News
- Departmental Seminars are run on Wednesday afternoons during semester time, please see the events page for details.
- CRESS (Centre for Research in Social Simulation) Lunchtime Seminars
- CAQDAS Courses & Conferences
- Day Courses in Social Research
CAQD Conference and MAXQDA workshops - Marburg 6-9 March
23 January 2013
Professor Nigel Fielding is the keynote lecture and Dr Christina Silver will run a workshop at the ”Computer-Assisted Qualitative Data Analysis: Methods, Innovations, Practice” conference to be held in Marburg, Germany, 6-9 March 2013.
Senior Lecturer (Sociology) Job advert
23 January 2013
Job Vacancy (Ref: 9203)
The University of Surrey is seeking applications for a senior lectureship in the Department of Sociology. You will join a Department that is consistently ranked world-class, was rated joint 6th in the last RAE and consistently achieves top scores in the NSS.
2nd in The Times Good University Guide 2013
22 January 2013
The Department of Sociology is delighted with its position in The Times Good University Guide 2013. Our ranking (second out of all Sociology departments in the UK) is testament to the high quality of our teaching across our undergraduate degree programmes, and the friendly and supportive nature of our lecturing staff. The high quality of teaching and learning is also closely related to the strong research culture in the Department (which feeds into The Times Good University Guide calculations). Staff are involved in leading edge research in a wide variety of areas of sociological and/or criminological enquiry, and students are able to choose from a large number of optional modules in these areas of expertise.
Professor Rachel Brooks, news updates
14 January 2013
Professor Rachel Brooks, Head of the Department of Sociology has recently published the book Negotiating Ethical Challenges in Youth Research published by Routledge in November 2012.
European Sociological Association Sexuality Research Network Mid-Term conference
14 January 2013
Dr Andrew King has organised a conference called ‘Sexuality in Theory and Practice’ and takes place at Kingston University on Monday 14th and Tuesday 15th January.
New PhD Studentships
1 January 2013
The department is now inviting applications for funded PhD studentships to start in October 2013.Professor Sara Arber was on expert witness to the House of Lords Select Committee
7 December 2012
Professor Sara Arber was on expert witness to the House of Lords Select Committee on Public Service and Demographic Change on 4th December. Her evidence addressed the policy implications of gender inequalities in ageing.
The Committee session was chaired by Lord Filkin.
Leveson and Press Freedom: Is an Unregulated Press 'Free'?
30 November 2012
Dr Paul Hodkinson from the Department of Sociology has posted a blog on the Leveson enquiry.
Please click here to read the blog
Methods of Failure
20 November 2012
How Political Journalism lost the US Presidential Election to Nate Silver
If the morning after the Presidential Election in the United States left both the electoral map and Republican politicians feeling a little blue, there was another occupational group in need of collective introspection: the class of political journalists, commentators and pundits, who in the cause of the campaign had increasingly wilfully disregarded the lessons of the academic disciplines that form journalism’s very foundation.
Awarded funding to investigate the global dynamics of extortion racket systems
16 October 2012
Members of the department have recently been awarded funding from the European Commission's Framework Programme 7, to investigate the global dynamics of extortion racket systems. The GLODERS research project is directed towards development of an ICT model for understanding Extortion Racket Systems (ERSs). ERSs, of which the Mafia is but one example, are spreading globally from a small number of seed locations, causing massive disruption to economies. Yet there is no good understanding of their dynamics and thus how they may be countered. ERSs are not only powerful criminal organizations, operating at several hierarchical levels, but also prosperous economic enterprises and highly dynamic systems, likely to reinvest in new markets. If stakeholders - legislators and law enforcers - are to be successful in attacking ERSs, they need the much better understanding of the evolution of ERSs that computational models and ICT tools can give them.
