Personal statement

Patrick is a Senior Lecturer in Sociology at Bath Spa University. He joined Bath Spa in January 2017, having previously worked at Goldsmiths, London Metropolitan, Kingston and Canterbury Christ Church universities.

Patrick is a cultural sociologist specialising in the politics of social and cultural identity. His research and writing have examined the cultural politics of hip hop, sometimes with a focus on educational activism and the emancipatory claims made on behalf of spoken word.

He has a critical interest in postmodern and neoliberal forms of identarianism. With ordinary multi-culture and inter-racial encounter being assailed from right and left in the name of identity, the class politics of these culture wars has become a key focus of his work. He has written on the significance ascribed to cultural consciousness, authenticity, particularity, appropriation, and insurgency within hip hop culture.

He completed his ESRC funded doctoral research, an ethnographic study of ‘post-hip hop culture', in the Department of Sociology, Goldsmiths University under the supervision of Les back and Michael Keith. It explored Afrocentric community organising, white identity in hip hop theatre, hip hop education, and uses of graffiti in advertising and crime prevention. A revised version of this research formed the basis of his 2017 book Hip Hop Versus Rap: The Politics of Droppin’ Knowledge, London: Routledge.

He has completed an EU funded research project in partnership with The Migrants Resource Centre, London, on the stereotyping of ethnic minority and migrant groups in UK popular culture, with a particular focus on rap videos.

Patrick has a particular interest in Marxian critical theory and forms of qualitative enquiry that work with existential, phenomenological and critically realist concepts and methodologies.

His current teaching spans social theory, social problems and divisions, the sociology of the everyday, digital life, and visual sociology.

Patrick has supervised and taught PhD students, and convened and taught the ESRC Doctoral School training in qualitative research methods at Goldsmiths University between 2014 and 2017.

Academic qualifications

  • BA - Birkbeck College, University of London
  • MA - Birkbeck College, University of London
  • MARes - Goldsmiths University, University of London
  • PhD - Goldsmiths University, University of London

Professional memberships

  • Member - British Sociological Association

Areas of expertise

  • Critical theory
  • Sociology of the everyday
  • Identity politics
  • The politics of antiracism 
  • Multiculture and cosmopolitanism
  • Qualitative research methods

Other external roles

  • Academic reviewer – Leverhulme Trust – Crime, Media, Culture - Contemporary British History – Global Hip Hop Studies – Culture, Pedagogy and Society
  • External validator – BA Sociology programme, Southampton Solent University

Teaching

Patrick is module coordinator for the following:

  • Media, sociality and everyday life
  • Social problems, social divisions, social justice
  • Visualising the 21st century
  • Sociological debates

Research and academic outputs

Go to ResearchSPAce

Hip hop versus rap: the politics of droppin' knowledge
book

Turner, P (2017) Hip hop versus rap: the politics of droppin' knowledge. Routledge, Abingdon. ISBN 9781138679757

Rap to skool: hip hop in the classroom
book_section

Turner, P (2025) 'Rap to skool: hip hop in the classroom.' In: Bramwell, R and de Lacey, A, eds. The Cambridge companion to global rap. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pp. 181-194. ISBN 9781009096553 (Forthcoming)

Spinning staves in bars: hip hop comes to spoken word
book_section

Turner, P (2025) 'Spinning staves in bars: hip hop comes to spoken word.' In: Turner, R, ed. Hip hop in American literature and culture. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. (Forthcoming)

Hip‐hop studies
book_section

Turner, P (2020) 'Hip‐hop studies.' In: Ritzer, G, ed. The Blackwell encyclopedia of sociology. Wiley, Oxford. ISBN 9781405165518

Toward a hip hop pedagogy of discomfort
article

Chetty, D and Turner, P (2018) 'Toward a hip hop pedagogy of discomfort.' Journal of World Popular Music, 5 (1). pp. 71-87. ISSN 2052-4900

