Newcastle University

I am currently the Postgraduate Director for the School of Geography, Politics and Sociology (2010 - present) and previously served as the Director of Postgraduate Research for Geography (2008-2012). I was promoted to a Personal Chair in Social Geography in 2012 after earlier promotions to Reader and Senior Lecturer following my arrival in Newcastle in 2007. Before this, I worked at Lancaster University as a Lecturer in Human Geography (in what was the Department of Geography) where I also completed a PGCert in Academic Practice. Previous to this, I spent short periods as a Research Fellow at Glasgow University and a Lecturer in Human Geography at the University of Edinburgh. I have a PhD from the University of Edinburgh and an MRes and BA(Hons) from the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow. 

Research interests

My research and teaching interests centre upon the challenges and complexities of inequality and justice. More specifically, my work draws attention to the exclusionary ways in which various forms of discrimination and marginalisation – such as racism, sexism, sizism, ageism and religious intolerance – shape people’s everyday lives, structure the resources available to them and influence who they can become. This work is built upon a commitment to empirical research that is informed both by current debates in academic literatures and theoretical understandings about society and space, as well as – where appropriate – concerns of relevance to policy makers and practitioners.

My work tends to draw upon urban social and feminist geographies and falls within the following three themes:

Young people’s geographies
- Young people, social identities and political inequalities
- Youth transitions, geographies of age and intergenerational relations
- Young migrants, asylum seekers, refugees and ethnic minority groups

Geographies of religion, faith and spirituality
- The everyday lives and geographies of religious young people
- Gender and generational relations in religious communities
- Experiences of faith and spirituality across the lifecourse

Masculinities, ethnicities and place
- Religious, racialised and ethnicised masculinities
- Constructions of hegemonic and marginalised masculine identities
- Gendered identities, social exclusion and spatial justice

I am also interested in exploring issues connected with the use of various qualitative methods including participatory action research approaches, focus groups as well as research ethics. 

Research Roles

Editor of Gender, Place and Culture, 2012 - 2017

Book Review Editor for Gender, Place and Culture, 2009-2011

Editorial board member of:
- Contemporary Islam (2008-)
- Gender, Place and Culture (2009-)
- Children's Geographies (2009-)

Member of the AHRC peer review college, 2010 -

External Associate, Centre for Education for Racial Equality in Scotland (CERES), University of Edinburgh

Co-editor (with Rachel Pain (Durham)) of a series of books on Gender, Space and Society with Ashgate.

Founding Chair of the RGS-IBG Geographies of Justice Research Group.

Past Co-Chair (with Elizabeth Olson (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)) of the Geography of Religions and Belief Systems Speciality Group of the Association of American Geographers.

Esteem Indicators

2011 Royal Geographical Society Gill Memorial Award for contributions to geographies of religion, youth and race. 

Vice Chancellor's Distinguished Teacher Award 2011 

Visiting Scholar, Religion Research Cluster, National University of Singapore (Jul-Aug 2008)
Visiting Scholar, School of Political and Social Inquiry, Monash University (Feb 2011)
Visiting Scholar, School of Social Sciences, University of Western Sydney (Feb-Apr 2011)
Visiting Scholar, School of Political and Social Inquiry, Monash University (Dec 2011)
Visting Scholar, Royal Melbourne Institute for Technology (Dec 2011)