The Sociology Department was awarded £60,000 from the ESRC
12 October 2012
The Department was awarded £60,000 from the ESRC to introduce new and innovative ways of teaching quantitative methods to undergraduate students across our sociology programme. The project emphasises the ‘full integration’ of quantitative methods skills into the undergraduate curriculum – joining the threads together in a coherent way – in a manner that ensures quantitative literacy is achieved early, occurs frequently and is integrated with approaches that account for students’ different learning styles. The primary output of the project is a blended learning environment. This draws together a range of quantitative methods resources in an accessible way and gives students the opportunity to practice and develop their skills drawing on relevant sociological examples. We hope the result will be that students find quantitative methods more accessible, the relevance to their degree programmes clearer and that their confidence and ability in using quantitative methods will improve.
National Student Survey Success for the Faculty of Arts and Human Sciences
27 September 2012
National Student Survey Success for the Faculty of Arts and Human Sciences
Several subjects within the Faculty of Arts and Human Sciences have seen significant rises in the 2012 National Student Survey (NSS).
Music (98% overall satisfaction) and Politics (96% overall satisfaction) now top the table in their respected disciplines whilst Dance, Sound Recording, Creative Writing and Psychology all make into the top 10 in their areas.
New book - Ageing and Youth Cultures
3 September 2012
Co-edited by Paul Hodkinson (with Andy Bennett), Ageing and Youth Cultures was published on 1st September 2012. It is the first edited book to examine the lives of those who continue to participate in spectacular ‘youth cultures’ into adulthood and middle age. The book features original research case studies from the UK, Canada, the United States and Australia, including a chapter by Hodkinson addressing the significance of music festivals for older goths.
Further details can be found at http://www.bergpublishers.com/?TabId=15891&v=1949877
Dr Paul Hodkinson
Deputy Head of Department
Department of Sociology
University of Surrey
Seminar on Equality and International Higher Education
17 August 2012
Rachel Brooks has recently been awarded funding from the Higher Education Academy to run a one-day seminar on 'Furthering Equality in International Higher Education: UK and Transnational Programmes'. This will take place at the University of Surrey on 29th January 2013. For further details, please contact Rachel (r.brooks@surrey.ac.uk).
Prestigious awards for Sara Arber
13 August 2012
Professor Sara Arber has recently become a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts
Comedian and radio presenter Sandi Toksvig awarded honorary degree
19 July 2012
BBC radio presenter, writer and comedian Sandi Toksvig has been awarded an honorary degree by the University of Surrey.
Ms Toksvig, a Danish/British comedian, is also an author and presenter on British radio and television and she currently presents The News Quiz on BBC Radio 4.
She said: "Having spent many years of my life in Surrey it is a particular delight to receive this honour from the University.
“I am a passionate advocate of further education and hope to be a good ambassador for encouraging study at all ages and in all walks of life."
Jo Moran-Ellis, Head of the Department of Sociology at the University, spoke at the degree ceremony and praised Ms Toksvig’s contribution the cultural life of the UK.
She said: “The University of Surrey recognises and celebrates the achievements of Sandi Toksvig through the conferment of this honorary degree. Ms Toksvig contributes significantly to the social and political culture of the UK through her sharp wit and acute observations on contemporary current affairs.
“Through her work as a broadcaster, author and producer she has brought attention to the contribution of women in many domains of life, and her own life stands as a significant role model and inspiration for others to pursue their talents and passions.”
Contemporary Grandparenting
17 July 2012
Sara Arber has recently co-edited a new book on Contemporary Grandparenting, which combines new sociological theorising with up-to-date empirical findings to document the changing nature of grandparenting across diverse societies. It analyses how grandparenting differs according to the nature of the welfare state and cultural context, the influence of family breakdown, and men's changing role as grandfathers. It shows how grandparents today face conflicting norms and expectations about their roles, but act with agency to forge new identities within societal and cultural constraints.
Full details: Sara Arber and Virpi Timonen (2012) 'Contemporary Grandparenting: Changing Family Relationships in Global Contexts', Policy Press. http://www.policypress.co.uk/display.asp?ISB=9781847429674
ESRC grant to enhance teaching of quantitative skills
16 July 2012
The Sociology Department has successfully won a grant from the Economic and Social Research Council which aims to improve the teaching of quantitative methods for undergraduate students. We wish to enhance the experience of learning quantitative skills for undergraduate students with the longer term aim of building quantitative skills and interest in applying quantitative social science.
