Biography

Geoff Cooper graduated from Goldsmiths College in sociology. After obtaining a post-graduate qualification in computing, and designing computer based training packages for a software house, he did a Ph.D. on the discourse of human-computer interaction. Before joining the department he worked at Brunel University, investigating changes in research culture. He has been at Surrey since 1994, and served as Head of Department from 2002 to 2006.

Research Interests

Intellectual interests fall into two broad areas, the sociology of scientific knowledge and technology, and theoretical and methodological issues in social science. More specific research topics include: deconstruction and sociology; the formation, organisation and significance of intellectual and disciplinary boundaries; the social shaping of technology, particularly mobile telecommunications; sociological dimensions of energy use; changing research culture and forms of accountability; the mediation of scientific knowledge and its effects.

He is currently a co-investigator on the ESRC funded inter-disciplinary research group on Research on Lifestyles, Values and Environment (RESOLVE), and the co-editor of the collection ‘Sociological Objects: reconfigurations of social theory, published by Ashgate.

Publications

Books and book chapters

Cooper, G, King, A, and Rettie, R (eds) (2009) Sociological Objects: reconfigurations of social theory, Aldershot: Ashgate.

Cooper, G (2009) The objects of sociology, in Cooper et al (eds).

Tsatsaroni, A and Cooper, G (2009) Audit, appropriation and the opening of theory, in Cooper et al (eds).

Cooper, G (2008) Conceptualising social life, in N. Gilbert (ed) Researching Social Life, 3rd edition, London: Sage.

Burningham, K and Cooper, G (2005) Being constructive: social constructionism and the environment, in D Inglis et al (eds) Nature: critical concepts in the social sciences , Vol II, London: Routledge, pp 232-252

Cooper, G., Green, N., Harper, R. and Murtagh, G (2002) Mobile society? technology, distance and presence, in S. Woolgar (ed) Virtual Society? Technology, cyberbole, reality , Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp 286-301

Cooper, G (2002) The mutable mobile: social theory in the wireless world, in Brown, B., Green, R. and Harper, R. (eds) Wireless World , London: Springer Verlag, pp 19-31
Cooper, G (2001) Conceptualising social life, in N. Gilbert (ed) Researching Social Life , 2nd edition, London: Sage, pp 1-13
Moran-Ellis, J & Cooper, G (2001) Making Connections in the UK : Children, Technology, and the National Grid for Learning' Proceedings of the International Symposium on Asian Youth Macau: International Sociological Association/Direccao Dos Servicos De Educacao E Juventude, Macau.

Cooper, G and Tsatsaroni, A (2001) A sociological analysis of scientific practice: the approach of the sociology of scientific knowledge (trans C. Demopoulos), in K. Demopolous and V. Hatzinikita (eds) Science Education , Vol A, Patras: Greek Open University Press, pp 401-436

Journal articles

Cooper, G and Ebeling, M (2007) Epistemology, structure and urgency: the sociology of scientific and financial journalists, Sociological Research Online , 12 (3), http://www.socresonline.org.uk/12/3/cooper.html

Tsatsaroni, A and Cooper, G (2001) Transformation as knowledge: deconstruction, SSK and science education, Themes in Education , 2, 2-3, 129-159

Green N., Harper R., Murtagh G. and Cooper G. (2001) Configuring the mobile user: sociological and industry views, Personal and Ubiquitous Computing , 5, 2, 146-156

Moran-Ellis, J and Cooper, G (2000) Making connections: children, technology and the national grid for learning, Sociological Research Online , 5 (3) http://www.socresonline.org.uk/5/3/moran-ellis.html

Cooper G. (1999) The fear of unreason: science wars and sociology, Sociological Research Online , 4 (3) http://www.socresonline.org.uk/4/3/cooper.html

Woolgar. S and Cooper. G (1999) Do artefacts have ambivalence? Moses' bridges, Winner's bridges and other urban legends in S &TS, Social Studies of Science , 29, 3, 433-449

Burningham K. and Cooper G. (1999) Being constructive: social constructionism and the environment, Sociology , 33, 2, 297-316

Cooper G. (1998) Simulating difference: ethnography and the social relations of intellectual production, British Journal of Sociology , 49, 1, pp 20-35.

Related Links
RESOLVE

Teaching

Teaches courses on sociological theory at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, and supervises a number of PhD students.

Professional Activities

Member of the British Sociological Association, the Society for the Social Study of Science, and the European Association for the Study of Science and Technology (EASST). Formerly a member of ESRC’s Sociology, History, Anthropology and Resources (SHAR) research college, examiner for the ESRC’s open competition for PhD studentship awards, and treasurer of EASST. Regular reviewer for a number of journals including: Sociology; Theory, Culture and Society; British Journal of Sociology; Social Studies of Science; Science, Technology and Human Values; and Information, Communication and Society.