Keith Kahn-Harris is a sociologist and music critic. He is an honorary research fellow and senior lecturer at

Birkbeck College Birkbeck, University of London (formally Birkbeck College, University of London), is a public research university located in London, England, and a member institution of the University of London. Established in 1823 as the London Mechanics' ...

, an associate fellow of the

Institute for Jewish Policy Research The Institute for Jewish Policy Research (JPR), founded as the Institute of Jewish Affairs, is a London-based research institute and think tank. It specialises in contemporary Jewish affairs. JPR also runs a public education programme, and has h ...

, and a lecturer at

Leo Baeck College Leo Baeck College is a privately funded rabbinical seminary and centre for the training of teachers in Jewish education. Based now at the Sternberg Centre, East End Road, Finchley, in the London Borough of Barnet, it was founded by Werner va ...

. Khan-Harris was educated at

Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' School Haberdashers' Boys' School (formerly Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' School) is a 4–18 boys Independent school (United Kingdom) in Elstree, Hertfordshire, England. It is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference. The school was ...

, Elstree, at the same time as comedians

Sacha Baron Cohen Sacha Noam Baron Cohen ( ; born 13 October 1971) is an English comedian, actor and performance artist. Known for his creation and portrayal of the fictional satirical characters Ali G, Borat Sagdiyev, Brüno Gehard, and Admiral General Haf ...

and

Matt Lucas Matthew Richard Lucas (born 5 March 1974) is an English actor, comedian, writer and television host. He is best known for his work with David Walliams on the BBC sketch comedy series ''Little Britain (TV series), Little Britain'' (2003–2006) ...

, and starred in a student review with

Robert Webb Robert Patrick Webb (born 29 September 1972) is an English comedian, actor and writer. He rose to prominence alongside David Mitchell as part of the comedy duo Mitchell and Webb. Mitchell and Webb starred in the Channel 4 sitcom '' Peep Show' ...

whilst a student studying social and political science at

Robinson College, Cambridge Robinson College is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1977, it is one of the newest Oxbridge colleges and is unique in having been intended, from its inception, for both ...

. He went on to graduate with MA and PhD degrees from

Goldsmiths, University of London Goldsmiths, University of London, formerly Goldsmiths College, University of London, is a constituent research university of the University of London. It was originally founded in 1891 as The Goldsmiths' Technical and Recreative Institute by ...

, and has since published academic and non-academic articles on

Judaism Judaism () is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic, Monotheism, monotheistic, ethnic religion that comprises the collective spiritual, cultural, and legal traditions of the Jews, Jewish people. Religious Jews regard Judaism as their means of o ...

, music scenes, heavy metal music, transgression,

Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...

, communities, dialogue, religion,

ethnicity An ethnicity or ethnic group is a group of people with shared attributes, which they Collective consciousness, collectively believe to have, and long-term endogamy. Ethnicities share attributes like language, culture, common sets of ancestry, ...

, political discourse, and denial.

Academic positions

*2008–09: Research Associate at the Centre for Urban and Community Research, Goldsmiths, University of London, working on project funded by the

Economic and Social Research Council The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), formerly the Social Science Research Council (SSRC), is part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). UKRI is a non-departmental public body (NDPB) funded by the UK government. ESRC provides fundi ...

"Contemporary Anglo-Jewry and Leadership: Coping with Multiculturalism" (with Ben Gidley). *2007–08: Research Associate at the Centre for Urban and Community Research, Goldsmiths, working on two projects funded by the Rothschild Foundation Europe: "A Mapping Study of Efforts to Combat Antisemitism, Racism and Xenophobia at the Local, Communal and Grassroots Levels in Europe" (with Roger Hewitt) and "From Security to Insecurity?: Jewish Communal Leadership in Changing Times" (with Ben Gidley). *2005: Postdoctoral Fellow at the Advanced Cultural Studies Institute of Sweden, Campus Norrköping of

Linköping University Linköping University (LiU; ) is a public university, public research university based in Linköping, Sweden. Originally established in 1969, it was granted full university status in 1975 and is one of Sweden's largest academic institutions. T ...

