Les Back

Currently Head of Sociology at the University of Glasgow, and previously Director of the Centre for Urban and Community Research at Goldsmiths, University of London. His research interests range from studies of racism and fascism on-line to the classed meanings of Christmas lights. His published work is mainly in the areas of the sociology of race and racism, ethnicity, multiculturalism, urban culture, music and sport. In recent years he has also focused on writing about teaching and scholarly craft (see Academic Diary: Why Higher Education Still Matters, The Goldsmiths Press, 2016). He is committed to trying to blur the boundaries between the University and the broader civic and public sphere, and to this end he has recently been experimenting with podcasting (see Street Signs and Recovering Community)