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Dr David Holmes

David Holmes PhD (University of Melbourne) BA, Hons (University of Melbourne)

Contact details

David Holmes curriculum vitae [pdf 165 kb]

Biography

I was educated at Swinburne University and the University of Melbourne, in Media Studies, Political Science and Social Theory. In 1994 I completed a PhD in Social Theory at the University of Melbourne on post-structuralist theories of the self and historical experience.

In 1995 I took up a post at Griffith University in sociology, and since then have taught sociology, communications and sociology of communications at Griffith University, UNSW and Monash University.

I have three books in the sociology of communications field including two edited volumes: Virtual Politics: Identity and Community in Cyberspace (Sage 1997) and Virtual Globalisation: Virtual Spaces, Tourist Spaces (Routledge 2001), a monograph Communication Theory: Media, Technology and Society (Sage 2005) Over ten, years I have also co-authored three editions of an Australian sociology textbook (2003 and 2007 and forthcoming 2011) with Roberta Julian and Katie Hughes. For the latest edition I have written a new chapter contextualizing the problems of communicating climate science in Australian society. With Paul Jones (UNSW) I have co-authored Key Concepts in Media and Communications, Sage (forthcoming 2011) and am working on two new book proposals dealing with the Sociology of the Flaneur and the role of New Media in Mobile Privatisation.

Research interests

Sociology of Communications

My primary interest is in the sociology of communications, the study of electronic assemblies and ritual approaches to media ecology. An ongoing project is to look at the role of ICT's in urban interaction and social integration with a particular emphasis on personalisation technologies and 'mobile privatisation'.

My work is also oriented toward forecasting the impact of new media in relation to traditional media and how such media become embedded in educational, leisure, economic and political forms of life.

Globalization and Media

Past research has also explored the relationship between media and tourism culture, globalization and urban life. The globalization of 'media cultures' and their relation to global architectures like shopping centres and tourist spaces informs field research I have conducted in Australia, Turkey and Italy.

 

Selected publications