Dr Robert Meadows
Lecturer in Sociology
Qualifications: LLB (Keele) MA (Sheffield) PhD (Surrey) FHEA
Email: r.meadows@surrey.ac.uk
Phone: Work: 01483 68 6984
Room no: 08 AD 03
Further information
Biography
Rob joined the University of Surrey in 1999 to work at the Human Psychopharmacology Research Unit, Medical Research Centre (HPRU/MRC), having previously gained degrees in Law, Sociology and Social Anthropology (LLB: Keele) and Socio-Legal studies (MA: Sheffield). From 1999 to 2003 he held numerous research positions within the HPRU/MRC, (including Programmer/Analyst, Acting Head of Data Management) worked as part of a small Home Office funded team, and spent time visiting two Japanese Universities.
In October 2003, Rob joined the sociology department as Research Fellow and co-investigator on an ESRC funded project, before becoming (2006-2008) a senior researcher and part of the core management team on a large-scale, cross-council, project. During this period Rob was also a part-time PhD student (2002-2008), Associate Lecturer/tutor (2002-2007) and a part-time (20%) lecturer (2007-2008) in the sociology department. He took up his present position in August 2008.
Research Interests
Rob's general interests focus on social relationships and the 'negotiation' of mental and physical health and health/illness. He has published widely on couples' sleep, older men's health and marital status, and the (embodied) methodological issues involved in researching these areas.
Funding Received
2012 - 2013 Curriculum Innovation: Integrating Quantitative Methods and Substantive Teaching for HE Level One Sociology Students ESRC Karen Bullock (PI), Meadows, Prince Cooke, Brunton-Smith and Earthy
2003-2006 Negotiating Sleep: Gender, Age and Social Relationships ESRC (K215). Sara Arber (PI), Jenny Hislop (CI) and Rob Meadows (CI)
Publications
Publications
Rob has published 19 scholarly articles, 9 book chapters and numerous 'other' commentaries. A selection of abstracts can be found here: http://surrey.academia.edu/MeadowsRob/Papers A more complete list of publications can be found on google scholar
Key Publications (since 2008)
Peer reviewed journal articlesMeadows, R. and Arber, S. (2012) Understanding sleep among couples: gender and the social patterning of sleep maintenance among younger and older couples, Longitudinal and lifecourse Studies 3(1):66-79 (http://www.llcsjournal.org/index.php/llcs - requires registration)
Arber, S. And Meadows, R. (2011) Unen sosiologia: hoiva sukupuoli ha uniongelmat. 48 edition Finnish Journal of Social Medicine pp. 100-113
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. 27(4): 1-1)
Meadows, R., Arber, S., Venn, S., Hislop, J and Stanley, N (2009) Exploring the interdependence of couples' rest-wake cycles: an actigraphic studyChronobiology international 26(1): 80-92
Arber, S., Bote, M and Meadows, R (2009) Understanding how socio-economic status, gender and marital status influence self-reported sleep problems in Britain Social Science and Medicine 68: 281-289
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., Arber, S., Meadows, R. and Hislop, J. (2008) The Fourth Shift: Exploring the gendered nature of sleep disruption in couples with children British Journal of Sociology 59(1): 79-97
Book chapters
Meadows, R. (forthcoming) ‘Denying death's counterfeit’: the sociological aspects of sleep, in A. Green (ed) Sleep: Multi-professional Approaches, Jessica Kingsley
Arber, S, Meadows, R. and Venn, S. (2012) Sleep and society, in C. Espie and C. Morin (eds) Handbook of sleep and sleep disorders, Oxford: Oxford University Press
Arber, S. and Meadows, R. (2011) ‘Social and Health Patterning of Sleep Quality and Duration’. In S McFall and C Garrington (eds) Understanding Society: Early Findings from the first wave of the UK’s Household Longitudinal Study, Colchester: ISER, University of Essex, pp 88-98. http://research.understandingsociety.org.uk/findings/early-findings
Williams, S.,J, Meadows, R. and Arber, S. (2011) 'The sociology of sleep', in F. Cappuccio, F, M. Miller and S. Lockley (eds), Sleep Epidemiology and Public Health, Oxford: Oxford University Press
Davidson, K. and Meadows, R. (2010) Older men’s health: the role of marital status and masculinities in B. Gough and S. Robertson, (eds) Men, Masculinities and Health: Critical Perspectives. London, Palgrave.
