Centre for Love, Sex and Relationships

The Centre for Love, Sex, and Relationships

A research group dedicated to deepening our understanding of the nature and significance of intimacy, how relationships may be supported by technology, social institutions, and the state.

Three hands clasped together

The Centre for Love, Sex, and Relationships (CLSR) is a research group within the School of Philosophy, Religion, and the History of Science at Leeds. We are interested in deepening our understanding of the nature and significance of intimacy, and exploring the ways different relationships might be impacted by technology, social institutions, and the state. The centre exists to foster academic research at Leeds, establish connections with industry leaders, organise events and workshops, support graduate research, and to engage with the public.

Directors: Dr. Natasha McKeever and Dr. Luke Brunning.

Clsr

 

Our research

CLSR is the only centre in the UK dedicated to researching love, sex and relationships. Our network consists of over 20 permanent staff and graduate students.

Example research topics

  • Sexual ethics
  • Relationship types
  • Marginalised intimacies
  • The nature of intimate emotions
  • Love and technology
  • Intimate ways of living
  • Relationships and change
  • Relationship ethics
  • Politics of intimacy
  • Intimacy and the state

Our funders

We have received generous funding contributions from The British Academy and The Society for Applied Philosophy, in addition to Leeds University’s Institutional Translational Funding and Building Impact Momentum Programme.

Centre blog: Instagram @Leeds_CLSR

Twitter: @LeedsCLSR

Research projects

Leverhulme Early Career Fellow Rosa Vince is going to be joining us from this September! They will be working with us for two years on an exciting research project called “[Radical] Feminism, [Radical] Sex: a new approach to sex and objectification”. They’ll be mentored by Dr. Robbie Morgan.

Dr. Luke Brunning’s Book “Romantic Agency” is out now! “Beautifully written, clear and direct, Brunning’s romantic agency challenges ideological preconceptions and opens new intellectual territory” (QUILL REBECCA KUKLA) “Romantic Agency is a thoughtful philosophical reflection on how we might expand the freedom that we - and others - experience in our romantic relationships” MEG-JOHN BAKER https://lukebrunning.com/romantic-agency

News and events

See more events like this

An exterior shot of an old slave mansion in the Caribbean

A workshop on impact and engagement

More on Reclaiming Histories: Slavery, Race and the Churches
A cartoon collage depicting people with their arms around each other

We are pleased to announce the upcoming Futuring Interculturality event, themed “Between Aspirations and Structural Constraints,” featuring talks by Dr. Ramzi Merabet and Jenna Isherwood

More on Futuring Interculturality: Between Aspirations and Structural Constraints
Aeriel shot of a group of people sat around a table with mobile devices

An invaluable opportunity to hear inspirational talks from academics using COIL at Leeds, network with others doing or exploring COIL, and hear from students who have experienced COIL at Leeds

More on 2025 COIL Showcase: Transform Your Students’ Learning by Employing Collaborative Online International Learning
A person looking at a comment board. Comments are about the importance of listening

The workshop brings together academics and Leeds-based artists who use arts-centred techniques to encourage members of the community to talk as freely as possible about their experiences.

More on Workshop: Arts Facilitation for Researchers