Lecturer

MSc (Sussex), MA, DPhil (Oxon)

Room: Attenborough Tower 407
Drop In Hours (Semester Two 2011-2012): Wed 10-11, Thu 2-3. (Different arrangements apply during vacations. To meet me then, please email to fix a time.)
Tel: +44 (0)11-6252-2737 (direct line)
Email: ecb18@le.ac.uk

Research interests

My research deals with decision-making in sociologically important contexts. By contrast, I am also interested in evolutionary theories of change in which practices are selected by the social environment rather than chosen by individuals. In support of these interests, I have wide experience in research methods, particularly computer simulation but also qualitative research, social network analysis and experiments. My theoretical and methodological interests have developed in parallel with several empirical case studies on household money management, secondhand markets, adaptation of farming practices, ethnic disadvantage in labour markets and social networks in criminal activity and drug use.

Supervision interests

I am interested in supervising doctoral research related to my core interest in decision making in sociologically significant contexts. This means decisions in families, groups and organisations where factors like power, bureaucratic rules, collective action problems, diverse information or goals may complicate the standard models of individual decision. In support of this interest I have experience in a range of methods (particularly in computer simulation and qualitative research but to a lesser extent in experiments and statistics), theories and models (rational choice and game theory, social network analysis, time use) and substantive areas (farming, religion, family finances, drug use, crime networks, innovation diffusion, social mobility and labour markets/industrial organisation).

I am also interested in applications of evolutionary models for social change (exploring how practices may or may not reproduce themselves through selection in a social "environment", for example organisational ecology and memetics) and the social structure of second hand and illegal markets. While I am interested in methodological innovation, mixed methods and methodological developments in computer simulation, I am not interested in supervising "pure" (i. e. data free) research in these areas. I am happy to work with potential applicants to translate their interests into workable (and fundable!) research proposals.

Full list of publications

External profile

• A short video entitled "Is Britain Broken" as a contribution to the Leicester Exchanges blogs on contemporary affairs. [Click this link to go to the video on youtube] [Click this link to go to Leicester Exchanges]
• A short video entitled "Happy Nation" as a contribution to the Leicester Exchanges blogs on contemporary affairs. [Click this link to go to video on youtube] [Click this link to go to Leicester Exchanges]
• A short video introduction to my presentation entitled "How to Choose (or Refine) a Research Topic in Simulation" at the second ESSA Summer School on Social Simulation, University of Surrey, Guildford, 18-22 July 2011. [Click this link to go to the video on youtube]
• The full video of the ESSA Summer School presentation (83 minutes). [Click this link to go to the video on youtube]
• I am a member of the Editorial Board for the Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation (JASSS). [Click this link to go to JASSS]
• A video of "In Conversation with Michael Agar" at the 4th ESRC Research Methods Festival, St Catherine's College, Oxford, 5-8 July 2010 (85 minutes). [Click this link to go to the video]

Current research projects

• Nigel Gilbert (PI, Surrey) and Edmund Chattoe-Brown (CoI): 'SIMulation Innovation: A Node', A node of the National Centre for Research Methods on simulation, Economic and Social Research Council, 2009-2012. [Click this link to go to SIMIAN]

Current teaching

Undergraduate

• SY1012: Work, Employment and Society
• SY2075: Class and Inequalities
• SY3042: Undergraduate Research Project

Postgraduate

• SY7008: Research in Context I
• Supervision of Masters and PhD theses

Current administrative duties

• Director of External Relations (including Departmental Web Page)