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
Teaching
2011-2012
Level 1 Introduction to Classical Sociological Theory
Level 1 20th Century Sociological Theory
Level 1 Study Skills
Level 2 Researching Bodies
Level 3 Medicine & the Body (With Sarah Earthy)
Level 3 Sociology of Mental health (with Jo Moran-Ellis)
MSc Principles of Survey Design.
PhD Supervision
Theresa Ellmers - A qualitative study of sleep and the night-time in care homes for older people (awarded)
Jessica Underhill (PT) - Sleep, cerebral palsy
Alex Cuncev (PT) - homelessness
Lorraine Allibone (PT) - dreams
Departmental Duties
2011-2012
Undergraduate Examinations Officer
International Liaison Officer
Member of the Faculty Ethics Committee
Professional Activities
Referee
Journal of Sleep Research, Biological Research for Nursing, Sleep Medicine Reviews, Social Science and Medicine, Social History of Medicine, Sociological Research Online, International Journal of Men's Health, BMC Public Health and the Royal Statistical Society; Series A. Adhoc grant reviewer for the Royal Society of Engineering. Book proposal reviews for Palgrave, Sage and Cambridge
External Examiner
2011 - BSc Sociology, Kingston University
2010 - MSc Life course studies, Kingston University
PhD Examination
2011 chair and examiner – PhD viva (Surrey)
2011 external reviewer – PhD upgrade (University College London)
Advisory Committees
2011 ESRC funded wakefulness project (Gabe, Williams et al)
2010 Healthtalkonline.org Module on Sleep in later life
International Visits
2001 Sendai University/Nagoya University Japan
Professional Affiliations and Activities
Fellow of the Royal Statistical Society; Fellow of the Higher Education Academy;
British Science Association
Recorder, sociology & social policy section 2009 – 2011 (includes organising a session on the body and self identity with Ian Burkitt and Debra Gimlin 2011)
British Sleep Society
Elected member of the Executive Committee 2003-2006; 2008-2011
Elected member of the Scientific Committee 2004-2006
Newsletter Editor 2008-2011
Webmaster 2007
Co-Founder of the Social Science and Sleep special Interest Group (2004)
Co-Organiser, ‘Conceptualising Sleep’ Seminar British Sleep Society Annual Meeting (2007)
Co-Organiser of the 2006 British Sleep Society Annual Scientific Meeting
Co-Organiser of the 2005 British Sleep Society Annual Scientific Meeting
Organiser and Chair of the Clock Gene and Sleep Symposium, 2005 British Sleep Society Annual Conference
Co-Organiser of the Actigraphy Special Interest Lunch at the British Sleep Society Annual Conference (2004)
Co-Organiser of the Social Science and Sleep Group’s Inaugural Once Day Seminar, Surrey (2004)
British Sociological Association
Involved in the organisation of Sleep and Society: Critical Themes, Future Agendas (ESRC funded joint program of 6 seminars organised by sleep sociologists at the University of Surrey and the University of Warwick - Simon Williams PI; Sara Arber CI) (2005-2006)
Invited and other presentations
Invited talks
(2011) Sleep Medication use in Couples, British Sleep Society Annual Conference – session on sociology of sleep medication use (organized by Prof Jon Gabe)
(2011) Telic demands and the liminality of sleep University of Chester
(2010) The use of actigraphy, ICCN Japan (ultimately unable to attend in person)
(2010) Part of the ‘surrey showcase’ at British Sleep Society Annual Conference
(2008) Sleep and Ageing, 3rd International symposium of applied and social gerontology, Turkey
(2007) Mixed methods or mixed messages? Using actigraphy and qualitative interviews to understand sleep University of Oxford/Oxford Brookes staff seminar series
(2006) Actigraphy and couples’ sleep, Actigraphy special interest group, British Sleep Society, Cambridge
(2006) Actigraphy: a new method to assess the impact of nocturia on the bed partner, 21st Congress of the European Association of Urology, Paris