Funding

• 'Non-Muslim' and Muslim youth: religious identities, Islamophobia and everyday geopolitics - AHRC standard grant (PI with Rowena Arshad (co-I) (Edinburgh), Gurchathen Sanghera (co-I) (St Andrews) and Kate Botterill (PDRA)) - £452,062 (2013-2016)
• Local students' perceptions of the transitions from university to work or further study - Catherine Cookson Foundation (co-I with Simon Tate (PI)) - £2992 (2011)
• Geography students’ perspectives on improving the transition from school to university - Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences (GEES) Subject Centre (co-I with Simon Tate (PI)) - £4526 (2009)
• Youth transitions, international volunteering and religious transformations: the experiences of young evangelical Christians in Latin America - (AHRC/ESRC Religion and Society Youth Call) (PI with Nina Laurie (Newcastle), Matt Smith (Northumbria) and Elizabeth Olson (Edinburgh)) - £74,480 (2009-10)
• Marginalized Spiritualities: faith and religion among young people in socially deprived Britain (AHRC/ESRC Religion and Society Youth Call) - (co-I with Elizabeth Olson (PI), Giselle Vincett (Researcher) (both Edinburgh) and Rachel Pain (Durham) (co-I)) - £243,284 (2009-11)
• Activism, Volunteering and Citizenship ESRC seminar series (with Matt Smith (PI), Katy Jenkins (both Northumbria), Liz Bondi and Elizabeth Olson (both Edinburgh) and Nina Laurie (Newcastle))- £14,951 (2008)
• Muslim women in Scotland: global events, national issues, local lives (+3 ESRC Scottish Government Collaborative studentship) - £61,000 (2007)
• Male Young People in Woods and Forests (1+3 ESRC Scottish Government Collaborative studentship) - £80,000 (2007)
• Relational Religious Identities: exploring contemporary meanings of religion among Scottish Christian youth (AHRC/ESRC Religion and Society Scheme) - (co-I with Elizabeth Olson (Edinburgh) (PI) and Rachel Pain (Durham) (co-I)) - £73,736 (2007-8)
• Young Sikh men in Scotland: spatial practices, contested identities and everyday geographies (RGS-IBG) - £2000 (2007)
• Young Sikh men in Scotland: spatial practices, contested identities and everyday geographies (British Academy) - £7420 (2006)

Postgraduate Supervision

Current students include:
Kevin Brice is exploring the experiences of white British Muslims (self-funded, 2011 onwards) (with Anoop Nayak and Alastair Bonnett)
Rachel Clements is researching Polish parenthood in Newcastle Upon Tyne (ESRC +3 studentship, 2008 onwards) (with Alison Stenning)
Jennifer Lloyd is researching the embodied experiences of female transnationals (ESRC 1+3 studentship, 2010 onwards) (with Alastair Bonnett)
Elinor Predota is researching male young people in woods and forests (ESRC Scottish Governmental Collaborative 1+3 studentship, 2008 onwards) (with Anoop Nayak and Rachel Pain (Durham))
Erin Pritchard is studying how people with restricted growth are socially and spatially marginalized in society (ESRC +3 studentship, 2009 onwards) (with Janice McLaughlin)
Naomi Reid (Durham) is researching young people's experiences of participation: identity, citizenship and transition' (ESRC + 3 collaborative studentship with Investing in Children, 2012 onwards) (with Rachel Pain and Lynn Staeheli (both Durham))
Michael Richardson is exploring intergenerationality and Irish masculinities on Tyneside (ESRC +3 studentship, 2010 onwards) (with Anoop Nayak)
Joanna Wiseman is studying the integration and identities of young asylum seekers in Scotland (ESRC +3 collaborative studentship with Scottish Refugee Council, 2011 onwards) (with Anoop Nayak, Clare Tudor and Gareth Mulvey)  

Students who have recently submitted their doctoral thesis include:
Rahielah Ali thesis is about 'Gender, faith and locality: Muslim women in Scotland’ (ESRC Scottish Governmental Collaborative +3 studentship, 2008 onwards) (with Anoop Nayak)
Alex Tan's thesis is about 'British Chinese youth transitions: cultural identity and youth formations in Newcastle upon Tyne' (MA Human Geography Research, 2007-8 and ESRC +3 studentship, 2008 onwards) (with Anoop Nayak)

Recently completed students include:
Thomas Burgoine's study is 'Predisposed to Obesity? A Study into Environmental Equity and the possible Obesogenic Environment of North East England' (ESRC 1+3, completed 2012) (with Seraphim Alvanides (Northumbria University) and Amelia Lake (Durham University))

External examining of PhD theses (Aberystwyth University, University of Hull, University of Chester, Leeds University, National University of Singapore, University of Western Sydney).

Memberships

Association of American Geographers
Royal Scottish Geographical Society
Royal Geographical Society with the Institute of British Geographers
Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
Muslims in Britain Research Network

Projects

• Geography Students' Perspectives on Improving the Transition from School to University
  Project Leader(s): Dr Simon Tate
• Marginalized Spiritualities; faith & religion among young people in socially deprived Britain
  Project Leader(s): Dr Peter E Hopkins
• Overseas Conference Grant
  Project Leader(s): Dr Peter E Hopkins
• Relational religious identities: exploring the contemporary meaning of religion among Scottish Christian Youth
  Project Leader(s): Dr Peter Hopkins
• Young Sikh Men in Scotland: Spatial Practices, Contested Identities and Everyday Geographies
  Project Leader(s): Dr Peter Hopkins
• Young Sikh Men in Scotland: Spatial Practices, Contested Identities and Everyday Geographies
  Project Leader(s): Dr Peter Hopkins
• Youth transitions, international volunteering and religious transformations: the experiences of young evangelical Christians
  Project Leader(s): Dr Peter Hopkins

