Alex Rhys-Taylor

Dr. Alex Rhys-Taylor is a Senior Lecturer and Head of Department in the Department of Sociology at Goldsmiths, University of London. His research focuses on urban sociology, sensory ethnography, and multiculturalism, with a particular emphasis on embodied experiences in cities. He leads the CUCR Kitchen Research Unit and explores topics such as gentrification, urban social change, and the role of sensory experiences in cultural formations.

Education: BSc Sociology (2001), MA Globalisation Culture and the City (2004), PhD (2010), PGCert in Management and Teaching (2011).

Research interests include the interplay of senses (smell, taste, touch) in urban environments, multiculturalism, and the socio-sensory processes shaping city life. His work has been published in Identities, Social and Cultural Geography, and books such as Food and Multiculture and Walking Through Social Research.

His recent publications (2023–2024) address sensory culture, methodologies involving everyday objects (e.g., chilli), and urban dynamics. He has engaged with media via BBC Radio 4 discussions on topics like sensory multiculturalism and jellied eels.

No awards are explicitly listed, but his contributions to sensory ethnography are widely recognized. He advises on research methods and urban sociology, with ongoing projects exploring masculinity and leisure in cities.

He is affiliated with the Centre for Urban and Community Research (CUCR) and actively contributes to interdisciplinary collaborations in urban studies and cultural analysis.