Les Back
Encyclopedia
Les Back is a professor of Sociology
at Goldsmiths, University of London and an author.
in south London and studied at both undergraduate and postgraduate level at Goldsmiths, University of London. He received a PhD in social anthropology
in 1991. He subsequently worked at the Insitutute of Education, Birkbeck College
and the Department of Cultural Studies, University of Birmingham
before returning to Goldsmiths in 1993.
Back's work focuses on the issues of race, racism, popular culture and belonging, discussed with ethnographic research often based in south London. He also writes journalism contributing regularly to The Guardian
, Times Higher Educational Supplement and the New Humanist
as well as contributing to on-line magazines including openDemocracy.net and Eurozine
.
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...
at Goldsmiths, University of London and an author.
Biography
Les Back was born in CroydonCroydon
Croydon is a town in South London, England, located within the London Borough of Croydon to which it gives its name. It is situated south of Charing Cross...
in south London and studied at both undergraduate and postgraduate level at Goldsmiths, University of London. He received a PhD in social anthropology
Social anthropology
Social Anthropology is one of the four or five branches of anthropology that studies how contemporary human beings behave in social groups. Practitioners of social anthropology investigate, often through long-term, intensive field studies , the social organization of a particular person: customs,...
in 1991. He subsequently worked at the Insitutute of Education, Birkbeck College
Birkbeck, University of London
Birkbeck, University of London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the federal University of London. It offers many Master's and Bachelor's degree programmes that can be studied either part-time or full-time, though nearly all teaching is...
and the Department of Cultural Studies, University of Birmingham
University of Birmingham
The University of Birmingham is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Birmingham, England. It received its royal charter in 1900 as a successor to Birmingham Medical School and Mason Science College . Birmingham was the first Redbrick university to gain a charter and thus...
before returning to Goldsmiths in 1993.
Key Studies
Back is the author of the The Art of Listening (2007), 'Out of Whiteness: Color, Politics and Culture (2003 with Vron Ware), The Changing Face of Football: Racism, Identity and Multicuture in the English Game (2001) with T Crabbe and J. Solomos, New Ethnicities and Urban Culture: Racisms and Multiculture in Young Lives(1996), Racism and Society (1996 with John Solomos) and Race, Politics and Social Change (1995 with John Solomos). In addition he has edited three volumes The Auditory Cultures Reader (2003 with Michael Bull), Theories of Race and Racism: A Reader (2000 with John Solomos) and (1993) (co-editor with Anoop Nayak) Invisible Europeans?: Black people in the ‘New Europe’ (1993 with Anoop Nayak).Back's work focuses on the issues of race, racism, popular culture and belonging, discussed with ethnographic research often based in south London. He also writes journalism contributing regularly to The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, Times Higher Educational Supplement and the New Humanist
New Humanist
New Humanist is a monthly magazine published by the Rationalist Association in the UK. It has been in print for 125 years; starting out life as Watts's Literary Guide, founded by C. A. Watts in November 1885....
as well as contributing to on-line magazines including openDemocracy.net and Eurozine
Eurozine
Eurozine is a network of European cultural magazines based in Vienna, linking up more than 70 partner magazines and institutions from 34 European countries...
.