Prof Elizabeth silva

Professional biography

I am Emeritus Professor of Sociology.

PhD Imperial College (Industrial Sociology) - University of London, UK
MA (Political Science) - University of São Paulo, Brazil
BA (Social Sciences) - University of São Paulo, Brazil

Research interests

My research interests are in Sociology and Culture. These encompass (1) Social Connections and Social Divisions particularly those of gender and class and (2) Connections between Material (objects / technologies) and Social Relations, particularly art objects and museums, and in the contemporary context of home and family life,. Feminist theories have informed these interests, as well as Bourdieu’s theorizing and Actor Network Theory. Research methodologies have been central to my concerns (qualitative approaches of focus groups, interviews, ethnographies and visual explorations, as well as quantitative survey methods. I also engage with exploration of how different approaches and cross-cultural and cross national comparisons complement the creation and understanding of social 'realities'.

Publication - selected books and journal issues

Silva, Elizabeth (forthcoming May 2025) Not to Fall on Ice. Troubador, fiction, 320 pages.

Silva, E.B. (2010) Technology, Culture, Family: Influences on Home Life. London: Palgrave. (225 pages) ISBN 978-0-230-54548-9.

Harvey, P., Casella, E., Evans, G., Knox, H, McLean, C., Silva, E. and Thoburn, N. (eds) (2014) Objects and Materials. A Routledge Companion. London: Routledge. (421 pages). Also Editor of Part III, ‘Unsettling Objects’, 6 chapters, p.183-246. ISBN 978-0-415-67880-3.

 Silva, E. and Warde, A. (eds) (2010) Cultural Analysis and Bourdieu’s Legacy: Settling accounts and developing alternatives. London: Routledge. ISBN 978-0-415-49535-0. For e-book 978-0-203-87862-0.  Paperback 2012.

Bennett, T.; Savage, M.; Silva, E.; Warde, A.; Gayo-Cal, M. and Wright, D. (2009) Culture, Class, Distinction, London: Routledge. ISBN 978-0-415-42242-0. For e-book 978-0-203-93057-1. Paperback 2010.

            Japanese Edition 2017 published by Seikyu-sha Ltd

 Harvey, P., Casella, E., Evans, G., Knox, H, McLean, C., Silva, E. and Thoburn, N. (eds) (2014) Objects and Materials. A Routledge Companion. London: Routledge. (421 pages). Also Editor of Part III, ‘Unsettling Objects’. ISBN 978-0-415-67880-3.

 Silva, E. and Warde, A. (eds) (2010) Cultural Analysis and Bourdieu’s Legacy: Settling accounts and developing alternatives. London: Routledge. ISBN 978-0-415-49535-0. For e-book 978-0-203-87862-0. Paperback 2012.

 Redman, P.; Silva, E.B. and Watson, S. (eds) (2005) The Uses of Sociology: Traditions, methods and practices. Milton Keynes: The Open University (132 pages) ISBN 0-7492 6826 3 [OU Course reader].

 Silva, E.B. and Bennett, T. (eds) (2004) Contemporary Culture and Everyday Life, Durham: Sociologypress (206 pages) ISBN 1-903457-09-2

Silva, E.B. and Smart, C. (eds) (1999) The ‘New’ Family?, London: Sage (177 pages). ISBN 07619 5856 8  – (2012) E-book edition

Silva, E.B. (ed.) (1996) Good Enough Mothering? Feminist Perspectives on Lone Motherhood. London: Routledge (241 pages). ISBN 0-415-12890-0                                                                                                        

Silva, E. B. (1991) Refazendo a Fábrica Fordista. Contrastes da indústria automobilística no Brasil e na Grã-Bretanha (Remaking the Fordist Factory. Contrasts between the Car Industry in Brazil and Britain) São Paulo: Hucitec (395 pages). ISBN 85.271-0158.0

 Sztutman, E.Silva (1980) Profissão Bancário: Perfil da Categoria (Bank workers: Profile of a profession) Estudos Sócio-Econômicos no. 5, São Paulo: DIEESE (220 pages). [Sztutman was a married name].

