Biography

I studied history at Cambridge University and the London School of Economics before a 14 year career in the Department of Health and NHS. I was awarded my PhD on “Social capital, social exclusion and understandings of community in an urban and a rural context” from the University of Surrey in 2005. I have been an associate lecturer and lecturer in the sociology department since 1999.

Research Interests

My research interests lie mainly within the sociology of health and illness; specifically inequalities in health and experiences of illness and recovery. I am also interested in lay perceptions of neighbourhood and community and processes of social inclusion and exclusion within social settings and geographical localities. My methodological interests are primarily in qualitative research methods and include sociological approaches to understanding narrative.

Publications

Journal papers

Earthy, S., Maltby, S., Arber, S. and Cooper, H. (2000) The use of cognitive interviewing to develop questions on social capital for the 2000/1 General Household Survey, Survey Methodology Bulletin , 46, 24-31.

Waller, S., Thom, B., Harris, S., and Kelly, M. (1998) Perceptions of alcohol-related attendances in Accident and Emergency Departments in England : A national survey, Alcohol and Alcoholism, 33, pp. 354-361.

Thom, B., Stimson, G.V., Harris, S . and Kelly, M (1997) Local Action on Alcohol Problems in England : 10 years on. Drugs: education and policy, 4, pp.27-38.

Reports

Earthy, S ., Maltby, S., Cooper, H. and Arber, S. (1999) Cognitive interviewing for development of the GHS social capital module. Unpublished report, SSMR, University of Surrey .

Thom, B., Kelly, M., Harris, S. and Holling, A. (1999) Alcohol: measuring the impact of community initiatives , London : HEA.

Recent conference and seminar papers:

Earthy, S. (2005) ‘ The Great Snow' and other stories: individual and collective narratives of place, BSA Medical Sociology Group Conference, York , 15-17 September 2005.

Earthy, S., (2002) Reluctant hero stories in narratives of place , research seminar on Space/Place and Discourse convened by the Open University, 19 April 2002 .

Earthy, S. (2002) Narratives of community: self, place and space , Biography and Narrative Seminar Series organised by the Centre for Narrative Research in the Social Sciences University of East London and the Open University, 5 March 2002

Earthy, S. (2001) Accounts of community in an urban context: the problem of reciprocity, BSA Medical Sociology Group Conference, York , 21-22 September 2001.

Teaching

I teach a final year undergraduate and MSc option on the Sociology of Health and Illness and contribute to social research methods and the Sociology of Contemporary Societies. I am joint convenor of day courses on qualitative interviewing and qualitative data analysis as part of the Department's Day Courses in Social Research programme.

Departmental Duties

Senior Professional Placement Tutor for sociology

Affiliations

Member of the British Sociological Association, Social Policy Association, Social Research Association, and UK Public Health Association.