Michael Gordon

Assistant Professor, Political Science

Michael Gordon standing in front of trees with fall-coloured leaves.

PhD: McMaster University
MA: University of Waterloo
BA: McMaster University

Office: Plaza 349
[email protected]

Dr. Gordon’s research focuses on irregularized migration and the externalization of European border controls, with particular attention to civil society Search and Rescue (SAR) operations. His work explores the theoretical intersections of sovereignty, solidarity, forced migration, and border politics at the edges of the Global North.

Dr. Gordon’s work investigates grassroots organizations and the spatial politics of the Mediterranean Sea, conceptualized as a dynamic and contested borderscape. His research examines the complex interplay between acts of solidarity with migrants and broader state strategies aimed at externalizing border control and criminalizing humanitarian efforts. By analyzing civil society Search and Rescue (SAR) operations, he highlights how solidarity at sea reveals emerging patterns in bordering practices, mobility, and citizenship. These NGO-led interventions challenge the use of natural environments as tools of border enforcement, exposing the violence embedded in state border regimes. Dr. Gordon’s research frames these rescue efforts as politically charged acts that resist racialized exclusion and advocate for justice, rights, and freedom of movement. His scholarship is deeply connected to direct engagement with these movements, bridging academic inquiry with active solidarity alongside people on the move.

Dr. Gordon holds a PhD in International Relations from McMaster University and an MA in Global Governance from the University of Waterloo. Currently, he serves as a Co-Editor of Refuge: Canada’s Journal on Refugees.

Areas of specialization:

  • Forced Migration
  • Civil Society & Non-Governmental Organizations
  • Humanitarian Sea Rescue
  • Criminalization
  • Critical Border Studies
  • Citizenship
  • Political Geography
  • International Political Sociology

Select Publications

  • Hennebry, J., S. Samuk & MB Gordon (eds.) (Forthcoming) Handbook on Temporary Migration. Edward Elgar Publishing. Cheltenham, UK.
  • Gordon, MB. (Forthcoming) “Solidarity, Activism and Humanitarian Support in the Borderlands” in Handbook on Temporary Migration, Hennebry, J., S. Samuk & MB Gordon (eds.). Edward Elgar Publishing. Cheltenham, UK.
  • Gordon, MB. (2020) “Bordering Through ‘Crisis’: Migrant Journeys, Border Industries and the Contestation of Control.” Migration, Mobility and Displacement. 5 (1): 39-58.
  • Gordon, MB. (2020) “Responsibility.” States of Refuge II: Key Concepts in Critical Refugee Studies. Institute on Globalization and the Human Condition Working Paper Series, McMaster University. 19 (1): 42-45.
  • Gordon, MB. “Standoffs at sea highlight the shameful criminalization of rescuing migrants.” The Conversation. Published 18 July 2019.
  • Gordon, MB. & V. Squire. “EU leaves Migrant Search and Rescue NGOs in the Mediterranean Without a Paddle.” The Globe Post. Published 29 May 2019.

Teaching Areas

Courses taught at Brock University:

  • POLI 2P20: Introduction to Global Politics
  • POLI 4/5P20: Globalization and Global Governance
  • POLI 3P26: International Law and International Organization
  • POLI 4/5P26: International Politics and National Security