Journal Issues – Guest editor

 Special Section on ‘Habitus’, Sociological Review 64(1), February 2016 – includes six articles. ISSN 0038-0261 print, ISSN 1467-954X online. Pages 64-201.

 ‘Gender, Science and Technology in Brazil’, International Journal of Gender, Science and Technology, 6(1), 4 articles, introduction, perspectives piece and podcast, Spring 2014. ISSN 2040-748 http://genderandset.open.ac.uk/index.php/genderandset/issue/view/17

‘Field analysis in Cultural Sociology’, Cultural Sociology, 7(2), 9 articles, co-edited with Mike Savage, June 2013. ISSN 1749-9755

‘Cultural Capital: Limits and Prospects’, Poetics, edition 39.6, issue of 9 articles, co-edited with Tony Bennett, December 2011. ISSN 0304-422X

‘Critical Concepts: Families, Intimacies and Personal Relationships’ Sociological Research on Line, Special Section issue of 9 articles, co-edited with Jacqui Gabb, November 2011.

 Double Special issue (2006) ‘Culture, Taste and Social Divisions in Contemporary Britain’, Cultural Trends. Vol 15 (2/3), June/September. Co-editor with Tony Bennett. ISBN 0954-8963.

 Themed Special Section (2002) 'Monsters and Morals’ (Introduction and five articles), Soundings no.21, Autumn, London: Lawrence and Whishart. (87 pp) ISBN 0 85315 966 1

 Special Issue (1998) ‘Gender, Technology and Science’, Cadernos Pagu, no.10, Unicamp, Campinas/Brasil. (456 pp). ISSN 0104-83333

 Chapters in Books - latest

 Silva, E.B. (2024) ‘Pierre Bourdieu’s Distinction and beyond’, in Frosh S., Vyrgioti M., Walsh J. (eds) The Palgrave Handbook of Psychosocial Studies. Palgrave Macmillan, Springer, Cham. ISBN 978-3-031-30365-4 ISBN 978-3-031-30366-1 (eBook) https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-30366-1, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-61510-9_44-1 - ISBN 978-3-030-61510-9_44-1, pp. 105-124

 Silva, E.B. (2018) ‘Digital Connections and Family Practices’ - Afterword in Neves, B. and Casimiro C. (eds) Connecting Families? Information & Communication Technologies, Generations, and the Life Course. Basingstoke: Policy Press, pp. 273-294 – ISBN 978-1-4473-3994-6

 Silva, E. B. (2018) ‘Cultural Capital’, entry to The Encyclopaedia of Social Theory edited Brian Turner et al., Willey online Library. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118430873.est0612 pp. 547-554 ISBN: 1-118-43086-7 9781118430873

 Silva, E.B. (2017) ‘Objects and Materials: With, against and beyond Bourdieu.’ in Adkins, Lisa; Brosnan, Caragh and Threadgold, Steven (eds) Bourdieusian Prospects, London: Routledge. pp. 112-131. ISBN 978-1-138-84508-4 (hbk) 978-1-315-72835-3 (ebk)

Podcasts, Video and Virtual roundtables

PUBLIC/Media Involvement

·          Film for Canadian TV – Nov 2021 - ‘FASTER! Humanity’s Quest to Save Time – The Microwave’ 107 min in Vemeo - https://vimeo.com/516893769 - DBcom Media, Montréal

·          Podcast July 2021 – Radio Batente, Brazil – on domestic labour and gender divisions: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2JcsYT6d1tD91kmHLPY1HU

·          Extended interview and filming for TV Documentary ‘Man and Time’ on the microwave - www.dbcommedia.com, Montreal, Canada, April 2021.

·          Interview published in v. 24, n. 46 (2019): Dossiê: ‘Para além da distinção: condicionantes
sociais do gosto e disputas simbólicas na contemporaneidade’.
https://periodicos.fclar.unesp.br/estudos/issue/view/741 - July 2019

·          Interview in YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGUnKlbYbQs - GEBU, Grupo de Estudos de Bourdieu, University of Campinas. December 2018, published February 2019.

