Staff in the Department of Sociology In this section Academic Staff and Researchers Visiting fellows and emeritus professors Professional staff Academic Staff and Researchers Visiting fellows and emeritus professors Professional staff Staff list Fauzia Ahmad BSc, MSc, PhD Senior Lecturer f.ahmad (@gold.ac.uk) Fauzia is a qualitative feminist researcher with research interests in gendered ethnic and faith identities. Brian Alleyne BSc MSc PhD Senior Lecturer b.alleyne (@gold.ac.uk) Brian is focussed on globalisation, social movements and the social life of information technology. Margarita Aragon Lecturer margarita.aragon (@gold.ac.uk) Margarita lectures Sociology and Criminology. Her research examines historical intersections of racism and gender. Les Back BSc PhD Professor l.back (@gold.ac.uk) Les specialises in the sociology of racism and ethnicity, popular culture and music, and urban life and community. Vikki Bell BA PhD Professor of Sociology v.bell (@gold.ac.uk) Vikki's interests include transitional justice, cultural theory and questions of aesthetics, ethics and subjectivity. Michaela Benson BA PhD Reader michaela.benson (@gold.ac.uk) Michaela is an ethnographer and sociologist specialising in migration and citizenship, social class, place and belonging Natassia Brenman ESRC Post Doctoral Research Fellow n.brenman (@gold.ac.uk) Natassia uses ethnographic methods to explore the technologies, temporalities, and spaces of mental health and care. Svenja Bromberg Lecturer in Social Theory and Marxism s.bromberg (@gold.ac.uk) Svenja is a theorist with expertise in Marxism and French and German social theory from the 19th to 21st century. Kirsten Campbell Reader k.campbell (@gold.ac.uk) With a theoretical focus upon gender and law, Kirsten explores international criminal law and transitional justice. Rebecca Coleman Reader rebecca.coleman (@gold.ac.uk) Rebecca works across sociology, cultural studies and feminist theory on topics including temporality, images, bodies, affect, and inventive methodologies. Abby Day Professor of Race, Faith & Culture abby.day (@gold.ac.uk) Abby works on researching, teaching and representing sociology of religion nationally and internationally. Sara R Farris Senior Lecturer s.farris (@gold.ac.uk) Sara has explored the orientalist underpinnings of sociological theory as well as feminism, racism and nationalism. Fay Dennis Wellcome Research Fellow f.dennis (@gold.ac.uk) Fay Dennis is a Wellcome Research Fellow in Social Science and Bioethics in the Department of Sociology (mentored by Professor Marsha Rosengarten and Dr Rebecca Coleman). Jennifer Fleetwood Senior Lecturer j.fleetwood (@gold.ac.uk) Jennifer is a criminologist and sociologist whose research and writing centres on women, gender, and crime/law-breaking. Monica Greco BA MA PhD Professor m.greco (@gold.ac.uk) Monica’s work addresses forms of knowledge in medicine and psychiatry as objects of research. Kiran Grewal Reader k.grewal (@gold.ac.uk) Kiran researches the interactions between legal frameworks and social justice struggles of marginalised groups. Michael Guggenheim Reader m.guggenheim (@gold.ac.uk) Michael works with different media to produce theoretical texts regarding civil protection and participatory politics. Yasmin Gunaratnam BSc MSc PhD Reader y.gunaratnam (@gold.ac.uk) Yasmin’s work encompasses areas of disability, gender and sexuality, health and illness, migration and race. Paul Halliday Lecturer p.halliday (@gold.ac.uk) Paul’s focus is on urban and fine-art photography, documentary and film, urban ethnography, and narratives of city life. Katalin Halász Postdoctoral Research Fellow k.halasz (@gold.ac.uk) David Hirsh, BSc MA PhD Senior Lecturer in Sociology d.hirsh (@gold.ac.uk) David has researched and published on contemporary antisemitism, crimes against humanity and totalitarianism. Emma Jackson Senior Lecturer e.jackson (@gold.ac.uk) An urban