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Dr Donatella Bonansinga
Biography
I am an Associate Lecturer in Migration, Globalisation and Populism. I obtained my PhD in Political Science and International Studies from the University of Birmingham in 2023. I hold MAs in Social Research Methods (2018), European Politics (2014) and Global Politics (2013). Prior to joining UCL, I was a Senior Researcher at YouGov. I also taught and contributed to research at the University of Surrey and the University of Birmingham. I am an Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.
Research
My research takes an interdisciplinary perspective on populism, examining the phenomenon from the lenses of political science, international relations and political psychology. I specialise in populist communication and the emotional and psychological mechanisms linked to populist support. My recent work has explored the role of anger, fear, pride and hope in populist communication; how established vs. emerging populist leaders communicate on TikTok; narratives of crisis and insecurity in the populist right vs. left; populist party competition; and the populist securitisation of migration.
Publications
- Book chapters
- Albertazzi, D., Bonansinga, D. and Vampa, D. (2021) “Introduction”. In: Albertazzi, D. and Vampa, D. (eds.), Populism and New Patterns of Political Competition in Western Europe, London: Routledge, 1-15.
- Albertazzi, D., Bonansinga, D. and Vampa, D. (2021) “The strategies of party competition: a typology”. In: Albertazzi, D. and Vampa, D. (eds.), Populism and New Patterns of Political Competition in Western Europe, London: Routledge, 50-70.
- Bonansinga, D. (2019) “The Securitisation of Migration in Populist Discourse: Emotional and Affective Mechanisms at Play”, in Talani, S. and Rosina, M. (eds.) Tidal Waves? The Political Economy of Populism and Migration in Europe, Bern: Peter Lang, 151–72.
- Journal articles
2023
- Albertazzi, D. and Bonansinga, D. (2023) “Beyond Anger: The Populist Radical Right on TikTok”. Contemporary European Studies. Online First.
2022
- Bonansinga, D. (2022) “‘A Threat To Us’: The Interplay of Insecurity and Enmity Narratives in Left-wing Populism”. The British Journal of Politics and International Relations 24(3), 511–525.
- Bonansinga, D. (2022) “Insecurity Narratives and Implicit Emotional Appeals in French Competing Populisms”. Innovation: The European Journal of Social Science Research 35(1), 86-106.
- Verbalyte, M., Bonansinga, D. and Exadaktylos, T. (2022) “When Emotions Run High: Affective Responses to Crises in Europe”. Innovation: The European Journal of Social Science Research 35(1), 1-13.
2021
- Albertazzi, D., Bonansinga, D. and Zulianello, M. (2021) “The right-wing alliance in the time of the Covid-19 pandemic: all change?”. Contemporary Italian Politics DOI: 10.1080/23248823.2021.1916857
2020
- Bonansinga, D. (2020) “Who Thinks, Feels: The Relationship between Emotions, Politics and Populism”. Partecipazione e Conflitto, 13(1), 83-106.
Teaching
I teach on the Globalisation and Populism (POLS0055), and The Politics of Immigration (PUBL0093) modules.
