Dr Ryan J. Williams is a Research Associate specializing in the sociology of religion and religious studies. He is currently working with Prof. Alison Liebling on the ESRCs ‘transforming social science’ research on ‘trust, prisoner leadership and risk in maximum security prisons’.
Ryan’s concurrent research in the Faculty of Divinity continues an innovative research programme that seeks to develop relational and network sociology for the study of contemporary religion. His research interests also include: understanding the Islamic revival in prisons, exploring its role in rehabilitation and resistance; understanding of the construction of risk and dangerousness within a post-secular, post-9/11 and 7/7 security climate; measures and methods for risk assessment related to extremism and radicalization. Ryan is active in achieving high impact research, having informed policy and research on the national and international level through advising the Home Office, NATO, and the Taabah Foundation in the United Arab Emirates on issues related to the human sciences, security, and religious leadership and Muslim youth.
