Mervyn Horgan

Mervyn Horgan is an Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at the University of Guelph, affiliated with the College of Social & Applied Human Sciences. He is a core faculty member of the PhD Program in Social Practice and Transformational Change and affiliated with the Graduate Programs in Critical Studies in Improvisation. He also serves as a Faculty Fellow at Yale University’s Center for Cultural Sociology.

His research focuses on cultural sociology, urban sociology, and social theory, with a particular emphasis on public space, strangership, and solidarity. He leads the SSHRC-funded Sociable Cities Project, investigating how solidarity emerges through everyday interactions in multicultural settings. His work extends to housing studies, including the Rental Experience Project addressing housing affordability crises.

Key publications include The Civil Sphere in Canada (2025), Sacred Civility? (2021), and Housing Stigmatization (2020). His research has been supported by multiple SSHRC grants and collaborations with institutions like the International Institute for Critical Studies in Improvisation.

• Education: PhD (2010) from York University, MA and BA from University College Cork, Ireland.
• Service: Roles include Secretary of the Canadian Sociological Association (2012–2016), co-founder of the Canadian Network for Critical Sociology, and active member of research clusters on urban sociology, housing, and social theory.
• Awards: Faculty Fellowships at Yale University and SSHRC grants for multiple interdisciplinary projects.