The Leading Speakers Bureau

Professor of Sociology, University of Canterbury

David C. Thorns, Professor of Sociology and Director of the Social Science Research Centre at the University of Canterbury is a distinguished sociologist and one of New Zealand’s leading social scientists. His major research projects have addressed a number of themes: housing, tourism, suburban and community research; the sociology of housing and residential mobility; social inequality and class formation; comparative urban research; restructuring and change within advanced capitalist societies; urban sustainability; comparative welfare state policy analysis and globalisation and urban change.

In 2002 he was awarded the University of Canterbury Research Medal

[expand title=”In detail”] His work has been innovative and led to significant shifts in theoretical and research agendas. It also shows a consistent engagement with the implications of social science research for both public debate and disciplinary development.. [/expand]

[expand title=”What he offers you”]His current areas of research are restructuring and change within advanced capitalist societies and the meaning of house and home, globalisation and the creation of the knowledge economy/society and the development of new residential areas..[/expand]

[expand title=”How he presents”]For the past five years he has directed research programmes funded by the New Zealand Foundation for Research Science and Technology.[/expand]

Topics

Globalisation and urban transformation

Housing provision policies, sustainable housing and
community based solutions, urban planning

Publications

– The Transformation of Cities: Urban Theory and Urban Cities – 2002

– Community-based Solutions for Sustainable Housing – 2000

– Fragmenting Societies : A Comparative Analysis of Regional and Urban Development – 1992

– Eclipse of Equality: Social Stratification in New Zealand – 1983

– The quest for community: Social aspects of residential growth – 1976
– Suburbia (Sociology and the modern world)

– Rental housing, choices and constraints (National Housing Commission research & information series)

Meaning of home and the development of new
residential areas

Urban and regional sociology, social inequality

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