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Miguel A. Martínez

@miguel-martinez.bsky.social

560 followers 210 following 54 posts

Sociologist. On cities, housing and struggles for social justice. From Spain, based in Sweden (Uppsala Univ.). Author of "Squatters in the Capitalist City" (Routledge) and editor of "Research Handbook on Urban Sociology" (EE). www.miguelangelmartinez.net .. more

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Miguel A. Martínez is a Spanish and Swedish sociologist at Uppsala University. Martínez is Chair Professor of housing and urban sociology at the IBF. In 2020, he published Squatters in the capitalist city. Housing, Justice and Urban Politics. .. more

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Miguel A. Martínez @miguel-martinez.bsky.social · Mar 10

If interested on squatting, this open-access book offers key insights. It covers its theorisation as a movement, its autonomist politics, relevant socio-spatial structures, types of squatting, legalisation, and criminalisation issues. Free download here: www.miguelangelmartinez.net?Squatters-in...

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Miguel A. Martínez @miguel-martinez.bsky.social · 10d

This week I am joining this impressive conference. My keynote will be presented tomorrow: "Urban struggles through the lenses of communal luxury and real utopias." www.tu.berlin/en/planningt...

Miguel A. Martínez @miguel-martinez.bsky.social · 19d

The three wonderful books I've been reading lately. Brilliant insights about revolutionary thinking, emancipatory change, egalitarian futures and strategies for ecological transformation. We need utopian hope to counter fascism, but also provide sustainable material living conditions for everyone.

Miguel A. Martínez @miguel-martinez.bsky.social · 22d

Inspiring reading today: "LIBERTOPIA: An Intellectual Stroll in Berlin's Tempelhof Park", by Asef Bayat. Indeed, I conducted a couple of interviews about this case just before the Covid-19 pandemic, but I could not return to Berlin nor to my project. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....

LIBERTOPIA: An Intellectual Stroll in Berlin's Tempelhof Park

Berlin's Tempelhofer Feld, an old airport turned into a public park, stands as a unique urban space. What it is about this simple and massive open space in the heart of a large city that makes it a n...

onlinelibrary.wiley.com

Miguel A. Martínez @miguel-martinez.bsky.social · 29d

Nos entrevistaron aquí con motivo de nuestro último libro. Con estas respuestas me parece que casi hemos escrito un capítulo extra :) www.nocierreslosojos.com/iban-diaz-pa...

Miguel A. Martínez @miguel-martinez.bsky.social · 29d

Two-days "paper development workshop" in Geneva about housing, illegality, criminality and all the complexities, contradictions and nuances one should expect when dealing with this topic. It's been much better and more intellectually challenging than most conventional conferences!

Miguel A. Martínez @miguel-martinez.bsky.social · Aug 22

PROFESSOR / ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR / ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF URBAN STUDIES at the University of Helsinki. The position will focus on the study of inequality and segregation at the urban and regional levels. Deadline: Sept. 24, 2025. jobs.helsinki.fi/job/Helsinki... #urban #sociology

Professor / Associate Professor / Assistant Professor of Urban Studies

jobs.helsinki.fi

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Miguel A. Martínez @miguel-martinez.bsky.social · Aug 22

Useful reflections on the labour of doctoral supervision in a caring and collective fashion versus the traditional Master-apprentice model, by Defne Kadioglu and Chiara Valli.
ojs.mau.se/index.php/Jo...

Miguel A. Martínez @miguel-martinez.bsky.social · Aug 20

Freshly arrived today! A brilliant research by @sailamaria.bsky.social that adds up lots of arguments and evidence on urban squatting/occupations. Congrats!

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Miguel A. Martínez @miguel-martinez.bsky.social · Aug 15

My academic reading today was on the protests of research subjects about 'academic extractivism' in Chile's urban "poblaciones" when participatory/activist research is not even intended from the very beginning of a study. Great reflections and lessons to learn! www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1...

Accusations of academic extractivism in Chile's historical poor neighborhoods: root causes and alternative practices

Chile's historic poor neighborhoods are attracting increasing academic interest, while residents voice concerns about ‘academic extractivism.’ This criticism highlights researchers’ concentration o...

www.tandfonline.com

Miguel A. Martínez @miguel-martinez.bsky.social · Aug 5

📣 CfP: PLACES OF STRUGGLE, STRUGGLE FOR PLACES:On the Reconfiguration of Political Commitment in a World of Despair. How do political struggles shape space. April 9–10, 2026. Montréal, Québec, Canada. Abstract deadline: September 15, 2025. www.capedmontreal.com/ #urban #sociology

Recherche | CAPED

Les publications du CAPED

www.capedmontreal.com

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Miguel A. Martínez @miguel-martinez.bsky.social · Aug 4

Another interesting article came to my inbox: on the "temporal power" of urban activists in three cases/contexts (Helsinki, St. Petersburg and NYC)."Temporalities of Closure in Urban Planning Conflicts" by Veikko Eranti and Anna Zhelnina. journals.sagepub.com/doi/epub/10....

Miguel A. Martínez @miguel-martinez.bsky.social · Aug 4

Interesting qualitative research on the publication strategies of social scientists in Denmark, who try to play the game of reaching top-US journals. The authors take an organisational/institutional and interactionist approach, not a political economy one. journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1...

Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.

journals.sagepub.com

Miguel A. Martínez @miguel-martinez.bsky.social · Jul 19

sus implicaciones activistas. Muy recomendable también como ejemplo excelente de análisis cualitativo de entrevistas y trayectorias residenciales (y de una afinada y suficientemente diversa selección muestral de las entrevistadas).

