Dean Curran

B.A. (Hons.) (Queen's), M.Sc. (London School of Economics) 
Ph.D. Candidate

Research Interests

Risk; Class; Classical and Contemporary Social Theory;  Economic Sociology; Political Economy; Globalization and Cultural Change

Education

• PhD in Sociology September 2009 – (expected 2013) - Queen’s University, Kingston, Canada
• MSc in the Philosophy of the Social Sciences, Merit - London School of Economics, UK
• BA Honours in Economics and History, 1st class - Queen’s University, Kingston, Canada

Publications

• Curran, D. (2013) 'Risk Society and the Distribution of Bads: Theorizing Class in the Risk Society' British Journal of Sociology 64(1): 44-62.
• Curran, D. (2013) 'What is a Critical Theory of the Risk Society? A Reply to Beck', British Journal of Sociology 64(1): 75-80.
• Curran, D. (2012) 'McWorld', in G. Ritzer (ed.) Wiley-Blackwell Encyclopedia of Globalization, Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell. 

Conference Presentations

• “The ‘Cultural’ and the ‘Economic’ Dimensions of Positional Goods: Supplementing Bourdieu with Sen”
  European Sociological Association Conference, Consumption Stream, Geneva, Sept 7-10, 2011
• “The Dialectic of Social Liquidity and Economic Fixity: a Critique of Bauman’s ‘Liquid Modernity’”
  European Sociological Association Conference, Theory Stream, Geneva, Sept 7-10, 2011
• “Liberal Capitalism as a Collective Action Problem”
  Canadian Political Science Association Conference, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, Canada, May 16-18, 2011
• “Bridging the Divide: Sen’s Functionings Account of Consumption as a Basis for a Renewed ‘Social Economics’
  British Sociological Association Conference, London School of Economics, UK, April 6-8, 2011
• “Beck’s Risk Society and the Distribution of Bads: Possible Implications for Market-Based Models of Political Economy” The Bauman Institute, Conference Theme: ‘Re-thinking Global Society’, University of Leeds, UK, Sept 6-7, 2010
• “Capitalism as a Collective Action Problem”
  9th Annual Conference of the International Social Theory Consortium, Conference Theme: ‘The Future of Capitalism and Democracy’, University of Sussex, UK, June 3-4, 2010
• “Classical Liberalism as a Collective Action Problem”
  Queen’s Sociology Departmental Seminar Series, Queen’s University, November 20, 2009
• “Representing as Intervening: Money as a Universal Language”
  Philosophical Research and Writing Seminar, London School of Economics, UK, Feb 26, 2004

Research Assistantships

• Professor Vincent Mosco, Queen’s University, 2010-11, Produced reports on:
  “The Late Marx’s relevance to Communication Studies”, and
  “Karl Marx’s views on Technology and Social Agency”

Teaching Experience

• Course Instructor, Queen's University, Jan 2013 – Apr 2013, The Sociology of Risk and Uncertainty (SOCY 426)

Guest Lectures

• ‘Marx and Hegel’, The Development of Social Theory (Pre-1900)”, Department of Sociology, Queen’s University, November 2011 
• ‘Marx’s Critique of Hegel’, Survey of Sociological Theory, Department of Sociology, King’s College, UWO, 2 lectures (SOC 2240) and (SOC 2270), September 2011
• “Weber on Class, Status, and Party”, The Development of Social Theory (1870-1920), Department of Sociology, Queen’s University, March 2011
• “Marx on Politics”, The Development of Social Theory (Pre-1900), Department of Sociology, Queen’s University, November 2010

Fellowships and Awards

• Queen's Graduate Award 2011, 2012-13
• Blakely Trust Travel Scholarship, 2011 (x2)
• Ontario Graduate Scholarship, Doctoral, 2010-11
• Blakely Trust Travel Scholarship, Sept 2010  (x2)
• Queen’s Graduate Scholarship, 2009–10
• LSE Admission Award, June 2007 (declined)
• Dean’s Honour List, Queen’s University, Sept 2001
• M.C. Urquhart Book Prize, Queen’s University, Economics Department, 1999