Thomas Carter

Dr Thomas Carter is a Senior Lecturer and Leader of the Sport and Leisure Cultures Research Excellence Group (REG) at the University of Brighton's School of Education, Sport and Health. His research focuses on the anthropology of sport, sensory embodiment, transnational migration, and political economy, particularly in the Global South and Latin America. He has conducted multi-sited ethnographic fieldwork across three continents, challenging core assumptions in the Sport for Development sector. His recent work explores embodied skills, sensory ecologies in sport, and the politics of knowledge production about the body and movement.

Education Background:

• PhD and MA in Anthropology from the University of New Mexico (Albuquerque)
• Undergraduate studies at St. Cloud State University and Universidad Laica Vicente Rocafuerte de Guayaquil (Ecuador)

Research Interests:

• Sensory embodiment and movement studies
• Sport for Development and transnational migration policies
• Cuban cultural politics and baseball as identity markers
• Ethnographic methodologies and collaborative research

Key Projects:

• Co-Principal Investigator (CoPI) of the EU-funded 'GloKnowCo: Global Knowledge in Sports Development' (2019–2022)
• Leadership roles in the International Network of Sport Anthropology and the IUAES Commission on Sport Anthropology

Teaching Philosophy: Advocates for collaborative, experiential learning that encourages critical thinking and self-directed knowledge production. Former students have pursued successful academic and professional careers in research, policy, and grassroots development.

Awards & Recognition: No specific awards listed, though his extensive international collaborations and publications highlight peer recognition in sport anthropology.

Future Work: Expanding explorations of 'being and becoming' through running, and further studies on sport migration and labor in Latin America.