Professor Mark Davis delivers seventh Faculty Inaugural Lecture
The Faculty was delighted to host Professor Davis' lecture in celebration of his impressive research career.
On Thursday 13 March 2025, the Faculty of Social Sciences continued its Faculty Inaugural Lecture Series for the 2024-25 academic year. The lectures in this series are delivered by academic colleagues who have been promoted to or appointed at the rank of Professor in the Faculty since January 2020.
The seventh lecture in the series was given by the School of Sociology and Social Policy’s Professor Mark Davis.
Professor Davis delivering his lecture.
Professor Davis is a Professor of Economic Sociology whose research applies sociological theory to grand challenge questions of sustainability and climate change.
His area of expertise covers Economic Sociology, Crowdfunding, Ethical Consumerism, Sociological Theory, Sustainability and Climate Change. He has founded The Bauman Institute at the University, and co-created Local Climate Bonds – a new model of investment-based crowdfunding to help finance place-based net-zero infrastructure.
Audience applause at Professor Davis' lecture.
Professor Davis’ lecture was titled ‘If liquid modern life is rubbish, what should we do about it? Sociological fragments.’
The lecture recounted how his encounters with Bauman’s work – in particular, steadfastly refusing to accept that ‘there is no alternative’ to our present polycrisis – has resulted in his own adventures into the possibilities of alternatives.
Professor Davis delivering his lecture.
Professor Davis traced his time spent with the UK crowdfunding movement, (not) debating prosumerism all around Europe, and, more recently, exploring the social relations of energy retrofit. Through this, he sought to show how the enduring application of theory to substantive problem offers hope in demonstrating that a purposeful sociology can exercise an activating presence on the future direction of human societies.
The lecture was delivered to an audience of colleagues, postgraduate researchers, students, external professional partners, family and friends. It was followed by a Q&A session, and finally by a drinks reception.
Professor Davis speaking with colleagues at the drinks reception.
The eighth Faculty of Social Sciences Inaugural Lecture will be delivered by the School of Education’s Professor Louise Tracey at 16:00 on Wednesday 30 April 2025. Further details to follow in due course.
If you are not a colleague or postgraduate researcher in the Faculty of Social Sciences and would like to be added to the mailing list for the series, please email Dr Izzy Jenkinson (Faculty Events Coordinator) at I.K.S.Jenkinson@leeds.ac.uk.