sociologist and ethnographer, Emma explores the relationship between belonging, place and urban change. Kat Jungnickel Senior Lecturer k.jungnickel (@gold.ac.uk) Kat researches invention, mobilities, gender and DIY tech communities of practice Sobia Ahmad Kaker Lecturer s.kaker (@gold.ac.uk) Sobia’s work reveals the ‘lived’ aspects of urbanisation, securitisation and socio-political life in the global south. Julia Kazana-McCarthy Lecturer j.kazana-mccarthy (@gold.ac.uk) Julia’s research deals with youth studies, with particular focus on the role of gender and social class. She is currently developing a portfolio of research and teaching interests in the area of transitions to adulthood, with reference to topics such as educational pathways, the role of familial relations in the lives of young women, as well as a focus on other aspects of youth development such as intimate relationships. Faten Khazaei Post Doctoral Researcher f.khazaei (@gold.ac.uk) Faten works at the intersection of gender studies, critical race studies, sociology of migration and institutions. Theo Kindynis Lecturer t.kindynis (@gold.ac.uk) Theo’s current research focuses on the interrelationships between crime, urban space and social control. Caroline Knowles BSc PhD Professor of Sociology c.knowles (@gold.ac.uk) Caroline writes about migration and circulations of material objects and the social forces constituting globalisation in cities. Dr Vik Loveday Lecturer v.loveday (@gold.ac.uk) Currently researching higher education, Vik has also worked on gender, identity, luck, nostalgia and social class. Jamie Matthews Lecturer j.matthews (@gold.ac.uk) Jamie is a political sociologist whose research explores contemporary social movements and forms of popular protest. Dr Katja May Postdoctoral Researcher katja.may (@gold.ac.uk) Katja’s research interests are in feminist theory, affect, protest cultures and the phenomenology of making. Monk Research Fellow m.motamedi-fraser (@gold.ac.uk) Monk is a black Labrador. He has accompanied Mariam Motamedi-Fraser to Goldsmiths since September 2015, when he was seven months old. Mariam Motamedi-Fraser BA (Hons), PhD Reader m.motamedi-fraser (@gold.ac.uk) Mariam's research is on animals, with a special interest in the animal sciences, and dogs. Kate Nash BSc PhD Professor k.nash (@gold.ac.uk) Kate works on cultural politics - how does meaning-making establish and challenge (more or less unequal, violent) social orders. Daniel Neyland BA(Hons) PhD Professor in Sociology d.neyland (@gold.ac.uk) Daniel’s research covers issues of governance, accountability and ethics in science, technology and organisation. Sevasti-Melissa Nolas Senior Lecturer s.nolas (@gold.ac.uk) Melissa’s research focuses on childhood, youth and family lives with a specific interest in the intersection of childhood, publics, and politics. Pamela Odih, BSoc.Sc PhD Senior Lecturer p.odih (@gold.ac.uk) Pamela studies the significance of time/space to the regulation of subjects and construction of gendered subjectivity. David Oswell, BA (Hons), MA , PhD Professor in Sociology and Pro-Warden Research & Enterprise d.oswell (@gold.ac.uk) David’s research is concerned with the social life of children, children’s rights and, more broadly, social theory. Nirmal Puwar BA MA PhD Reader n.puwar (@gold.ac.uk) Nirmal's research is in space and politics, with respect to bodies, race and gender. She has been leading the field in creative methods, especially through curating spaces. Dr Alex Rhys-Taylor BSc, MA, PhD, PGCert Senior Lecturer a.rhystaylor (@gold.ac.uk) Alex is an urban sociologist, focussed on the relationship between multi-sensory experiences of cities and histories of change. Dr Katherine Robinson Lecturer k.robinson (@gold.ac.uk) Katherine's research explores issues in urban public space and everyday life in organisations. Alison Rooke BA, MA, PhD Senior Lecturer and Co-Director of the Centre