James Burton

James Burton is a Lecturer in Cultural Studies and Cultural History at Goldsmiths, University of London. His research integrates cultural theory, science fiction, posthumanism, and process philosophy to explore the intersections of ecology, fiction, and media. Burton examines how cultural forms mediate affect and shape experiences of identity, particularly through frameworks of whiteness and power dynamics.

His research interests focus on the ethical and epistemological implications of cultural representations. Key areas include the relationship between rationality and animism, posthuman critiques of anthropocentrism, and the role of speculative fiction in reimagining futurity. Burton employs critical immanent approaches to analyze how media forms structure social relations and affective experiences.

Burton's publications demonstrate a consistent engagement with the politics of representation, often interrogating how Western rationality sustains colonial paradigms. His recent works explore the affective dimensions of media cultures and the socio-political implications of classificatory systems for mental disorders.