Additional publications

  • (Forthcoming) Turner, P. (2025) ‘Spinning Staves in Bars: Hip Hop Comes to Spoken Word’, in Turner, R. (Ed.) Hip Hop in American Literature and Culture, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
  • (Forthcoming) Turner, P. (2025) ‘Rap to Skool: Hip Hop in the Classroom’, in Bramwell, R. and de Lacey, A. (Eds.) Cambridge Companion to Global Rap, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
  • Turner, P. (2020) 'Hop Hop Studies', in Ritzer, G. and Rojek, C. (Eds.) The Wiley Blackwell Encyclopedia of Sociology (Second Edition), Oxford: Wiley Blackwell.
  • Turner, P (2019) Hip hop Versus Rap: The Politics of Droppin' Knowledge. Routledge, Abingdon (paperback)
  • Turner, P. (2014) ‘Representations of UK Migrant Groups and Ethnic Minorities in UK Rap Videos 1993-2013, Breaking Down European Attitudes Towards Migrant/Minority Stereotypes', (BEAMS) EU Research Report
  • Turner, P. (2008) ‘Talk to Frank: Youth Lifestyles, Branding and Government Rationality’, Youth and Policy, No.100, Summer/Autumn: 2008
  • Turner, P. (2007) ‘The Transition to Work and Adulthood’, in A Guide to Further Education, Eds. Hayes, D., Marshall, T. and Turner, A., Buckingham: Open University Press
  • Turner, P. (2006) ‘What has G.K. Chesterton Got to Say About Youth’, Youth and Policy, No.90, Winter: 2006
  • Turner, P. (2006) ‘Why Does Youth Matter’, Youth and Policy, No. 89, Autumn: 2006.

Recent projects

  • Crossing Borders Project: Marginality and Opportunity in Contemporary British Urban Youth Culture, Independent Social Research Foundation (ISRF), Girton College, University of Cambridge, 14-18 August 2017.

Presentations

  • Turner, P. (2018) Panel Discussion on ‘Drill, Crime and Race: What is inciting Violence on London’s Streets?’, Battle of Ideas, The Barbican, London
  • Turner, P. (2018) 'Youth, Austerity 'Bars' and Consciousness'. Writing the Noise: The Politics and History of Subcultural Music, Reading University, Sept 2018
  • Turner, P. (2017) Panel discussion on Wall Writers (film) and illegal graffiti, (2016) UK HipHopEd, May 2017
  • Turner, P. and Chetty, D. (2016) ‘Towards a Hip Hop Pedagogy of Discomfort’, It Ain’t Where You’re From, it’s Where You’re At', International Hip Hop Studies Conference, Wolfson and St Johns College, University of Cambridge, 23-25 June 2016
  • Turner, P. (2015) ‘Research Popular Culture’, Free University London (LSE), Angell Town Estate, Brixton, November 2015
  • Turner, P. (2014) ‘Social Inclusion and Researching Identity’, Social Justice Summer School, London Metropolitan University, July 2014
  • Turner, P. (2014) ‘Turner, P. (2014) Paper: ‘Representations of Ethnic Minority Groups and Migrants in UK Rap Videos 1993 – 2013’, Centre for Social Justice Seminar Series, Goldsmiths University, December 2014
  • Turner, P. (2014) ‘The ‘Street’ in Street Art’, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities Seminar Series, London Metropolitan University, February 2014
  • Turner, P. (2012) ‘Hip Hop and Ageing: Conscious Heads, Aged Hipsters and Thugs for Life’, Ageing Within a Spectacular Youth Subculture, The Interdisciplinary Network for the Study of Subcultures, Popular Music & Social Change, University of Derby Centre for Society, Religion & Belief, November: 2012
  • Turner, P. and Willcocks, M. (2012) ‘The Street Painted in Red Herrings’ (Street art and Agonistic Social Space), Return to the Street Conference, Centre for Cultural Studies, Goldsmiths, June: 2012
  • Turner, P. (2012) ‘Problematising Hip Hop Education’, Hip Hop, Education and Identities, London Knowledge Lab, Institute of Education, May 2012
  • Turner, P. (2011) ‘Battling the Battle: Civilizing Hip Hop Subculture’, Popular Music, Youth and Social Change Conference, London Metropolitan University, September: 2011
  • Turner, P. (2009) ‘A Defence of Illegal Graffiti’, Seminar Series for The Centre for Design Against Crime, Central St-Martins School of Art, November: 2009
  • Turner, P. (2009) ‘Informal Education, Youth and the ‘Commons’’, Youth and Policy, History of Youth Work conference, Durham University, March: 2009.

Invited talks and guest lectures

  • Turner, P. (2018) ‘Neither Good nor Bad: A Plague on Both Their Houses’, Listening up Project, Criminology, School of Education and Social Sciences, University of Hull, 13 July 2018.