Gemma Edwards

Gemma Edwards is a Senior Lecturer in Sociology at the University of Manchester, specializing in social movements, protest, and mixed-method social network analysis. Her research spans historical and contemporary activism, including climate action, public sector unions, and the Suffragette Movement. She co-founded movements@manchester and contributes to the Mitchell Centre for Social Network Analysis. Key publications include Social Movements and Protest (2014) and Shared Housing, Shared Lives (2018). Currently, she co-leads the AHRC-funded project exploring religion and climate activism.

Education: PhD (2007), MSc (2003), BSc (2002) in Social Sciences from the University of Manchester. She has held editorial roles for journals like Social Movement Studies and book series such as Studies in Protest, Power and Resistance. Her teaching focuses on social theory and activism, including courses like SOCY30461 Power & Protest.

Research interests emphasize how social networks influence activism, particularly women’s participation in high-risk movements. She advocates for methodologies like Mixed-Method Social Network Analysis (MMSNA) and has provided training workshops. Awards include a University Teaching Excellence Award (2015).

Collaborations and projects include interdisciplinary work on climate theology and rural performance cultures. Her recent articles explore race, rural imaginaries, and theatrical representations of labor and identity.