(2006) Ontological Insecurity and the Divided Self: Reflections on a short career MSc Day Conference University of Surrey February
(2006) Men’s health and sleep: Lessons from Sociology? 5th Ageing Male Congress Salzburg 9-12 February 2006
(2005) From fixed types to fluidities: some thoughts on theories of masculinities. Sociology Department Theory Group, Surrey December
(2005) Lay understandings of Sleep (Hygiene): A gendered phenomenon? Sleep and Society Seminar Series, Sleep and Health, Warwick December
(2005) Oxymoron, paradox and the bleeding obvious: do we need a sociology of sleep? Surrey University, Sociology Department Seminar Series, October
(2004) Integrating the Social and the Physiological: Couples’ sleep British Sleep Society Special Interest Group Seminar Surrey University, June 15th
(2003) Negotiating Sleep: Gender, Age and Social Relationships Amongst Couples. Surrey Sleep Research Centre Seminar Series, December
First authored Seminar/Conference Papers
(2010) Telic demands and the liminality of sleep: is there any point asking questions about sleep? MedSoc Durham
(2009) comparing the sleep of community dwelling older adults with those in a care home: an actigraphic study; British Sleep Society
(2008) The body in time and space: sleep amongst care home residents Gerontological Society of America, Maryland, 21 – 25th November 2008 (Oral presentation)
(2008) Sleep routines, sleep quality and older people Gerontological Society of America, Maryland, 21 – 25th November 2008 (Oral presentation)
(2008) The influence of individual and institutional factors on care home residents’ sleep European Sleep Research Society Glasgow, 9 – 13th September 2008 (Poster)
(2007) ‘Masculinities, sleep management and the life course’ Gerontological Society of America, San Francisco, 16-20th November 2007 (Oral Presentation)
(2007) ‘Sleep, masculinities and ‘unruly’ bodies’ Gerontological Society of America, San Francisco, 16-20th November 2007 (Oral Presentation)
(2007) Sleep and Worries: Secondary analysis of the Health Survey for England British Sleep Society Annual Conference, Cambridge University, 23-25th September 2007 (Poster Presentation)
(2007) ‘Measuring sleep in care homes’ Sensation 2nd International Conference: Monitoring sleep and sleepiness with new sensors within medical and industrial applications, Crete, Greece, 4-5th June 2007 (Poster Presentation)
(2006) Sleep, Health And (Positioned) Masculine Identity Gerontological Society of America November Dallas
(2006) Methods for analysing Intra- individual and couple stability and inter-individual and couple variation in dyadic actigraphic data. European Sleep Research Society Annual Conference, Innsbruck
(2006) Analysing dyadic actigraphic data: difficulties and possible solutions British Sleep Society, Cambridge
(2005) Constructing and evaluating an actigraphic method for investigating couples’ sleep: The Partner Impact on Sleep Wake Analysis (PISWA) British Sleep Society Annual Conference Cambridge University, September (poster)
(2005) Sleep Narratives, the body and (positioned) masculine identities British Sociological Association, Medical Sociology conference, York University, September (oral presentation)
(2005) Getting at men: Engaging and Grappling with sleep ESRC Sleep and Society Seminar Series Sleep, Intimacy and Family Life 26th April University of Surrey
(2004) Male Bodies and Sleep: Sleep Hygiene and pragmatic concerns British Sleep Society Annual Conference Cambridge University, September 20th (oral presentation)
(2004) Assessing couples’ sleep: the use of actigraphy with and without audio sleep diaries European Sleep Research Society 17th Congress, Prague, October (Poster - also published as an abstract in the Journal of Sleep Research)
(2004) Later Life and the Use of Sleep Aids CINP Paris June (poster: also published in the International Journal of psychopharmacology)