Evans was born in Stoke-on-Trent where he lived until his mid-twenties, having spent periods working on the factory floor in the potteries, before studying for his A levels as a mature student and leaving to take up a place at university.
He regularly returns to North Staffordshire, where he maintains close ties with friends and family and is a season ticket holder at Stoke City F.C.
Among his research interests is a long-term concern with social inequality and the political representation of the working class, stemming to a large degree from his own background and early working years in Stoke.
His other research examines political divisions between classes, religions and ethnic groups in a range of other societies including Northern Ireland and post-communist Eastern Europe.
As a psychologist by training he examines the factors that shape how people understand and relate to politics and their place in society.