Monica Degen

Background and current research interests:

Mónica Degen lectures in Cultural Sociology in the School of Social Sciences. I joined Brunel University in 2004 after having worked as a Research Fellow in the Human Geography department at the Open University on a ESRC funded project: 'Habitable Cities' (graded 'outstanding' in end of award review). I completed my MSc at the Cultural Studies Department, Birmingham and my PhD at the Sociology Department, Lancaster University.

My key areas of research are:

cities and space (urban cultures, urban regeneration with an emphasis on Manchester and Barcelona , public space and life)
the senses and embodiment (the relation between material environment and experience, the politics of the senses, senses and the organization of urban life)
everyday life (aesthetization of everyday life, everyday practices, the body and performativity)
material cultures (design, urban aesthetics, entanglements of human non-human relations)

I welcome applications from potential MPhil/PhD students in any of the above areas.

Current Research:

leading with G. Rose (Open University) a 18 month (2007-2009) interdisciplinary project funded by the ESRC on ‘Urban aesthetics: a comparison of experiences in Milton Keynes and Bedford town centres’
organized in May 2008 with M.Garcia (Barcelona University) a seminar debating Barcelona's urban planning model: 'Barcelona, Metaciutat'
organizing (with J. Robinson, Open University and M. Gandy, UCL) the Urban Salon - a monthly seminar series on comparative urban research
Project on sex-workers, embodiment and gardening with S. Buckingham (Brunel University)
Project on markets and urban regeneration with M. Balibrea ( Birbeck College ) and M. Ruido ( Barcelona University)
Project on “Wallpaper* and the gendering of the urban aesthetic” with E. Wainwright ( Brunel University)

Selected publications:

Books:

(2008) Sensing Cities: Regenerating public life in Barcelona and Manchester , Routledge

(2008) La Metaciudad: Barcelona. Transformación de una metrópolis. (The Metacity: Barcelona – transformation of a metropolis), Editorial Anthropos (eds. with M.Garcia).

Guest editorship:

(2001) ‘Hauntings’ - Space and Culture: Special Issue, Vol.11/12 (with K.Hetherington)

Journal articles and book chapters:

(2008) "Experiencing visualities in designed urban environments: learning from Milton Keynes " Environment and Planning A, advance online publication (with DeSilvey, C. & Rose, G.)

(2007) “Ecologies and economies of action - sustainability, calculations and other things” Environment and Planning A, Vol. 39, pp. 260-282 (with S. Hinchliffe, S. Whatmore , M.Kearnes).

(2005) “Urban wild things: a cosmopolitical experiment” Environment and Planning D: Society and Space, Vol. 23, pp. 643-658 (with S. Hinchliffe, S. Whatmore , M.Kearnes).

(2004) "Touring the global catwalk: cities and urban tourism" Transversal. Revista de cultura contemporània, Nr.23.

(2004) " Barcelona 's Games: the Olympics, urban design and global tourism." In: J.Urry & M.Sheller (eds.),Global Places to Play. London : Routledge.

(2003) "Fighting for the Global Catwalk: Formalising public life in Castlefield (Manchester) and diluting public life in el Raval ( Barcelona )" International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Vol.27 (4).

(2002) "Regenerating Public Life? A sensory analysis of regenerated public places in el Raval, Barcelona ." In: Jane Rendell and Judith Rugg (eds.), 2002, Advances in Art and Urban Futures. Bristol : Intellect Books

(2001) "Sensed Appearances: sensing the performance of place." Space and Culture, Vol 11/12, pp. 52-69.

Current teaching:

Undergraduate:
Sociology of Everyday Life: Issues in contemporary culture
City Lives: bodies, spaces and social interactions
Dissertation Supervision

Postgraduate:
Culture, Spaces, Power (with S.Sharma)
Master thesis supervision
PhD supervision

Administrative duties:

School Senior Tutor

Erasmus Convenor