D.Phil. in Politics
Samuel Burry is a second year PhD candidate in Politics at Oxford. Prior to Oxford, he completed an MPhil in Political Thought and Intellectual History and a BA in History and Politics at Cambridge, where he graduated with a starred first (first-class honours with distinction) and was awarded the University’s History and Politics Prize for best overall performance.
Sam’s research centres on theories of protest, civil rights, and legal obligation in the United States from the 1960s onwards, with a particular focus on the life, works, and influence of Derrick Bell. His PhD thesis offers the first intellectual biography of Bell, who is often described as the “godfather” of critical race theory. Sam’s doctoral research is fully funded by Oxford’s Rothermere American Institute.
His other research interests include the intellectual development of theories of environmental protest and activism in the United States, twentieth-century American legal and intellectual history, and American political development (APD). He is also part of the editorial team for Anthroposphere: The Oxford Climate Review.
