Richard Stopford

Dr Richard Stopford serves as an Assistant Professor (Education) in the Department of Philosophy at Durham University. His current administrative responsibilities for 2023/24 include:

• Deputy Director of Undergraduate Studies
• Tutor Manager
• Harassment Officer

Stopford's research centers on aesthetics and critical theory, particularly Theodor Adorno's work, developing novel frameworks for understanding eeriness, creepiness, and strangeness as distinct aesthetic phenomena. He actively bridges German idealism, poststructuralism, and feminist philosophy with contemporary issues in decolonial activism and cultural appropriation. His critical pedagogy work examines threshold concepts, epistemic injustice, and the socio-political dimensions of classroom dynamics.

Recent publications (2022-2024) reveal three converging trajectories: (1) phenomenological analyses of aesthetic strangeness through eeriness/creepiness, (2) philosophical investigations of public statues in decolonial contexts, and (3) critical pedagogy frameworks addressing epistemic injustice in curriculum design. These strands demonstrate consistent application of Adorno's critical metaphysics to modern socio-political challenges across art, education, and public space.

Stopford supervises postgraduate researchers including Matthew Robson, with advising focused on aesthetics and critical theory intersections. His administrative roles directly inform his scholarship on educational philosophy, though specific grant funding details are not documented in the source material.