School of Sociology and Social Policy
 

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Aimie Purser

Assistant Professor in Sociology, Faculty of Social Sciences

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Biography

I hold MA and MPhil degrees in the History and Philosophy of Science and Medicine from the University of Cambridge, a further Masters degree from the University of Edinburgh, and was awarded my PhD in 2008 from the University of Nottingham.

My research interests broadly revolve around the study of identity (self) and 'the human condition' (materiality/morbidity/mortality, emotions and morality). In particular, my research develops new approaches to transcending traditional dualisms, for example those of body and mind, or experience and representation, to explore non-dualistic ways of understanding embodied (inter)subjectivity and connections between cultural representation and experience of self (and others).

My PhD - Exploring the Embodied Basis of Being through Merleau-Ponty and Dance: A Conversation between Philosophy and Practice - 'fleshes out' embodiment theory through an interdisciplinary approach which brings the philosophy of Maurice Merleau-Ponty into conversation with the situated, practical knowledges of professional contemporary dance practitioners, accessed through in-depth qualitative interviews.

This approach brings together a philosophy (Merleau-Ponty) which is rooted in the notion of embodied practice, and an embodied practice (contemporary dance) which both grounds and is grounded in philosophically interesting themes such as subjectivity, identity, intersubjectivity, expression and communication, allowing mutual illumination and opening up a new conceptual space for the exploration of the embodied basis of being.

Research interests
  • Subjectivity and Intersubjectivity
  • Embodiment
  • Relationships between Theory, Art, Practice and Method
  • Continental Philosophy/Theory, including Existentialist Phenomenology, Post-Structuralism and Psychoanalysis
  • Love and the Erotic
  • Environmentalism
  • (Mental) Illness
  • Contemporary Dance and Performance Art

Teaching Summary

My teaching reflects my research interests, with a strong emphasis on the relationship between identity, culture and power, and on the relationship between textual and social research methods. I have… read more

Research Summary

Research interests:

  • Subjectivity and Intersubjectivity

  • Embodiment

  • Relationships between Theory, Art, Practice and Method

  • Continental Philosophy/Theory, including Existentialist Phenomenology, Post-Structuralism and Psychoanalysis

  • Love and the Erotic

  • Environmentalism

  • (Mental) Illness

  • Contemporary Dance and Performance Art

Orchid ID: 0000-0002-4834-596X

Recent Publications

My teaching reflects my research interests, with a strong emphasis on the relationship between identity, culture and power, and on the relationship between textual and social research methods. I have teaching experience across social and cultural theory, research methods, and a range of substantive topics including the Sociology of the Body and Sociology of Health and Illness.

School of Sociology and Social Policy

Law and Social Sciences building
University of Nottingham
University Park
Nottingham, NG7 2RD

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