Sebastian Raza Mejia

Sebastian is a Teaching Associate in the Department of Sociology. Combining insights from phenomenology, hermeneutics and pragmatism, Sebastian’s research focuses on how agents asssess, interpret and transform crisis situations. He has concentrated on establishing the theoretical foundations for a research programme that centres on explaining and understanding how crises transform – for better or worse – culture and institutions, as well as practical, biographical and historical self-understanding.

His expertise lies in social theory, cultural, political and historical sociology, and intellectual history, particularly, the history of sociological thought.

Research Interests

Sebastian is interested in the empirical study of crisis, ranging from financial, constitutional and migration crisis to pandemics. He is particularly interested in accounts that consider how different aspects of selfhood (i.e. values, habits, practices, imaginaries) are transformed during these critical processes. Sebastian has a strong interest in social theory, the history of sociological thought, and intellectual history in general.

Teaching

Sebastian has taught introductory and advanced social theory. In addition to this, he has taught a postgraduate course in Social Philosophy and Philosophy of Economics, as well as introductory and advanced classes in Logic. Over the past 5 years, he has supervised undegraduate papers in the Department of Sociology.

Lectures

SOC2: Social Theory

SOC6: Advanced Social Theory

Graduate supervision

Sebastian is open to supervise MPhil students in the following areas: empirical studies of crises, cultural sociology, social theory, the history of sociological thought.

Publications

Papers

(2024) On the Uses of Phenomenology in Sociological Research: A Typology, some Criticisms and a Plea. Journal for the Theory of Social Behaviour. https://doi.org/10.1111/jtsb.12415

(2023) Max Weber and Charles Taylor: On Normative Aspects of a Theory of Human Agency. Journal of Classical Sociology. 23(1), 97–136.

(2022) The ‘Normative Turn in Sociological Theory: Sociology’s Garden of the Forking Paths. Civic Sociology 3 (1): 55639. doi: https://doi.org/10.1525/cs.2022.55639 (with Daniel Chernilo – co-first authorship)

(2020) The Time of the Human: Temporality and Philosophical Sociology. Distinktion. Journal of Social Theory. 21: 1, 103-11. (with Filipe Carreira da Silva)

(2017) Dualismo/antidualismo: dos tipos de relacionalidad en la teoría sociológica contemporánea. Theorein. Revista de Ciencias Sociales, 1: 99-142

Introductions to Special Issues

(2020) ¿Otro Giro en la Teoría Social? El Giro Normativo y la Sociología Filosófica. Theorein. Revista de Ciencias Sociales. 5: 7-17

(2019) Debatir el populismo: Lógicas, afectos y ciclos de conflictividad. Introducción al número temático. Theorein. Revista de Ciencias Sociales, 4: 7-21 (with Jorge Daniel Vásquez)

(2018) Crisis y Crítica. Introducción al número temático. Theorein. Revista de Ciencias Sociales, 3: 7-14

Edited journal collections

Co-Editor (with Marijn Nohlmanns and Kai-Uwe Hoffman). A Symposium on Michael Rosen’s The Shadow of God in The Journal of the Philosophy of History (Forthcoming, 2025)

Editor. ‘Sociología Filosófica’. Special Issue in Theorein. Revista de Ciencias Sociales (2020).

Co-Editor (with Jorge Daniel Vásquez). ‘Populismo’. Special Issue in Theorein. Revista de Ciencias Sociales (2019).

Co-Editor (with Mauro Basaure). ‘Crisis y Crítica’. Special Issue in Theorein Revista de Ciencias Sociales (2018)

Editor. ‘Neoliberalismo’. Special Issue in Theorein. Revista de Ciencias Sociales

Academic Interviews

(2024) Max Weber contra Neoliberalism: A Conversation with Wendy Brown. Theory, Culture & Society

(2017) (with Burgum, S. & Vasquez, J.) Redoing the demos? An interview with Wendy Brown, Theory, Culture & Society. 34 (7-8): 229-236

(2017) Gramsci y la centralidad de las Clases Sociales. Una conversación con Jorge Luis Acanda. Cálamo. Revista de Estudios Jurídicos. 6: 88-98.

(2017) ¿Existe tal cosa como la sociedad? La promesa de la sociología en tiempos neoliberales. Entrevista con Nicholas Gane. Theorein. Revista de Ciencias sociales, 1(2): 129-152.

Book Reviews

(2024) Lehmann, D. (2022) After the Decolonial. Cambridge: Polity Press. Journal of Latin American Studies

(2017) Brown, W. (2016) El Pueblo Sin Atributos: La Secreta Revolución del Neoliberalismo. Madrid: Malpaso Ediciones. Theorein, 1(2): 153-161.

Research Interests

Teaching

Publications

Grants and Projects

Research Groups & Affiliations

Awards

Study at Cambridge

About the University

Research at Cambridge