Ben Gidley

Dr Ben Gidley is a Professor of Sociology and Psychosocial Studies at Birkbeck, University of London, within the School of Social Sciences. He holds a PhD in Sociology from the University of London and has conducted interdisciplinary research on migration, urban sociology, and racialization. His work focuses on contemporary forms of racialization, intercultural encounters in urban contexts, and the sociology of British Jewry.

Education: BA Anthropology, MA Urban Studies, PhD Sociology (University of London).

Research Interests: Urban diversity, antisemitism and Islamophobia, diasporic belonging, Jewish-Muslim encounters, fascism studies, and East/Southeast London ethnography. His recent projects include comparative studies on Muslim-Jewish relations in Europe (ENCOUNTERS) and a study of liminal waterway countercultures (LIMINALWATER).

Publications include books such as Turbulent Times (2010) and journal articles exploring urban multiculturalism, antisemitism, and diaspora spaces. He supervises doctoral students on topics like Italian migrant whiteness, Kurdish diaspora, and carceral geographies.

Teaching: Modules on racism, antisemitism, and urban studies. He is Director of Research and Sociology REF lead at Birkbeck.