Bryan S. Turner (sociologist)
Encyclopedia
Bryan S. Turner is a British and Australian sociologist (dual citizenship). He was born in January 1945 to working class parents in Birmingham
, England. Turner has led a remarkably nomadic life having held university appointments in England, Scotland, Australia, Germany, Holland, Singapore and the United States. He was a Professor of Sociology at the University of Cambridge
(1998-2005) and Research Team Leader for the Religion Cluster at the Asian Research Institute, National University of Singapore
(2005-2008). Professor Turner is currently the Presidential Professor
of Sociology
and Director of the Committee on Religion
at The City University of New York, and Professor of Social and Political Thought and the Director of the Centre for the Study of Contemporary Muslim Societies at the University of Western Sydney
. He is also faculty Associate of the Center for Cultural Sociology at Yale University
, Research Associate, GEMASS at the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
, Fellow of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia
and Member of the American Sociological Research Association
.
, where he completed a first class honours degree in Sociology in 1966. He received his Doctor of Philosophy
at the University of Leeds in 1970 with a thesis titled "The Decline of Methodism: an analysis of religious commitment and organisation". He has received several honorary degrees recognising his contributions to Sociology: Doctor of Letters
at Flinders University
in 1987, Master of Arts
at the University of Cambridge
in 2002 and Doctor of Letters at the University of Cambridge in 2009.
, concentrating on such issues as religious conflict and the modern state, religious authority and electronic information, religious consumerism
and youth cultures, human rights
and religion, the human body, medical change, and religious cosmologies.
Turner wrote his first book Weber and Islam in 1974 and has since established an international reputation for his work on religion, Max Weber
and comparative sociology
. He is one of the world’s leading sociologists of religion
; he has also devoted significant attention to sociological theory
, the study of human rights
, and the sociology of the body
.
He is the founding editor of the journals: Body & Society (with Mike Featherstone), Citizenship Studies, and Journal of Classical Sociology (with John O'Neill). He is also an editorial member of numerous journals including: British Journal of Sociology, European Journal of Social Theory, Contemporary Islam and Journal of Human Rights.
He is the editor of two book series for Anthem Press: Key Issues in Modern Sociology and Tracts for Our Times; and with Gabriele Marranci
he edits Muslims in Global Societies for Springer.
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, England. Turner has led a remarkably nomadic life having held university appointments in England, Scotland, Australia, Germany, Holland, Singapore and the United States. He was a Professor of Sociology at the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
(1998-2005) and Research Team Leader for the Religion Cluster at the Asian Research Institute, National University of Singapore
National University of Singapore
The National University of Singapore is Singapore's oldest university. It is the largest university in the country in terms of student enrollment and curriculum offered....
(2005-2008). Professor Turner is currently the Presidential Professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
of Sociology
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
and Director of the Committee on Religion
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
at The City University of New York, and Professor of Social and Political Thought and the Director of the Centre for the Study of Contemporary Muslim Societies at the University of Western Sydney
University of Western Sydney
The University of Western Sydney, also known as UWS, is a multi-campus university in the Greater Western region of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
. He is also faculty Associate of the Center for Cultural Sociology at Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
, Research Associate, GEMASS at the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
Centre national de la recherche scientifique
The National Center of Scientific Research is the largest governmental research organization in France and the largest fundamental science agency in Europe....
, Fellow of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia
Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia
The Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia is an autonomous, non-governmental organisation, devoted to the advancement of knowledge and research in the social sciences. It was established in 1971...
and Member of the American Sociological Research Association
Sociological Research Association
The Sociological Research Association is an honor society of sociological scholars founded in 1936.With more than 400 members, the association's importance comes from the members being leading sociologists who use the SRA's meetings to network and exchange views on the direction of the field...
.
Education
Turner attended Harborne Collegiate School for Boys and George Dixon Grammar School. He went on to the University of LeedsUniversity of Leeds
The University of Leeds is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England...
, where he completed a first class honours degree in Sociology in 1966. He received his Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
at the University of Leeds in 1970 with a thesis titled "The Decline of Methodism: an analysis of religious commitment and organisation". He has received several honorary degrees recognising his contributions to Sociology: Doctor of Letters
Doctor of Letters
Doctor of Letters is a university academic degree, often a higher doctorate which is frequently awarded as an honorary degree in recognition of outstanding scholarship or other merits.-Commonwealth:...
at Flinders University
Flinders University
Flinders University, , is a public university in Adelaide, South Australia. Founded in 1966, it was named in honour of navigator Matthew Flinders, who explored and surveyed the South Australian coastline in the early 19th century.The university has established a reputation as a leading research...
in 1987, Master of Arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
at the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
in 2002 and Doctor of Letters at the University of Cambridge in 2009.
Research
Professor Turner's research interests include globalisation and religionReligion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
, concentrating on such issues as religious conflict and the modern state, religious authority and electronic information, religious consumerism
Consumerism
Consumerism is a social and economic order that is based on the systematic creation and fostering of a desire to purchase goods and services in ever greater amounts. The term is often associated with criticisms of consumption starting with Thorstein Veblen...
and youth cultures, human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
and religion, the human body, medical change, and religious cosmologies.
