Cardiff School of Social Sciences

Research Interests

My research is concerned with the empirical and theoretical investigation of the everyday life of urban public spaces. In particular I’m interested in exploring public space as a unit of analysis through which to examine the intersection of various orders – mobilities, space, society, morality – at the street-level of social organisation. This work has, primarily, been informed by interactionist sociology and the work of Erving Goffman as concerning setting, performance and the interaction order. My current writing is concerned with the politics of the city centre and the relationship between mobility practices and local knowledge(s) or, put more, simply between ‘knowing and going’.   

Research interests may be summarised as:

• The ordering of public space
• Identity, interaction, accounts
• Spatial and mobile practice
• Sociology as social practice
• Urban theory
• Membership Categorisation Analysis
• Ethnography

Current and Forthcoming Activities

• Editing ‘Urban Rhythms’ , a Sociological Review Monograph with Kevin Hetherington
• Working on Foundation Phase Evaluation with WISERD – January – August 2012
• Co-convening ‘Cities, Space, Mobilities and Place’ stream at BSA Conference 2012
• Presenting at Edinburgh University, Human Geography Seminar Series, May 2012

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