Amy Louise Holmes

Profile

Biography

I've been with the Department of Sociology at York for most of my university career, completing a BA in Sociology, an MA in Culture and Thought after 1945 with the Centre for Modern Studies, and an MA in Social Research with the Research Centre for Social Sciences. I'm currently back in the Department working towards a PhD in Sociology.

I've always been interested in Urban Research, and find the dynamics of everyday life in the city fascinating. Having worked in hospitality all the way through my university life, I've become very invested in the personal aspects of the Urban, and the ways in which the city comes to play a very specific role in the lives of individuals.

I also enjoy engaging with Sociological Theory, and try to incorporate these themes into my project through the work of Lefebvre, and more contemporary Feminist urban theory.

Research

Overview

My PhD focuses on how pop-up/temporary urban projects and interventions influence community formation and relations of being and belonging in the city, where people otherwise feel marginalized.

I think that this is a really important area of research because it reveals that other things are happening in the city besides gentrification, and presents an understanding of these spaces that aims to explore notions of craft, empowerment and resilience to a broader cultural preoccupation with consumerism.

Teaching

Undergraduate

I'm currently a Graduate Teaching Assistant on the 1st Year Sociology of Crime and Deviance module, and I'm currently planning on expanding my teaching activities with a Summer course for the Centre for Lifelong Learning.