for Urban and Community Research a.rooke (@gold.ac.uk) Alison is a sociologist with a specialism in urban theory and creative research methods. Marsha Rosengarten BA, MA, PhD Professor m.rosengarten (@gold.ac.uk) Marsha’s interests are process thinking, science and technology studies, feminist theory and sexuality. Evelyn Ruppert, PhD Professor e.ruppert (@gold.ac.uk) Evelyn is a data sociologist, focussing on how different socio-technical devices organise and constitute populations. Dr Monica Sassatelli Senior Lecturer m.sassatelli (@gold.ac.uk) Monica works in the fields of cultural identity, European cultural policies and cultural politics in city settings. Martin Savransky Senior Lecturer and Director of the Unit of Play m.savransky (@gold.ac.uk) Martin’s research explores speculative philosophy, pluralism, ecology, pragmatism, and the politics of difference. Brett St Louis BA MSc PhD Senior Lecturer b.stlouis (@gold.ac.uk) Brett's interests crystallise into three areas: race and ethnicity, post-colonial intellectualism and racism in sport. Paul Stoneman Lecturer p.stoneman (@gold.ac.uk) Paul’s research activities focus on political ideologies and the new right and access to safe and affordable housing. Alberto Toscano BA MA PhD Reader in Critical Theory and Co-director of the Centre for Philosophy and Critical Thought a.toscano (@gold.ac.uk) Alberto’s expertise is in social and political theory, philosophy, Marxism and critical theory. Christos Varvantakis Research fellow c.varvantakis (@gold.ac.uk) Christos is an anthropologist currently working as the research fellow for the Connectors Study (Goldsmiths/ ERC) in Athens, an international longitudinal ethnography which studies the relation between childhood and public life. Nina Wakeford Reader n.wakeford (@gold.ac.uk) Nina’s focus is on art and visual sociology, including methodologies and practice based research. Yesim Yaprak Yildiz Lecturer y.yildiz (@gold.ac.uk) Yesim’s research focuses on political violence and human rights. She is currently working on confessional forms of truth-telling in the aftermath of state-led atrocities. Article
Fauzia Ahmad BSc, MSc, PhD Senior Lecturer f.ahmad (@gold.ac.uk) Fauzia is a qualitative feminist researcher with research interests in gendered ethnic and faith identities.
Brian Alleyne BSc MSc PhD Senior Lecturer b.alleyne (@gold.ac.uk) Brian is focussed on globalisation, social movements and the social life of information technology.
Margarita Aragon Lecturer margarita.aragon (@gold.ac.uk) Margarita lectures Sociology and Criminology. Her research examines historical intersections of racism and gender.
Les Back BSc PhD Professor l.back (@gold.ac.uk) Les specialises in the sociology of racism and ethnicity, popular culture and music, and urban life and community.
Vikki Bell BA PhD Professor of Sociology v.bell (@gold.ac.uk) Vikki's interests include transitional justice, cultural theory and questions of aesthetics, ethics and subjectivity.
Michaela Benson BA PhD Reader michaela.benson (@gold.ac.uk) Michaela is an ethnographer and sociologist specialising in migration and citizenship, social class, place and belonging
Natassia Brenman ESRC Post Doctoral Research Fellow n.brenman (@gold.ac.uk) Natassia uses ethnographic methods to explore the technologies, temporalities, and spaces of mental health and care.
Svenja Bromberg Lecturer in Social Theory and Marxism s.bromberg (@gold.ac.uk) Svenja is a theorist with expertise in Marxism and French and German social theory from the 19th to 21st century.
Kirsten Campbell Reader k.campbell (@gold.ac.uk) With a theoretical focus upon gender and law, Kirsten explores international criminal law and transitional justice.
Rebecca Coleman Reader rebecca.coleman (@gold.ac.uk) Rebecca works across sociology, cultural studies and feminist theory on topics including temporality, images, bodies, affect, and inventive methodologies.