Undergraduate Teaching 

I am the module leader for the following modules:
Geo2100 Geographies of New York City
Geo2110 Social Geographies (semester 2)
Geo3105 Young People, Place and Identity 

In addition to this, I make small contributions to the following modules:
Geo2043 Key Methods in Human Geography  
Geo2111 Doing Geographical Research: Theory and Practice
Geo3099 Dissertation

In 2011, I was awarded a Vice Chancellor's Distinguished Teacher Award.  

I currently serve as the External Examiner (Human Geography) for the BSc/MA Geography at Dundee University (2010-13) 

Postgraduate Teaching 

I make a small contribution to a postgraduate module:
HSS8104 Qualitative Methodology in the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences (contributor) 

• Baillie-Smith M, Laurie N, Hopkins P, Olson E. International volunteering, faith and subjectivity: negotiating cosmopolitanism, citizenship and development. Geoforum 2013. In Press.
• Hopkins P, Kong L, Olson E, ed. Religion and place: landscape, politics and piety. London: Springer, 2013.
• Ali R, Hopkins P. Everyday making and civic engagement amongst Muslim women in Scotland. In: Muslims in Britain: Making Social and Political Space. London: Routledge, 2012, pp.141-155.
• Hopkins P. Everyday politics of fat. Antipode 2012, 44(4), 1227-1246.
• Hopkins P. Exploring participatory diagramming in youth geographies. In: Phillips, R., Johns, J, ed. Fieldwork for Human Geography. London: Sage Publications Ltd, 2012, pp.184-186.
• Hopkins P, Tarrant A. Geographies of Age. In: Warf, B, ed. Oxford Bibliographies in Geography. New York: Oxford University Press, 2012. In Press.
• Hopkins P, Todd L. Occupying Newcastle University: student resistance to government spending cuts in England. The Geographical Journal 2012, 178(2), 104-109.
• Olson E, Hopkins P, Pain R, Vincett G. Re-theorizing the postsecular present: embodiment, spatial transcendence, and challenges to authenticity amongst young Christians in Glasgow, Scotland. Annals of the Association of American Geographers 2012, (epub ahead of print).
• Hopkins P, Jackson P. Researching masculinities and the future of the WGSG. Area 2012. In Press.
• Vincett G, Olson E, Hopkins P, Pain R. Young people and performance Christianity in Scotland. Journal of Contemporary Religion 2012, 27(2), 275-290.
• Hopkins P. Young people's geographies. In: Oxford Bibliographies in Geography. New York: Oxford University Press, 2012. In Press.
• Burgoine T, Hopkins P, Rech M, Zapata G. “These kids can’t write abstracts”: reflections on a postgraduate writing and publishing workshop. Area 2011, 43(4), 463-469.
• Hopkins P. Jovens, masculinidades, religiao e raca: novas geografias sociais. In: Silva, J.M., Ornat, M.J., Chimin Junior, A.B, ed. Espaço, gênero e masculinidades plurais. Brazil: Todapalavra, 2011.
• Hopkins P, Olson E, Pain R, Vincett G. Mapping intergenerationalities: the formation of youthful religiosities. Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers 2011, 36(2), 314-327.
• Hopkins P. Multiple, marginalised, passé or politically engaged? Some reflections on the current place of social geographies. Social and Cultural Geography 2011, 12(6), 533-538.
• Pain R, Phillips D, Nagel C, Mohammad R, McLean J, Dunn K, Hopkins P. Reading Peter Hopkins' The Issue of Masculine Identities for British Muslims after 9/11: a social analysis. Political Geography 2011, 30(6), 339-348.
• Hopkins P. Teaching and Learning Guide for: Critical Geographies of Body Size. Geography Compass 2011, 5(2), 106-111.
• Barnes L, Buckley A, Hopkins P, Tate S. The transition to and through university for non-traditional local students: some observations for teachers. Teaching Geography 2011, 70-71.
• Hopkins P. Towards critical geographies of the university campus: understanding the contested experiences of Muslim students. Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers 2011, 36(1), 157-169.