. * 2001–02: "Jerusalem Fellow" at the Mandel School for Advanced Educational Leadership in

Jerusalem Jerusalem is a city in the Southern Levant, on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains between the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. It is one of the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest cities in the world, and ...

Select bibliography

Books written

*''The Babel Message: A Love Letter to Language'' Icon Books, 2021 *''Strange Hate: Anti-semitism, racism, and the Limits of Diversity'' Repeater books, 2019 **Review, by Howard Cooper ''

The Jewish Chronicle ''The Jewish Chronicle'' (''The JC'') is a London-based Jewish weekly newspaper. Founded in 1841, it is the oldest continuously published Jewish newspaper in the world. Its editor () is Daniel Schwammenthal. The newspaper is published every Fri ...

'', 18 June 2020 *''Denial: The Unspeakable Truth'', Notting Hill Editions, 2018 * ''Uncivil War: The Israel Conflict in the Jewish Community'', David Paul Books, 2014 **Review by C Schindler, ''Jewish Journal of Sociology'' 56 (2014) 127–128. * ''All that Matters: Judaism'',

Hodder Education Taylor & Francis Group is an international company originating in the United Kingdom that publishes books and academic journals. Its parts include Taylor & Francis, CRC Press, Routledge, F1000 Research and Dovepress. It is a division of I ...

, 2012 * (co-written with Ben Gidley), ''Turbulent Times: The British Jewish Community Today'' Continuum 2010 * ''Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge'' Berg 2007 **Review:

Books edited

* (co-edited with Dougald Hine) ''Despatches from the Invisible Revolution'' New Public Thinking 2012 * (co-edited with Andy Bennett) ''After subculture: Critical studies in contemporary youth culture'' Basingstoke Palgrave 2004 orldcat book pag

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Refereed articles in scholarly journals

*"Religious Popular Music: Between the Instrumental, Transcendent and Transgressive" in ''Temenos: Nordic Journal of Comparative Religion'', 48/1, 87–106 2012 *(With Ben Gidley) "Contemporary Anglo-Jewish and Community Leadership: Coping with Multiculturalism", ''

British Journal of Sociology ''The British Journal of Sociology'' is a peer-reviewed academic journal that was established in 1950 at the London School of Economics and Political Science. It represents the mainstream of sociological thinking and research and publishes high qua ...

'' 63/1 2012 *"Creating Jewish Rap: From Parody to Syncretism" in ''transversal – Zeitschrift für Jüdische Studien'' 1 2009 21–38 *"The 'Failure' of Youth Culture: Music, Politics and Reflexivity in the Black Metal Scene" in ''

European Journal of Cultural Studies The ''European Journal of Cultural Studies'' is a major international, peer-reviewed academic journal originally founded in Europe by Pertti Alasuutari, Ann Gray and Joke Hermes. It adopts a broad-ranging view of cultural studies, charting new que ...

'', 7/1 2004, pp 95–111 *Roots'?: The Relationship Between the Global and the Local Within the Global Extreme Metal Scene" in ''Popular Music'' 19/1, 2000, pp 13–30

Journal special issues

*(Co-edited with Titus Hjelm and

Mark LeVine Mark Andrew LeVine is an American historian, musician, writer, and professor. He is a professor of history at the University of California, Irvine. Education LeVine received his B.A. in comparative religion and biblical studies from Hunter ...

) "Heavy Metal: Controversies and Countercultures" ''Popular Music History'' 6: 1/2, April/August 2012 *(Co-edited with Karl Spracklen and Andy R. Brown) "Metal Studies: Cultural Research in the Heavy Metal Scene" ''Journal for Cultural Research'' 15: 3, July 2011

Personal life

He is married to Rabbi Deborah Kahn-Harris, with whom he has two children.

References

External links

Official website

''Guardian'' profile: Keith Kahn-Harris

''New Statesman'': Keith Kahn-Harris

Interview in ''Metal Rules''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kahn-Harris, Keith Year of birth missing (living people) Living people Academics of Birkbeck, University of London Academics of the Open University Academics of the Oxford Centre for Hebrew and Jewish Studies Alumni of Robinson College, Cambridge Jewish British writers British sociologists British writers about music Jewish sociologists People associated with Leo Baeck College Sociologists of religion