Abby Day Professor of Race, Faith & Culture abby.day (@gold.ac.uk) Abby works on researching, teaching and representing sociology of religion nationally and internationally.
Sara R Farris Senior Lecturer s.farris (@gold.ac.uk) Sara has explored the orientalist underpinnings of sociological theory as well as feminism, racism and nationalism.
Fay Dennis Wellcome Research Fellow f.dennis (@gold.ac.uk) Fay Dennis is a Wellcome Research Fellow in Social Science and Bioethics in the Department of Sociology (mentored by Professor Marsha Rosengarten and Dr Rebecca Coleman).
Jennifer Fleetwood Senior Lecturer j.fleetwood (@gold.ac.uk) Jennifer is a criminologist and sociologist whose research and writing centres on women, gender, and crime/law-breaking.
Monica Greco BA MA PhD Professor m.greco (@gold.ac.uk) Monica’s work addresses forms of knowledge in medicine and psychiatry as objects of research.
Kiran Grewal Reader k.grewal (@gold.ac.uk) Kiran researches the interactions between legal frameworks and social justice struggles of marginalised groups.
Michael Guggenheim Reader m.guggenheim (@gold.ac.uk) Michael works with different media to produce theoretical texts regarding civil protection and participatory politics.
Yasmin Gunaratnam BSc MSc PhD Reader y.gunaratnam (@gold.ac.uk) Yasmin’s work encompasses areas of disability, gender and sexuality, health and illness, migration and race.
Paul Halliday Lecturer p.halliday (@gold.ac.uk) Paul’s focus is on urban and fine-art photography, documentary and film, urban ethnography, and narratives of city life.
David Hirsh, BSc MA PhD Senior Lecturer in Sociology d.hirsh (@gold.ac.uk) David has researched and published on contemporary antisemitism, crimes against humanity and totalitarianism.
Emma Jackson Senior Lecturer e.jackson (@gold.ac.uk) An urban sociologist and ethnographer, Emma explores the relationship between belonging, place and urban change.
Kat Jungnickel Senior Lecturer k.jungnickel (@gold.ac.uk) Kat researches invention, mobilities, gender and DIY tech communities of practice
Sobia Ahmad Kaker Lecturer s.kaker (@gold.ac.uk) Sobia’s work reveals the ‘lived’ aspects of urbanisation, securitisation and socio-political life in the global south.
Julia Kazana-McCarthy Lecturer j.kazana-mccarthy (@gold.ac.uk) Julia’s research deals with youth studies, with particular focus on the role of gender and social class. She is currently developing a portfolio of research and teaching interests in the area of transitions to adulthood, with reference to topics such as educational pathways, the role of familial relations in the lives of young women, as well as a focus on other aspects of youth development such as intimate relationships.
Faten Khazaei Post Doctoral Researcher f.khazaei (@gold.ac.uk) Faten works at the intersection of gender studies, critical race studies, sociology of migration and institutions.
Theo Kindynis Lecturer t.kindynis (@gold.ac.uk) Theo’s current research focuses on the interrelationships between crime, urban space and social control.
Caroline Knowles BSc PhD Professor of Sociology c.knowles (@gold.ac.uk) Caroline writes about migration and circulations of material objects and the social forces constituting globalisation in cities.
Dr Vik Loveday Lecturer v.loveday (@gold.ac.uk) Currently researching higher education, Vik has also worked on gender, identity, luck, nostalgia and social class.
Jamie Matthews Lecturer j.matthews (@gold.ac.uk) Jamie is a political sociologist whose research explores contemporary social movements and forms of popular protest.
Dr Katja May Postdoctoral Researcher katja.may (@gold.ac.uk) Katja’s research interests are in feminist theory, affect, protest cultures and the phenomenology of making.
Monk Research Fellow m.motamedi-fraser (@gold.ac.uk) Monk is a black Labrador. He has accompanied Mariam Motamedi-Fraser to Goldsmiths since September 2015, when he was seven months old.