• Hopkins PE, Hill M. Contested bodies of asylum-seeking children. In: Horschelmannm K; Colls R, ed. Contested Bodies of Childhood and Youth. Basingstoke: Palgrave MacMillan, 2010, pp.136-147.
• Hopkins P, Baillie-Smith M, Laurie N, Olson E. Jovenes cristianos en America Latina: Las experiencias de jovenes cristianos que participan como voluntarios internacionales en proyectos de inspiracion religiosa en America Latina. Newcastle Upon Tyne: Newcastle University, 2010.
• Van Hoven B, Hopkins P. Masculinities - Maanlichkeitsforschung in der Kulturgeographie. In: Bauriedl, S; Schier, M; Struver, A, ed. Geschlechterverhältnisse, Raumstrukturen, Ortsbeziehungen: Erkundungen von Vielfalt und Differenz im spatial turn. Berlin: Verlag Westfalisches Dampfboot, 2010, pp.238-250.
• Hopkins P, Alexander C. Politics, mobility and nationhood: upscaling young people's geographies. Area 2010, 42(2), 142-144.
• Hopkins P, Alexander C. Politics, mobility and nationhood: Upscaling young people's geographies: Introduction to Special Section. Area 2010, 42(2), 142-144.
• Nagel C, Hopkins P. Spaces of multiculturalism. Space and Polity 2010, 14(1), 1-11.
• Hopkins P, Hill M. The needs and strengths of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children and young people in Scotland. Child and Family Social Work 2010, 15(4), 399-408.
• Hopkins P. The politics of identifying Muslim identities. Geography 2010, 95(3), 137-139.
• Hopkins P, Baillie Smith M, Laurie N, Olson E. Young Christians in Latin America: the experiences of young Christians who participate in faith-based international volunteering projects in Latin America. Newcastle upon Tyne, UK: Newcastle University, 2010.
• Hopkins P. Young people's spaces. In: Foley, P., Leverett, S, ed. Children and Young People's Spaces: Developing Practice. Basingstoke: Palgrave, 2010, pp.25-39.
• Hopkins P. Young People, Place and Identity. London: Routledge, 2010.
• Pain R, Hopkins PE. Common Ground: a space of emotional well-being for young asylum seekers. Durham University: Centre for Social Justice and Community Action, 2009.
• Hopkins PE. Deconstructing geographical binaries: Muslims in the West. In: Phillips R, ed. Muslim spaces of hope: geographies of possibility in Britain and the West. London: Zed Books, 2009, pp.27-40.
• Hopkins P. Geographical contributions to understanding contemporary Islam: current trends and future directions. Contemporary Islam 2009, 3(3), 213-227.
• van Hoven B, Hopkins PE. Masculinities. In: Kitchin R; Thrift N, ed. The International Encylopedia of Human Geography. Amsterdam; London; Oxford: Elsevier Science, 2009.
• Hopkins PE, Noble G. Masculinities in place: situated identities, relations and intersectionality. Social and Cultural Geography 2009, 10(8), 811-819.
• Hopkins PE. Men, women, positionalities and emotion: doing feminist geographies of religion. ACME: an International Journal for Critical Geographers 2009, 8(1), 1-17.
• Hopkins PE, Gale R, ed. Muslims in Britain: race, place and identities. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2009.
• Gale R, Hopkins PE. Muslims in Britain: race, space and the spatiality of identities. In: Hopkins P; Gale, R, ed. Muslims in Britain: race, place and identities. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2009, pp.236.
• Hopkins PE. Responding to the 'crisis of masculinity': the perspectives of young Muslim men from Glasgow and Edinburgh, Scotland. Gender, Place and Culture 2009, 16(3), 299-312.
• Hill M, Hopkins PE. Safeguarding children who are refugees or asylum seekers: managing multiple scales of legislation and policy. In: Broadhurst K; Grover C; Jamieson J; Mason C, ed. Safeguarding children: critical perspectives. Oxford: Blackwell, 2009.
• Pain R, Hopkins PE. Social geographies of age: landscapes, lifecourses, equity and justice. In: Smith SJ; Pain R; Marston S; Jones JP, ed. The SAGE handbook of social geography. London: Sage, 2009, pp.78-98.
• Hopkins P. Women, men, positionalities and emotion: Doing feminist geographies of religion. ACME 2009, 8(1), 1-17.
