 | Paul Gilroy |
Paul Gilroy, the newly appointed Charlotte Marion Saden Professor of Sociology and African American Studies, is a noted sociologist and cultural theorist whose groundbreaking work has explored such topics as the concept of race, black nationalism, and the literature, music and cultures of the African diaspora.
The chair of the Department of African American Studies since 2002, he has focused his current research on such topics as black European identity and relationships between multiculturalism and hierarchy; the development of black vernacular and popular cultures; the 'anti-sociality' of the automobile and its relevance to black consumer culture; and the workings of colonial governance. He is internationally known for his cultural studies questioning purist notions of Western civilization and rigid definitions of nationalism.
Also a freelance journalist and a musician, Gilroy has written extensively about the expressive cultures of the African diaspora, and his articles have appeared in such publications as The Encyclopedia of Rock, Sight and Sound, New Musical Express, The Wire and City Limits, among others.
Gilroy's books have earned widespread media attention. These include "'There Ain't No Black in the Union Jack': The Cultural Politics of Race and Nation," in which the sociologist argues that black experience was more central to British culture than commonly acknowledged; "The Black Atlantic: Modernity and Double Consciousness" (winner of the Before Columbus Foundation American Book Award), in which he asserts that black diaspora culture developed as blacks were dispersed from Africa and that this culture transcends national boundaries; and "Against Race: Imagining Political Culture Beyond the Color Line," in which he proposes abandoning the concept of race. His latest work, "After Empire: Multi-culture or Post-colonial Melancholia?" is in press. His work exploring the formation of ethnic and racial identity, as well as popular culture, is often cited by scholars and in the media.
A native of England, Gilroy earned his B.A. from Sussex University and his Ph.D. from Birmingham University's Centre for Contemporary Cultural Studies. He taught at Goldsmiths' College, University of London, before joining the Yale faculty in 1999. He was director of graduate studies in the Department of African American Studies 2000-2001.
Gilroy lectures extensively in the United States and abroad, and gave the prestigious Wellek Library Memorial Lectures at the University of California, Irvine, in 2002. He has held numerous visiting professorships, and has written many book reviews, commentaries and essays on cultural and political topics. He serves on the editorial boards of several journals and has co-curated a Tate Gallery exhibition on "Picturing Blackness: the subject of race in British art." He has written or co-written the text for a number of art exhibitions in London, the Netherlands and New York.
T H I S
Paul Gilroy is designated as the
Charlotte Marion Saden Professor
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Paul Gilroy is designated as the Charlotte Marion Saden Professor
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