Mariam Motamedi-Fraser BA (Hons), PhD Reader m.motamedi-fraser (@gold.ac.uk) Mariam's research is on animals, with a special interest in the animal sciences, and dogs.
Kate Nash BSc PhD Professor k.nash (@gold.ac.uk) Kate works on cultural politics - how does meaning-making establish and challenge (more or less unequal, violent) social orders.
Daniel Neyland BA(Hons) PhD Professor in Sociology d.neyland (@gold.ac.uk) Daniel’s research covers issues of governance, accountability and ethics in science, technology and organisation.
Sevasti-Melissa Nolas Senior Lecturer s.nolas (@gold.ac.uk) Melissa’s research focuses on childhood, youth and family lives with a specific interest in the intersection of childhood, publics, and politics.
Pamela Odih, BSoc.Sc PhD Senior Lecturer p.odih (@gold.ac.uk) Pamela studies the significance of time/space to the regulation of subjects and construction of gendered subjectivity.
David Oswell, BA (Hons), MA , PhD Professor in Sociology and Pro-Warden Research & Enterprise d.oswell (@gold.ac.uk) David’s research is concerned with the social life of children, children’s rights and, more broadly, social theory.
Nirmal Puwar BA MA PhD Reader n.puwar (@gold.ac.uk) Nirmal's research is in space and politics, with respect to bodies, race and gender. She has been leading the field in creative methods, especially through curating spaces.
Dr Alex Rhys-Taylor BSc, MA, PhD, PGCert Senior Lecturer a.rhystaylor (@gold.ac.uk) Alex is an urban sociologist, focussed on the relationship between multi-sensory experiences of cities and histories of change.
Dr Katherine Robinson Lecturer k.robinson (@gold.ac.uk) Katherine's research explores issues in urban public space and everyday life in organisations.
Alison Rooke BA, MA, PhD Senior Lecturer and Co-Director of the Centre for Urban and Community Research a.rooke (@gold.ac.uk) Alison is a sociologist with a specialism in urban theory and creative research methods.
Marsha Rosengarten BA, MA, PhD Professor m.rosengarten (@gold.ac.uk) Marsha’s interests are process thinking, science and technology studies, feminist theory and sexuality.
Evelyn Ruppert, PhD Professor e.ruppert (@gold.ac.uk) Evelyn is a data sociologist, focussing on how different socio-technical devices organise and constitute populations.
Dr Monica Sassatelli Senior Lecturer m.sassatelli (@gold.ac.uk) Monica works in the fields of cultural identity, European cultural policies and cultural politics in city settings.
Martin Savransky Senior Lecturer and Director of the Unit of Play m.savransky (@gold.ac.uk) Martin’s research explores speculative philosophy, pluralism, ecology, pragmatism, and the politics of difference.
Brett St Louis BA MSc PhD Senior Lecturer b.stlouis (@gold.ac.uk) Brett's interests crystallise into three areas: race and ethnicity, post-colonial intellectualism and racism in sport.
Paul Stoneman Lecturer p.stoneman (@gold.ac.uk) Paul’s research activities focus on political ideologies and the new right and access to safe and affordable housing.
Alberto Toscano BA MA PhD Reader in Critical Theory and Co-director of the Centre for Philosophy and Critical Thought a.toscano (@gold.ac.uk) Alberto’s expertise is in social and political theory, philosophy, Marxism and critical theory.
Christos Varvantakis Research fellow c.varvantakis (@gold.ac.uk) Christos is an anthropologist currently working as the research fellow for the Connectors Study (Goldsmiths/ ERC) in Athens, an international longitudinal ethnography which studies the relation between childhood and public life.
Nina Wakeford Reader n.wakeford (@gold.ac.uk) Nina’s focus is on art and visual sociology, including methodologies and practice based research.
Yesim Yaprak Yildiz Lecturer y.yildiz (@gold.ac.uk) Yesim’s research focuses on political violence and human rights. She is currently working on confessional forms of truth-telling in the aftermath of state-led atrocities.