• Hopkins PE. Critical geographies of body size. Geography Compass 2008, 2(6), 2111-2126.
• Hopkins PE. Ethical issues in research with unaccompanied asylum-seeking children. Children's Geographies 2008, 6(1), 37-48.
• Hopkins PE, Bell N. Interdisciplinary perspectives: ethical issues and child research. Children's Geographies 2008, 6(1), 1-6.
• Hopkins P, Pain R. Is there more to life? Relationalities in here and out there: A reply to Horton and Kraftl. Area 2008, 40(2), 289-292.
• Hopkins PE, Hill M. Pre-flight experiences and migration stories: the accounts of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children. Children's Geographies 2008, 6(3), 257-268.
• Hopkins PE. Race, nation and politics: the difference that Scotland makes. In: Dwyer C; Bressey C, ed. New Geographies of Race and Racism. Aldershot: Ashgate, 2008, pp.113-124.
• Hopkins PE, Smith SJ. Scaling segregation; racialising fear. In: Pain R; Smith S, ed. Fear: critical geopolitics and everyday life. Aldershot: Ashgate, 2008, pp.103-116.
• Hopkins P. The Issue of Masculine Identities for British Muslims After 9/11: a social analysis. Lampeter: Edwin Mellen Press, 2008.
• Hopkins PE. Young, male, Scottish and Muslim: a portrait of Kabir. In: Jeffrey C; Dyson J, ed. Telling Young Lives: portraits of global youth. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 2008, pp.69-80.
• Hopkins PE. ‘Blue squares’, ‘proper’ Muslims and transnational networks Narratives of national and religious identities amongst young Muslim men living in Scotland. Ethnicities 2007, 7(1), 61-81.
• Medd W, Watson M, Hopkins PE, Olson E. Cultural diversity and sustainable water management in Greater London: the research agenda. London: Greater London Authority, 2007.
• Hopkins PE, Pain R. Geographies of age: Thinking relationally. Area 2007, 39(3), 287-294.
• Aitchison C, Hopkins PE, Kwan, M-P. Geographies of Muslim Identities: Diaspora, Gender and Belonging. Aldershot: Ashgate, 2007.
• Hopkins PE. Global events, national politics, local lives: young Muslim men in Scotland. Environment and Planning A 2007, 39(5), 1119-1133.
• Hopkins PE, Kwan M-P, Aitchison C. Introduction: Geographies of Muslim Identities. In: Aitchison C; Hopkins P; Kwan M-P, ed. Geographies of Muslim Identities: Diaspora, Gender and Belonging. Aldershot: Ashgate, 2007, pp.1-10.
• Hopkins PE. Positionalities and knowledge: Negotiating ethics in practice. ACME: An International E-journal for Critical Geographers 2007, 6(3), 386-394.
• Hopkins P. Thinking critically and creatively about focus groups. Area 2007, 39(4), 528-535.
• Hopkins PE. Young Muslim men’s experiences of local landscapes after 11 September 2001. In: Aitchison C; Hopkins PE; Kwan M-P, ed. Geographies of Muslim Identities: Diaspora, Gender and Belonging. Aldershot: Ashgate, 2007, pp.189-200.
• Hopkins PE. Young people, masculinities, religion and race: new social geographies. Progress in Human Geography 2007, 31(2), 163-177.
• Hopkins PE, Hill M. ‘This is a good place to live and think about the future’: the needs and experiences of unaccompanied asylum seeking children and young people in Scotland. Glasgow: Scottish Refugee Council, 2006.
• Hopkins PE. Youth transitions and going to university: the perceptions of students attending a geography summer school access programme. Area 2006, 38(3), 240-247.
• Hopkins PE. Youthful Muslim masculinities: gender and generational relations. Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers 2006, 31(3), 337-352.
• Howard D, Hopkins PE. Editorial introduction: race, religion and the census. Population, Space and Place 2005, 11(2), 69-74.
• Gwanzura-Ottemoller F, Hopkins PE, Lorimer H, Philip L. Reflections on Postgraduate Research Training: Staff and Student Perspectives. Journal of Geography in Higher Education 2005, 29(2), 279-292.
• Hopkins PE. Everyday Racism in Scotland: A Case Study of East Pollokshields. Scottish Affairs 2004, 49(Autumn), 88-103.
• Hopkins PE. Young Muslim men in Scotland: Inclusions and Exclusions. Children's Geographies 2004, 2(2), 257-272.