Research output per year
Research output per year
Research activity per year
My research is informed by relational and historical approaches to sociology. This work involves long-term perspectives in sociological theory and problems of nation, state, culture and society, focussing particularly on Scotland, the UK and Europe. Most recent work situates the sociology of art within long-term democratisation processes.
Currently, I am external examiner for MA Economy and Society, MA Society and Politics, MA Culture, Media and Society at the Graduate School, Institute of Philosophy and Sociology, Polish Academy of Sciences (IFIS PAN), Warsaw, Poland.
I am concerned to develop sociological research that illuminates long-term processes underlying social relations, group tensions and state formation. This dates back to postgraduate research that I undertook at the University of Edinburgh on privatisation and public policy (MSc, 1993) and industrial sociology and political economy (PhD, 1997). Since then I have worked, inter alia, on problems of media, nationalism, social policy, and social theory. As well as engaging with public issues and emerging problems in the field, my research interests have also been informed by the changing requirements of teaching.
Drawing upon relational sociology, principally inspired by Pierre Bourdieu and Norbert Elias currently I am working on the sociology of art and the civilising process for The Anthem Companion to Norbert Elias (2023), which I co-edited with Stephen Mennell, the sociology of cultural intermediaries, and habitus in the place-making processes of refugees. A longer project involves writing a book on the historical sociology of the civilising process, national habitus and state formation in Scotland.
I am willing to supervise students in any area of sociology and social theory. The School offers the following research degrees: one-year MSc by Research, two-year MPhil or three-year PhD. For more information please email [email protected]
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
Sociology, PhD, Restructuring military industry in Scotland, University of Edinburgh
… → 1997
Social Sciences (Public Policy), MSc, Privatisation and Resistance in the Royal Dockyards, University of Edinburgh
… → 1993
Social Sciences and Humanities, BA (Hons) First Class, The Open University
… → 1992
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
Research output: Contribution to conference › Other
Research output: Contribution to conference › Paper
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article