Bryan Stanley Turner (born 1945) is a British and Australian
sociologist. He was born in January 1945 in
Birmingham, England. Turner has 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
The National University of Singapore (NUS) is a national public research university in Singapore. Founded in 1905 as the Straits Settlements and Federated Malay States Government Medical School, NUS is the oldest autonomous university in the c ...
(2005–2008).
Turner is currently Professor of the Sociology of Religion at the Institute for Religion, Politics and Society at the Australian Catholic University. 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.
Early life
Turner attended Harborne Collegiate School for Boys and
George Dixon Grammar School. He went on to the
University of Leeds, 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
Flinders University is a public research university based in Adelaide, South Australia, with a footprint extending across 11 locations in South Australia and the Northern Territory. Founded in 1966, it was named in honour of British navigator ...
in 1987,
Master of Arts at the
University of Cambridge in 2002 and Doctor of Letters at the University of Cambridge in 2009.
Career
Professor Turner's research interests include
sociological theory, sociology of
globalisation
Globalization, or globalisation (Commonwealth English; see spelling differences), is the process of interaction and integration among people, companies, and governments worldwide. The term ''globalization'' first appeared in the early 20t ...
and
religion, 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
Maximilian Karl Emil Weber (; ; 21 April 186414 June 1920) was a German sociologist, historian, jurist and political economist, who is regarded as among the most important theorists of the development of modern Western society. His ideas profo ...
and
comparative sociology.
He is the founding editor of the journals: ''Body & Society'' (with Mike Featherstone), ''
Citizenship Studies
''Citizenship Studies'' is a bimonthly peer-reviewed interdisciplinary academic journal covering the study of citizenship and related concepts. It was established in 1997 with Bryan Turner ( City University of New York and Australian Catholic Uni ...
'', 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''.
[CSCMS Profile – http://uws.edu.au/cscms/centre_for_the_study_of_contemporary_muslim_societies/key_people/professor_bryan_turner]
He is the editor of two book series for Anthem Press: ''Key Issues in Modern Sociology'' and ''Tracts for Our Times''; and also of ''Religion in Contemporary Asia'' for Routledge.
Professional recognition
Selected bibliography
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Turner, Bryan
Alumni of the University of Cambridge
Alumni of the University of Leeds
Graduate Center, CUNY faculty
Fellows of Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge
Living people
Academics of the London School of Economics
British sociologists
Sociologists of religion
Medical sociologists
1945 births
Western Sydney University faculty
Fellows of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia
Members of the Sociological Research Association