·          Podcast on the history of science of ovens – launched 05 June 2018 - https://gastropod.com/hotbox-the-oven-from-turnspit-dogs-to-microwaves/

·          Presenter of Open University Honorary PhD to Prof Diane Elson – Degrees Ceremony, Barbican Centre, London, 23 September 2017

·          27 October 2017 - Methods in Motion – MiM Blog, Centre for Citizenship, Identities and Governance (CCIG) - http://www.open.ac.uk/ccig/blogs/methods-in-motion-34-elizabeth-silva-research-modes-moves-methods

·          25 Jan 2017 – Open Learn – publication of MiM Blog CCIG - http://www.open.edu/openlearn/society-politics-law/sociology/methods-motion-introducing-methods-motion?in_menu=394273

·          05 Oct 2016 – Methods in Motion – MiM Blog, Centre for Citizenship, Identities and Governance (CCIG) http://www.open.ac.uk/ccig/blogs/methods-in-motion-blog-4-elizabeth-silva-what-are-open-methodologies

·          26 Sep 2016 – Methods in Motion – MiM Blog, Centre for Citizenship, Identities and Governance (CCIG) http://www.open.ac.uk/ccig/blogs/methods-in-motion-blog-1-elizabeth-silva-introduces-methods-in-motion

·          19 Aug 2016 – Open University Student Hub – online live discussion about the Rio Olympics – total of over two hours -  http://studenthublive.kmi.open.ac.uk/ Silva: 57:30 – 1.22 minutes

·          11 August 2016 – Facebook Faculty of Social Sciences ‘Economic and Social Aspects of the Olympics - https://www.facebook.com/theopenuniversity.socialscience/

·          July 2016 – Video presentation of Centre for Citizenship, Identities and Governance – About CCIG - http://www.open.ac.uk/ccig/about see video on page.

June 2016 – virtual roundtable – Sociological Review, ’Habitus and Social Sciences’ - http://www.thesociologicalreview.com/blog/habitus-and-social-science-a-virtual-roundtable.html

June 2016 – PodMag – special edition focusing on CCIG’s research and its contribution to teaching – http://podcast.open.ac.uk/pod/PodMag

December 2015 – Sociological Review – ‘Revitalising our understanding of habitus’ Podcast: https://soundcloud.com/thesociologicalreview/elizabeth-silva-on-revitalising-our-understanding-of-habitus

May 2015 - Bourdieu’ – Workshop ‘Great Thinkers and Our Thinking’, Faculty of Social Sciences, Open University, 15 May – Postgraduate Methods Day Workshop. Organizer of event: http://podcast.open.ac.uk/pod/Great-Thinkers-20150515

May 2015 – ‘Engaging with Pierre Bourdieu’s Thinking’ at Workshop ‘Great Thinkers and Our Thinking’, Faculty of Social Sciences, Open University, 15 May – Postgraduate Methods Day Workshop. http://player.open.ac.uk/embed/24eb93e193

The Social and Political Life of Methods. Blog published 26 Jan 2015, Centre for Citizenship, Identity and Governance, The Open University. http://www.open.ac.uk/ccig/dialogues/blogs/the-social-and-political-life-of-methods

Facebook – Friday Question – Faculty of Social Sciences, Open University, 10 October 2014.

Podcast interview for International Journal of Gender, Science and Technology, about Special Edition on Brazil – 09 April 2014 - http://soundcloud.com/clem-herman/gst-podcast-002-elizabeth

PodMag – Interview – Faculty of Social Sciences, Open University, edition 13, 12 March 2014 about my research and teaching work on Technology and home/family life http://learn1.open.ac.uk/mod/oucontent/view.php?id=9241

PodMag – Interview – Faculty of Social Sciences, Open University, edition 8, 05 February 2014 about the role of sociology among the social sciences http://learn1.open.ac.uk/mod/oucontent/view.php?id=9153

'How do we know? Methodological Journeys in Social Research', Inaugural Professorial Lecture. The Open University, 14 March 2012.

'Accounting for the Modern Habitus', Round Table: 'Remembering Pierre Bourdieu, 1930-2002, held at the Maison Française d'Oxford, University of Oxford, 09 March 2012.