Dr. Dale Southerton

Biography

Dale Southerton is a Professor of Sociology at the University of Bristol. His research focuses on the study of consumption and the organization of everyday life, examining the significance of processes of societal change. His early work explored the role of consumption in constructing identities, communities, and social distinctions. Throughout his career, he has led various research projects that investigate the changing nature of the home and domestic spaces impacted by technology, with a particular interest in the materiality and innovation of everyday social practices. Another key area of his research examines the temporal organization of daily life, focusing on how time pressure affects daily routines and the consumption of time-related issues in societal contexts. Southerton also conducts comparative analyses of consumption patterns in European and North American societies, with a recent emphasis on sustainable consumption. His work critiques policy frameworks around consumer behavior and contributes to theoretical understandings of social change regarding consumption systems. He welcomes enquiries for postgraduate and postdoctoral research supervision related to his research interests.

Research Interests