Dr Susan Venn

Biography

Susan has recently joined the Sustainable Lifestyles Research Group (SLRG), within the Centre for Environmental Strategy, and is also a member of  CRAG (Centre for Research on Ageing and Gender) in the Department of Sociology.  Susan is currently working as a researcher on a new three year mixed method longitudinal study (funded by DEFRA, ESRC and the Scottish Government) which will explore the opportunities and constraints for sustainable lifestyle changes during two life course transitions - having a first child and retiring.  Susan originally joined CRAG in September 2000 as a research administrator working on two projects, PETRAS (Policies for Ecological Tax Reform: Assessment of Social Responses) funded by the EU, and a US/UK comparison of clinical decision-making for older patients, funded by the US National Institute of Ageing. Susan completed her MSc (Distinction) in Social Research in 2004  and her PhD in March 2011.  Susan has recently been working as a researcher on a four year ESRC funded project looking at sleep in later life (SomnIA) (2006-2010).  She was made Co-Director of CRAG in 2010.  

Susan is Honorary Secretary to the British Society of Gerontology (BSG), and is Secretary of the Averil Osborn Awards Panel for the BSG.

Research Interests

Susan's research interests include sustainable lifestyles and the environment, lifecourse transitions, and gender and ageing.

Publications

Peer reviewed journal articles

Venn, S., Meadows, R. and Arber, S. (2012) 'Gender differences in approaches to self-management of poor sleep in later life', Social Science and Medicine, Special Issue on 'Sleep, Culture and Health' Social Science and Medicine.

Venn, S. and Arber, S. (2012) Understanding older peoples’ decisions about the use of sleeping medication: issues of control and autonomy, Sociology of Health and Illness, available online, DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-9566.2012.01468.x

Venn, S. and Arber, S. (2011) Daytime sleep and active ageing,  Ageing and Society, 31:197-216.

Arber, S. and Venn, S. (2011) Caregiving at night: Understanding the impact on carers’ sleep, Journal of Aging Studies, 25:2, 155-165.

Meadows, R., Luff, R., Eyers, I., Venn, S., Cope, E. and Arber, S. (2010) An actigraphic study comparing community dwelling poor sleepers with non-demented care home residents, Chronobiology International. 

Meadows, R., Arber, S., Venn, S., Hislop, J and Stanley, N (2009) Exploring the interdependence of couples' rest-wake cycles: an actigraphic study Chronobiology International 26(1): 80-92.

Venn, S., Arber, S., Meadows, R., and Hislop, J. (2008) The fourth shift: exploring the gendered nature of sleep disruption among couples with children, The British Journal of Sociology, 59(1).

Meadows, R., Arber, S., Venn, S. and Hislop, J. (2008) Unruly bodies and couples’ sleep, Body & Society 14(4):75-92.

Meadows, R., Arber, S., Venn, S. and Hislop, J. (2008) Engaging with sleep: Male definitions, understandings and attitudes, Sociology of Health and Illness 30(5): 696-710.

Venn, S., (2007) ‘It’s okay for a man to snore”: the influence of gender on sleep disruption in couples, Sociological Research Online, 12(5) http://www.socresonline.org.uk/12/5/1.html.

Moran-Ellis, J., and Venn, S., (2007) The sleeping lives of children and teenagers: nightworlds and arenas of action, Sociological Research Online, 12(5), http://www.socresonline.org.uk/12/5/9.html.

Arber, S., Meadows, R., Venn, S. (2005) Narratives of the Night: The Use of Audio Diaries in Researching Sleep, Hislop, J., Sociological Research Online, 10(4), http://www.socresonline.org.uk/10/4/hislop.html.

Meadows, R., Stanley, N., Venn, S., Hislop, J. and Arber, S. (2005) Completely unattended home sleep recordings, Letter in Sleep 28(4): 526.

Meadows, R., Venn, S., Hislop, J., Stanley, N. and Arber, S. (2005) Investigating Couples’ Sleep: An evaluation of actigraphic analysis techniques, Journal of Sleep Research 14:4.

Chapters in edited book collections
Arber, S., Meadows, R. and Venn, S. (forthcoming) Sleep and society, in C. Espie and C. Morin (eds) Handbook of Sleep and Sleep Disorders, Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Venn, S., Davidson, K. and Arber, S. (2011)  Gender and Aging, in R.A. Settersten Jnr and J.L. Angel (eds) Handbook of Sociology of Aging, New York:  Springer, 71-82.

Meadows, R. and Venn, S. (2009) Constructing Identities: Postmodernism, Pragmatism and a Third Way? In J., L. Powell and T. Gilbert (eds) Aging Identity: A dialogue with Postmodernism Nova: New York.Press.

Venn, S., and Arber S. (2008) ‘Conflicting Sleep Demands: Parents and Young People in UK Households’, in B. Steger and L. Brunt (eds) Worlds of Sleep, Berlin: Frank and Timme.

Other publications
Venn, S. (2010) Book Review for Ageing and Society, Cann, P. and Dean, M. (2009) Unequal ageing:  the untold story of exclusion in old age, The Policy Press.

 Venn, S. and Dumelow, C. (2009) Sleep Problems in Later Life, a module for the Healthtalkonline website, www.healthtalkonline.org.

Venn, S. (2008) Book Review for Journal of Women and Aging, Paxton, P. and Hughes, M. (2007) Women, Politics and Power: A Global Perspective, Thousand Oaks, California: Pine Forge Press.

Venn, S. (2008) Invited ‘Case Study’ contribution to ‘Exploring Online Research Methods – Incorporating Tri-Orm (an online research methods training programme for the social sciences community), http://www.geog.le.ac.uk/orm/futures/futuresblogs2.htm.

Teaching

Susan's teaching includes social theory, quantitative methods and qualitative data analysis.  She has also been a guest  modules in Current Issues and Debates, Contemporary Societies, and Social Research Methods.

Affiliations

Susan is a member of the following organisations:

• Society for Longitudinal and Lifecourse Studies (SLLS)
• British Society of Gerontology (BSG)
• British Sociological Association (BSA)