Gordon Lynch

My research has crossed the boundaries between ethics and cultural sociology. I am deeply interested in the role that moral meanings play in social life - whether in creating a sense of identity for individuals and groups, underpinning organisations' understanding of their work or shaping the way in which public life is narrated through media and politics. I am also fascinated by the ways in which these moral commitments can have positive and harmful consequences and how we might develop greater understanding and ethical reflection about our most fundamental moral convictions. These interests touch on a wide range of current social issues, from the role of moral meanings in political populism and culture wars, the reasons why organisations act in harmful ways despite their espoused moral missions and the moral implications of how we remember difficult institutional histories.