About PopCRN
The primary objective of PopCRN is to leverage our international research capabilities to generate rigorous academic research within the realm of popular culture and social studies. It functions as a conduit for researchers to disseminate and collaboratively engage in significant scholarly endeavours.
The Popular Culture Research Network (PopCRN) unites scholars from diverse disciplines with the overarching goal of advancing the field of popular culture studies. Established in 2021 in response to challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, PopCRN strategically capitalizes on academia's robust research outputs in popular culture. Operating as a centre of excellence, PopCRN serves as a distinguished platform to showcase academic prowess.
The scope of popular culture encompasses various modalities, including television, music, fashion, theatre, literature, sport, and film. Recognising its pivotal role in reflecting societal trends, norms, and social identity, the network aims to deepen research in this field through collaborative efforts among its members, emphasising interdisciplinary initiatives, innovation, and mentoring. Researchers affiliated with PopCRN are esteemed in their respective fields, and their work epitomizes the forefront of popular culture studies.
To mitigate the physical distances imposed by the pandemic and geographical constraints, PopCRN initiated online conferences as a platform for research presentations. Presently, PopCRN organises approximately four online conferences each year, consistently free and open to all researchers.
PopCRN takes pride in its commitment to mentoring and supporting junior researchers, successfully guiding Early Career Researchers (ECRs) to their inaugural publications. Our network ensures that all researchers have access to valuable experience and expertise.
PopCRN is guided by the following objectives:
Spearheading cutting-edge research across a diverse spectrum of popular culture.
Facilitating cross-disciplinary connections to enhance academic outputs.
Extending invitations to and engaging with individuals expressing interest in and curiosity about studies in popular culture.
Mentoring and encouraging junior researchers into important research careers.
PopCRN was founded by Jo Coghlan, Lisa Hackett, and Huw Nolan.
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Jo Coghlan
Chief Operating Officer
Director of Research in Death, Politics, Gender and Materials
Associate Professor Jo Coghlan’s research and teaching uses a sociological and political lens to examine a range of popular culture forms and contexts. An interdisciplinary researcher, Jo examines a range of popular and material culture areas including gendered political fashion, death studies and death fashion, critical film and television studies with a focus on class and violence, representations of animals in post-human contexts, transhumanism and technology, hegemonic discourses of royalty and celebrity and the social history of food.
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Lisa Hackett
Chief Communications Officer
Director of Research in Fashion, Material Culture, Aviation and History
Lisa’s research examines aviation, fashion, clothing and uniform in popular culture through a sociological and historical lens to expose the ways popular culture objects define identity and social roles. Her PhD examined the ways that Australian women utilise 1950s style to fashion their identities. Lisa is the co-founder (along with Dr Jo Coghlan and Huw Nolan) of PopCRN, the Popular Culture Research Network which brings together scholars and researchers who share a fascination in the academic inquiry into all manner of mass phenomena. Her current research includes the study of the use of female Second World War pilot’s uniforms in propaganda, the history of air pageants and the British Royal Family in popular culture. She is on the editorial board of Popular Culture Review (Wiley) and is co-Chief Editor of the International Journal of Popular Culture Studies.
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Huw Nolan
Chief Strategy Officer
Director of Research in Anthrozoology and Cultural Myths
Huw is an Animal Welfare Scientist and Ethicist, his research investigates the ramifications of human imagination, beliefs, and intuitions on the welfare of animals and the environment. His research is dedicated to scrutinizing the ethical dimensions associated with representations of non-human life in popular culture and their consequential impact on societal attitudes in the real world.