Dr. Gemma Edwards

Biography

Gemma Edwards is a Senior Lecturer in Sociology at the University of Manchester, where she has worked since 2007. She specializes in social movements and protest, utilizing qualitative and mixed social network analysis techniques. Her research focuses on a variety of historical and contemporary social movements, including climate activists and public sector trade unions, and particularly examines how interpersonal social networks shape participation in activism, especially among women. Gemma has pioneered mixed-method approaches to social network analysis (MMSNA), significantly contributing to the understanding of social movements and alternative lifestyles. She co-founded the research group movements@manchester and is a member of the Mitchell Centre for Social Network Analysis. Gemma has published key works such as 'Social Movements and Protest' (Cambridge, 2014) and 'Social Network Analysis: Ego-Nets' (Sage, 2015). Currently, she is a Co-Investigator on an AHRC-funded project exploring the interplay of religion and climate change, focusing on theological creativity in climate activism. In teaching, Gemma covers social theory and social movements, instructing courses like SOCY30461 Power & Protest and convening the Sociology Dissertation Module. She has also served as the Undergraduate Programmes Director in Sociology, and received the University Teaching Excellence Award in 2015. Gemma is available to supervise PhD projects in political sociology, social movements, and social network analysis.

Research Interests