Miguel A. Martínez @miguel-martinez.bsky.social · Jul 19

Magnífico libro de Irene Sabaté sobre los problemas de vivienda vividos por distintos tipos de mujeres del área metropolitana de Barcelona. Además de ofrecer un mapa detallado y complejo de la precariedad habitacional, explora sus dimensiones interseccionales, de economía política y +

Reposted by Miguel A. Martínez

ricard gomà @ricardgoma.bsky.social · Jul 13

Interessant estudi de diversos processos de reapropiació col·lectiva de la ciutat, des de lògiques d'autogestió d'espais i articulació de comuns urbans.
@miguel-martinez.bsky.social, Ibán Díaz ⬇️
www.akal.com/libro/centro...

Centros sociales autogestionados

Los centros sociales autogestionados representan formas singulares y anómalas de producir la ciudad. Su ya prolongada historia ha recibido una atención académica en aumento durante los últimos años, d...

www.akal.com

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Reposted by Miguel A. Martínez

Javier Gil @javigil.bsky.social · Jul 8

1. El mercado de alquiler no está controlado por “pequeños propietarios”.

Los caseros son la población con más renta del país y suelen tener varias viviendas alquiladas.

Pero el mito del "casero particular" se usa para frenar cualquier regulación favorable a los inquilinos.

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Miguel A. Martínez @miguel-martinez.bsky.social · Jun 16

Nuestro nuevo libro ya está impreso y distribuído!! Y a un precio muy asequible :) Ojalá os interese! www.akal.com/libro/centro...

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Reposted by Miguel A. Martínez

RC21-ISA @rc21.bsky.social · Jun 16

What thinking sociologically really means? Editor-in-Chief Carin Runciman shares insights from The Sociological Review’s editors about how they choose the scholarship that shapes the Journal. thesociologicalreview.org/magazine/jun... #urban #sociology

Matters of perspective: What thinking sociologically really means

Thinking sociologically on how social structures work is The Sociological Review journal’s editorial foundation. By Carin Runciman, Editor-in-Chief.

thesociologicalreview.org

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Miguel A. Martínez @miguel-martinez.bsky.social · Jun 6

also in co-authoring publications, but perhaps this works better in non-academic outlets and forms (art exhibitions, workshops, interviews with journalists, etc.).

Miguel A. Martínez @miguel-martinez.bsky.social · Jun 6

so not all research participants are "knowers" of the published results. Not withstanding all that, I am still very much in favour of widening collaborations between academics and research participants and activists, +

Miguel A. Martínez @miguel-martinez.bsky.social · Jun 6

an academic career too (thus, by self-selecting themselves and excluding the rest). Finally, (social) scientific knowledge does not merely consist of insiders' information, but a more complex process involving adequate research design, theoretical framing, significant data analysis, etc. +

Miguel A. Martínez @miguel-martinez.bsky.social · Jun 6

It is also a difficult skill and time consuming. Its public reach is seldom as we would like to be. Furthermore, if you had more than 30 people involved in your project as research participants, co-writing could be a nightmare, or just attractive for those participants who intend to pursue +

Miguel A. Martínez @miguel-martinez.bsky.social · Jun 6

on how to co-author academic writing with research participants. My take is that academic publishing is not always appealing, interesting or beneficial for most participants because this hardly is their professional field. +

Miguel A. Martínez @miguel-martinez.bsky.social · Jun 6

Reading today: "Writing with research partners ‘from the field’: Plural knowledges and epistemic justice in qualitative research" by Martina Blank. It adds an interesting literature review and some practical tips +
journals.sagepub.com/doi/epub/10....

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RC21-ISA @rc21.bsky.social · May 30

Call for Papers: Contested urban policy: breeding concrete utopias. Berlin, 30 September – 2 October 2025. Submission deadline: 30 June 2025. www.tu.berlin/en/planningt... #urban #sociology

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Miguel A. Martínez @miguel-martinez.bsky.social · May 21

Next week in Frankfurt, and online, if interested: Challenges and opportunities for contemporary housing activism. Meetings with Master and Doctoral students too. Looking forward to it!

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Miguel A. Martínez @miguel-martinez.bsky.social · May 13

Many sociologists who read The Sociological Imagination perhaps overlooked the brilliant The Power Elite by the same C. Wright Mills. From his analysis in the 1950s to present Trump's dystopian times, this article dissects some of the key trends and lessons. newrepublic.com/article/1938...

Whatever Happened to the Power Elite?

The trio of interests atop business, military, and government depicted in C. Wright Mills’s postwar critique is no longer united in setting the national agenda.

newrepublic.com

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Reposted by Miguel A. Martínez

Radical Housing Journal @radicalhousing.bsky.social · May 13

The Radical Housing Journal is more than a publication — it's a collective project and a space where activism meets critical scholarship.

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Miguel A. Martínez @miguel-martinez.bsky.social · May 8

Why social science matters? Social science is highly relevant to helping us understand and manage many of the issues facing society, the environment, the economy and places. They make a positive contribution to our daily lives. More evidence and arguments here acss.org.uk/what-is-soci... #sociology

Miguel A. Martínez @miguel-martinez.bsky.social · May 7

I teach an urban sociology course, with a lot on housing, but not sure yet whether will be discontinue next year: Urban Sociology: Current Challenges 2SC159. Thanks for the link and looking forward to reading the book!