice 51 (3-4), pp. 1-18. ISSN 0031-322X.
    • McGeever, Brendan Francis and Virdee, S. (2017) . Patterns of Prejudice 51 (3-4), pp. 221-234. ISSN 0031-322X.
    • Virdee, S. and McGeever, Brendan Francis (2017) . Geschichte der Gegenwart
    • Mcgeever, Brendan (2017) . Jacobin Magazine
    • Mcgeever, Brendan (2016) . Open Democracy
    • Mcgeever, Brendan (2016) . Open Democracy
    • Ashe, Stephen and McGeever, Brendan (2011) . Ethnic and Racial Studies 34 (12), pp. 2009-2026. ISSN 0141-9870.

    Book

    • Satnam, V. and Brendan, McGeever (2023) . Manchester, UK: Manchester University Press. ISBN 9781526164599.
    • McGeever, Brendan (2022) . Paris: les nuits rouges. ISBN 2913112722.
    • McGeever, Brendan Francis (2019) . Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9781107195998.

    Book section

    • McGeever, Brendan Francis (2018) . In: Read, C. and Lindenmeyr, A. and Waldron, P. (eds.) Russia’s Home Front in War and Revolution, 1914-1922: Book 4. The Struggle for the State. Russia's Great War and Revolution, 1914-1922. Bloomington: Slavica Publishers. ISBN 9780893574284.
    • McGeever, Brendan Francis (2017) . In: Kolonitskii, B.I. (ed.) Epokha Voin i Revoliutsii (1914-1922). St. Petersburg, Russia: Nestor Istoriia. ISBN 9785446911318.

    Monograph

    • Feldman, David (2025) . London, UK: Runnymede Trust.

    Other

    • Gordon, M. and Feldman, David and Gidley, Ben and Mcgeever, Brendan (2025) . Vashti.
    • McGeever, Brendan Francis (2017) . jungle.world jungle.world.
  • Business and community

    Business and community

    I have media training.

    Media

    I am happy to receive enquiries from the media on the following topics:

    • Antisemitism, racism, Russia and Russian history, class, Marx and Marxism

    Outreach

    2020

    2019

    2019

    2019

    2017