Turner wrote his first book Weber and Islam in 1974 and has since established an international reputation for his work on religion, Max Weber
Max Weber
Karl Emil Maximilian "Max" Weber was a German sociologist and political economist who profoundly influenced social theory, social research, and the discipline of sociology itself...
and comparative sociology
Comparative sociology
Comparative sociology generally refers to sociological analysis that involves comparison of social processes between nation-states, or across different types of society ....
. He is one of the world’s leading sociologists of religion
Sociology of religion
The sociology of religion concerns the role of religion in society: practices, historical backgrounds, developments and universal themes. There is particular emphasis on the recurring role of religion in all societies and throughout recorded history...
; he has also devoted significant attention to sociological theory
Sociological theory
In sociology, sociological perspectives, theories, or paradigms are complex theoretical and methodological frameworks used to analyze and explain objects of social study. They facilitate organizing sociological knowledge...
, the study of human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
, and the sociology of the body
Sociology of the body
Sociology of the body is a branch of sociology studying the representations and social uses of the human body in modern societies.-Early theories:...
.
He is the founding editor of the journals: Body & Society (with Mike Featherstone), Citizenship Studies, and Journal of Classical Sociology (with John O'Neill). He is also an editorial member of numerous journals including: British Journal of Sociology, European Journal of Social Theory, Contemporary Islam and Journal of Human Rights.
He is the editor of two book series for Anthem Press: Key Issues in Modern Sociology and Tracts for Our Times; and with Gabriele Marranci
Gabriele Marranci
Gabriele Marranci is an anthropologist working on religion with a specialization in Muslim societies. He is currently Visiting Senior Fellow at the National University of Singapore. and Senior Honorary Research Fellow at the Centre for the Study of Islam in the UK...
he edits Muslims in Global Societies for Springer.
Professional recognition
| Years | Award or Recognition |
|---|---|
| 1981 | Morris Ginsberg Morris Ginsberg Morris Ginsberg was a UK sociologist. He was president of the Aristotelian Society from 1942 to 1943. Ginsberg helped draft the UNESCO 1950 statement titled The Race Question... Fellow, London School of Economics London School of Economics The London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London... , University of London University of London -20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the... . |
| 1987 | Fellow of the Australian Academy of Social Sciences |
| 1987–1988 | Alexander von Humboldt Alexander von Humboldt Friedrich Wilhelm Heinrich Alexander Freiherr von Humboldt was a German naturalist and explorer, and the younger brother of the Prussian minister, philosopher and linguist Wilhelm von Humboldt... Professorial Fellow, University of Bielfeld, Germany. |
| 1995 | Distinguished Visiting Professor, University of Helsinki University of Helsinki The University of Helsinki is a university located in Helsinki, Finland since 1829, but was founded in the city of Turku in 1640 as The Royal Academy of Turku, at that time part of the Swedish Empire. It is the oldest and largest university in Finland with the widest range of disciplines available... , Finland. |
| 2002–2005 | Fellow Fellow A fellow in the broadest sense is someone who is an equal or a comrade. The term fellow is also used to describe a person, particularly by those in the upper social classes. It is most often used in an academic context: a fellow is often part of an elite group of learned people who are awarded... , Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge, UK. |
| 2009 | Member, American Sociological Research Association. Sociological Research Association The Sociological Research Association is an honor society of sociological scholars founded in 1936.With more than 400 members, the association's importance comes from the members being leading sociologists who use the SRA's meetings to network and exchange views on the direction of the field... |
| 2009-2010 | Alona Evans Distinguished Visiting Professor of Sociology at Wellesley College |
Selected bibliography
| Year | Monographs |
|---|---|
| 2004 | The New Medical Sociology. New York: Norton. |
| 2006 | Vulnerability and Human Rights. Penn State University Press |
| 2008 | Rights and Virtues. Political Essays on Citizenship and Social Justice. Oxford: Bardwell Press |
| 2008 | Body and Society. Explorations in Social Theory. London: Sage (third revised edition) |
| 2009 | Can we live forever? A sociological and moral inquiry. London: Anthem Press. |
| 2011 | Religion and Modern Society. Citizenship, Secularisation and the State. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. |
| Year | Edited |
| 2006 | The Cambridge Dictionary of Sociology. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. |
| 2009 | The New Blackwell Companion to Social Theory. Oxford: Blackwell-Wiley. |
| 2009 | The Routledge International Handbook of Globalization Studies. London: Routledge. |
| 2010 | The New Blackwell Companion to the Sociology of Religion. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell. |
| 2010 | Secularization. (Four-Volume Set). UK: SAGE. |
| Year | Joint Authored |
| 2010 | Turner B., Khondker H. Globalization East and West. SAGE: London. |
| 2011 | Susen, S., Turner, B. The Legacy of Pierre Bourdieu. Anthem. |
| 2011 | Turner, B., Arslan, B. Z. Shari’a and legal pluralism in the West. European Journal of Social Theory 14(2): 139–159. |