Volume 9, Issue 2: Editor's Note

Otis Bakker and Benjamin Woolfe

Chief Editors

Welcome to another edition of Juncture, the University of Manchester’s undergraduate politics journal. 

Since its founding in 2017, Juncture has been dedicated to showcasing the intellectual rigour and originality of work produced by students at the University. Volume 9 Issue 2 proudly continues that tradition, bringing together a diverse collection of thought-provoking essays. It covers topics ranging from the racialised policing of Black cultural expression through UK drill music, to the gendered consequences of nuclear testing in Kazakhstan, to the question of whether Donald Trump’s actions have increased Chinese influence in the Asia-Pacific region. What unites these pieces is not a shared method or theoretical tradition, but a commitment to asking difficult questions of the world as it is. We hope these essays not only inform, but also inspire further debate and critical reflection amongst our readers.

As always, the publication of Juncture would not be possible without the hard work of those around us. A huge thank you to Meera Vinesh, Juncture’s General Secretary, who has played an invaluable role in coordinating the team, running our social media channels and formatting both of this year’s publications. Alongside Meera, the Editorial Board has helped us to filter through submissions and maintain high editorial standards. In this regard we would like to thank Charlie Sanigar, Elin Hywel, Laurence Young, Lola Lesnick, Rakay Akhtar, and Imogen Lightning. We further extend our gratitude to the School of Social Sciences, who provide us with the necessary funding to make our publications freely available to all online. 

On a more personal note, this issue marks the end of our tenure as Editors-in-Chief of Juncture. Over the past year, we have had the privilege of overseeing a period of renewal for the journal: recruiting an entirely new Editorial Board, restoring our biannual publication schedule, and launching a new series of podcast interviews with Juncture authors, the first of which will be released in the near future. Whilst we are both now heading overseas to continue our studies at different institutions, we are nonetheless excited to watch the journal go from strength to strength in the future under the capable leadership of Meera Vinesh. 

We hope you enjoy this edition of Juncture.