Complexity Science for the Real World (CSRW) Conference
13 July 2012
The Complexity Science for the Real World (CSRW) Conference will be taking place on 24th & 25th September. The Evolution and Resilience of Industrial Ecosystems (ERIE) research group (based at the University of Surrey) is a core member of the CSRW network group, along with EPSRC funded projects at UCL, University of Southampton, University of Manchester and Manchester Met. Further information about the network and this conference can be found on the website: http://www.csrw.ac.uk/events-hosted/complex-interface-conference-2012
New book: Changing Spaces of Education
12 July 2012
Rachel Brooks’ new book ‘Changing Spaces of Education: New Perspectives on the Nature of Learning’ (co-edited with Alison Fuller and Johanna Waters) has recently been published by Routledge and will be launched formally at the ‘Geographies of Education’ conference at Loughborough University in September. It offers a unique perspective on the transformation of education in the 21st century, by bringing together leading researchers in sociology, geography and education to address directly questions of space in relation to education and training. Further details can be found at: http://www.routledge.com/books/details/9780415672221/
PhD Studentship awarded by the Higher Education Academy
12 July 2012
The Higher Education Academy has awarded a PhD Studentship to Rachel Brooks as part of its Doctoral Programme. Rachel’s PhD student will begin a three-year project in October 2012, exploring the impact of different forms of international mobility on students’ learning and transitions to employment. Further details can be found at: http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/resources/detail/Rachel_Brooks
Launch of Free Community Technology to Bridge the World’s Digital Divide
28 June 2012
New technology which will make community media available free to people in the developing world is being launched next week.
Computer scientists from University of Surrey developed a digital toolkit with colleagues from Swansea University and University of Glasgow in the UK alongside South Africa collaborators (University of Cape Town, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, CSIR and Transcape).
The Community Media toolkit provides technology for users to generate and share content in places where there is low textual and computing literacy. It also can operate in areas where there is limited power and network coverage.
It consists of multimedia applications for a mobile phone, a tablet-based repository, a phone charging station, and a community camera device ('Com-Cam') for sharing mobile phone content on low-technology televisions.
The toolkit, which is an outcome of a Research Council UK (RCUK) funded Digital Economy project, is intended to be open and free for users and will be showcased on Tuesday 3 July 2012 at the Royal Geographical Society, London.
Professor David Frohlich, Director of Digital World Research Centre at the University of Surrey, said: “Different elements of the toolkit can be used alone or together, depending on the needs of the community group involved.
“We have got used to thinking of the internet as the ultimate place to store and access digital information. But in regions where it is not accessible or affordable, other more local solutions have to be found. Mobile technology is part of that solution, particularly when it can be connected in ad hoc ways.”
Professor Matt Jones of Swansea University College of Science said: “This research project aims to give insights into how social-media sharing systems should be designed and deployed to benefit many billions of people beyond the mainstream “developed” world. Our target communities live in both “developing” countries and can also include those that are marginalised in places such as the UK.”
At the launch, chaired by digital commentator Bill Thompson, there will also be the opportunity for hands-on demonstrations and to learn more about how to use or adapt the tools. The toolkit will be launched alongside another, Placebooks, also developed in partnership, targeted at UK audiences.
For more information on Community Media visit: http://cs.swan.ac.uk/the-next-billion/research.php
For more information on the launch event see: http://www.digitaleconomytoolkit.org/event.html
Sara Arber - Fellow of the Gerontological Society of America
14 June 2012
Sara Arber has been awarded the status of Fellow of the Gerontological Society of America (GSA). This is the highest class of membership within the Society and is an acknowledgement of outstanding and continuing work in gerontology.
Professor Nigel Gilbert - Social Science Expert Panel
13 March 2012
Nigel Gilbert has been selected as a member of the new Social Science Expert Panel for Defra and DECC. The panel’s purpose is to bring high quality, multi-disciplinary social science advice to both departments.
Professor Sara Arber - Oustanding Achievement Award
11 July 2011
Professor Sara Arber was awarded the 2011 Outstanding Achievement Award at the British Society of Gerontology's annual conference in Plymouth last week.
