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NYLON

NYLON (New York: LONdon) is a transatlantic working group between LSE, NYU and Goldsmiths, University of London united by a broad interest in culture and qualitative methods.

Founded in 2001 by Professors Craig Calhoun and Richard Sennett, the group connects students and faculty in New York and London, supporting innovative sociological work. NYLON provides a forum for researchers to discuss their work within and beyond institutional, disciplinary and methodological boundaries. In doing so, NYLON has built a transnational community of scholars whose professional lives remain intertwined.

The London group meet fortnightly at LSE for informal feedback sessions, where students present their work-in-progress and receive constructive comments from staff and students. This might include chapter drafts, transcripts, fieldnotes, or reflections on ethical challenges. Participants from across disciplines engage with one another’s work over time, fostering both intellectual development and lasting connections. Parallel groups meet regularly in New York, with the two chapters coming together annually for a conference, typically held in May or June.

Rather than being defined by a narrow topical focus, NYLON has traditionally been shaped by shared methodological and intellectual sensibility. It brings together researchers working across qualitative, ethnographic, archival and theoretically driven approaches. While the core London cohort is often drawn from Sociology and Media and Communications, membership is open to a wider range of social science disciplines.

Our activities emphasise the following key themes:

  • Engagement with matters of public concern. We are committed to "real time" social research and to creating channels for disseminating work beyond the academy.
  • Theoretically informed empirical research. Members share an interest in bringing theoretical insight to bear on everyday social phenomena, while remaining open to reshaping theory through empirical encounters.
  • Reflexivity. We engage critically with the ethical and methodological dimensions of research throughout the PhD process, from fieldwork relationships to writing and impact.
  • Collaboration. By bringing together scholars from diverse disciplinary backgrounds, NYLON encourages forms of exchange that challenge boundaries and strengthen the relationship between critical thought and empirical research.

NYLON photo credit: Noah Ọládélé