Robin Mann joined Bangor in 2009 having previously held research positions at the University of Oxford (2006-2008) and the University of Bristol (2004-2006). He holds a PhD in Sociology (University of Wales, Bangor), an MSc in Sociology (University of Bristol, received with distinction) and a BA in Social Sciences from University of East London. 

Dr Robin Mann

Reader in Sociology, Room T14, Turret, Main Arts Building

Twitter: @robinmann01

Email: r.mann@bangor.ac.uk

Phone: 01248382232

Module Coordinator for:

SXU2001 Social and Political Research

SXP4018 Researching Community

SXS4064 Nationalism and Identity

SXU4005 Research Process and Meaning

PhD Supervision

Stephanie Jones (2015-2020) Volunteering in Heritage Railway Societies in North Wales

Robin's research interests and expertise are in political sociology, especially national identity, nationalism, ethnicity and class; civil society; and the politics of local social relations. He is particularly concerned with how questions of identity and participation are to be understood from the perspective of 'ordinary people', and through using ethnographic and combined qualitative-quantitative methods. He has been awarded funding from the Economic and Social Research Council, the Leverhulme Trust and the Welsh Government. 

Robin is Co-Director of the Wales Institute of Social and Economic Research, Methods and Data (WISERD). He is also a theme lead and co-investigator on the ESRC funded large centre grant "Civil Stratification and Civil Repair" (2019-24). He was also a co-investigator on the ESRC funded WISERD Civil Soiety research centre grant (2014-19). He has published two books: Nation, Class and Resentment: The Politics of National Identity in England, Scotland and Wales (with S. Fenton) was published with Palgrave Macmillan Press in 2017 and Local Civil society: Place, Time and Boundaries (with Dallimore, Davis, Day and Eichsteller) was published with Policy Press in 2021.

Robin is interested in supervising students in any of the following areas: nationalism, ethnicity, migration, class, civil society; as well as those falling in the broader areas of historical/political sociology. He is especially interested in supervising projects which make use of ethnographic, biographical, historical or combined qualitative-quantitative methods; He can supervise projects which focus on Wales, UK, Europe as well as those based on comparative and international case studies.

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2022

  • Presenting to Welsh Government's Vaccine Equity Committee

    21 Jun 2022

    Activity: Invited talk (Speaker)
  • BU-IIA Funded Project: Covid-19’s transition to endemicity in Wales and Kentucky

    As we move towards the endemic phase of Covid-19, personal protective behaviours are becoming optional guidance, rather than mandated rules. In this new environment, understanding people’s behaviour and how they conceptualise the balance of personal and social rewards and risks, is an important priority for public health. We aim to help shape public health initiatives through two surveys, enriched with qualitative interviews, examining people’s attitudes and behaviour in Wales and Kentucky. Like Wales, Kentucky has a large declining coalfield region, which has faced significant public health challenges before and during the Covid-19 pandemic. The project aims to identify the sociodemographic and attitudinal factors associated with how people are reacting to Covid’s transition to endemicity in the two countries.

    The project will aim to deepen our collaboration with partners in Public Health Wales and in Kentucky, while also building towards a strong REF impact case study and further grant capture. Two related outcomes are (1) to understand what factors support collective population behaviours, such as those seen during Covid-19, and might also be required for future challenges such as the climate crisis or in responding to world conflict. And subsequently, (2) a more systematic understanding of how to communicate risk to different societal groups and hence how to promote healthy behaviours (including Covid-19 PPBs) across Wales.

    Funding awarded through the Bangor University Innovation and Impact Award (Research Wales Innovation Funding). Value = £42,000

    1 Apr 2022 – 31 Mar 2023

    Activity: Other (Contributor)
  • BU-IIA Funded Project: Historic Houses for the Twenty First Century: Heritage, Innovation and Sustainability

    Irrespective of the ownership model (and there are many) historic houses are tending to incorporate multiple functions based on visitor attraction and public use: heritage site, tourist destination, events, hotel, restaurant/café, community space, farm shop; in addition to a range of activities and land uses associated with their parks, gardens and other outdoor spaces. Our project is grounded within this context of achieving sustainability for heritage through transformational change, with a particular focus on the sector in Wales. It adopts and seeks to reapply primary themes and findings from Innocastle, an Interreg Europe project which explored the pan-European policy framework for stimulating rural and regional development through historic castles, manors and estates; and HERIT, an Erasmus+ initiative focused on the provision of digital tools for the sector. Our project is designed as a strategic knowledge-exchange initiative to develop practical research-informed answers and guidance on the following core questions: 1) What is the role of the historic house in twenty-first century Wales? 2) How can historic houses innovate to achieve sustainable futures?

    Funding awarded through the Bangor University Innovation and Impact Award (Research Wales Innovation Funding). Value = £9297

    1 Apr 2022 – 31 Mar 2023

    Activity: Other (Contributor)

Postgraduate Research Lead for the School of History, Philosophy and Social Sciences (2017-)