Bronislaw Szerszynski

Bronislaw Szerszynski is a sociologist and scholar of science and technology studies known for work on the cultural meanings of nature, technology, and the sacred. His scholarship intersects themes addressed by thinkers and institutions across Oxford University, Lancaster University, University of Cambridge, University of Manchester, and research networks connected to ESRC and AHRC. Szerszynski’s writings draw on traditions associated with figures such as Bruno Latour, Mary Douglas, Michel Foucault, Max Weber, and Pierre Bourdieu while engaging with contemporary debates involving Environmentalism, Biotechnology, Climate Change, and Science and Technology Studies.

Early life and education

Born in Poland in 1965, Szerszynski's formative years overlapped with the political context of the Polish People's Republic and the social movements of the late 1970s and 1980s, including the influence of Solidarity. He pursued higher education at institutions linked to University of Oxford where he completed doctoral training that situated him within networks of scholars connected to Science and Technology Studies and intellectual histories exemplified by Karl Popper and Jürgen Habermas. His early mentors and interlocutors included academics operating within the milieus of Department of Sociology, University of Oxford and research councils such as the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), connecting him to interdisciplinary projects alongside scholars from Lancaster University and University of Edinburgh.

Academic career

Szerszynski has held appointments at universities and research centres across the United Kingdom and internationally, including roles at Lancaster University and affiliations with the Oxford Internet Institute and cross-institutional projects involving Natural Environment Research Council partners. His academic trajectory intersected with comparative scholars from University of Cambridge, University College London, King's College London, and European centres such as Max Planck Society institutes and the University of Warsaw. He contributed to edited volumes and collaborative grants involving colleagues associated with Royal Society fellowships, Leverhulme Trust awards, and transnational initiatives with think tanks like Chatham House and policy units linked to the European Commission.

Research and major works

Szerszynski’s research addresses cultural and sociological dimensions of nature, technology, and religion, exemplified by his book "Nature, Technology and the Sacred" (2003) and numerous articles in journals frequented by scholars from Science and Technology Studies, Cultural Studies, and Religious Studies. He engages with historiographies tied to Enlightenment debates and critiques associated with Romanticism while dialoguing with methodologies from Actor–Network Theory as developed by Bruno Latour and ethnographic traditions practiced by researchers at University of Manchester and Goldsmiths, University of London. His empirical work has examined case studies ranging from environmental movements connected to Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth to laboratory practices influenced by technologies from firms associated with Biotechnology sectors and research funding bodies such as Wellcome Trust.

Szerszynski’s contributions include theoretical analyses that synthesize ideas related to Phenomenology as invoked by scholars who reference Edmund Husserl and Maurice Merleau-Ponty, and sociological interpretations resonant with Emile Durkheim and Max Weber. His collaborations have engaged interdisciplinary teams including ecologists from Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, theologians from Durham University, and philosophers connected to London School of Economics programmes. He has supervised doctoral research on topics linking Climate Change publics, media framings found in outlets such as The Guardian and BBC, and legal-political implications discussed in venues including European Court of Human Rights debates.

Awards and honours

Szerszynski’s work has been recognized through fellowships and prizes granted by bodies such as the Economic and Social Research Council, the Leverhulme Trust, and research awards affiliated with the Royal Society of Arts. He has been invited to deliver named lectures and keynote addresses alongside scholars from University of Cambridge, Princeton University, Yale University, and European institutions including Sciences Po and Humboldt University of Berlin. His publications have been cited in policy briefings produced for European Commission directorates and in consulting work informing agencies like the United Nations Environment Programme and national science advisory committees.

Personal life and public engagement

Outside academia Szerszynski has participated in public debates and media appearances on topics linking environment, technology, and values, contributing to programmes on BBC Radio 4, panels organized by British Academy, and events at cultural institutions such as the Tate Modern and the Science Museum. He has collaborated with non-governmental organisations including WWF and RSPB on outreach projects and contributed to science communication initiatives with broadcasters like Channel 4 and ITV. Szerszynski’s civic engagement extends to involvement with advisory boards for interdisciplinary centres affiliated with University of Oxford and regional cultural partnerships in Lancashire.

Category:Living people Category:1965 births Category:British sociologists Category:Science and technology studies scholars