Skip to main content
Overview
Affiliations
AffiliationTelephone
Professorial Fellow of St Chad's College+44 (0) 191 33 43327
Honorary Professor in the Department of Sociology

Biography

EDUCATION AND TRAINING 

BA (hons.) Sociology (major) Behaviour in Organisations (minor), IIi, University of Lancaster, July 1981.  PhD (CNAA) 'Patterns of Occupational Mobility among Men and Women in Scotland, 1930-1970', Plymouth Polytechnic, examined by Professor David Dunkerley (Plymouth Polytechnic) and Professor John Rex (Aston University) October 1984.

EMPLOYMENT HISTORY

·     Director of Research and Professorial Fellow, Policy&Practice, St. Chad’s College, Durham University, November 2011 – to date.

·     Hon. Professor of Social Policy, Department of Sociology, Durham University, 2012 - to date.

·     Professor of Social Policy, School of Social Sciences and Law, Teesside University, January 2008 – November 2011.

·     Assistant/Deputy Dean, School of Social Sciences and Law, Teesside University, June 2002 – March 2010.

·     Principal Lecturer in Sociology and Social Policy, School of Social Sciences and Law, Teesside University, July 1992 - July 2002.

·     Senior Lecturer in Sociology, School of Social Sciences and Law, Teesside University, January 1990 - July 1992.

·     Lecturer in Sociology, Department of Sociology, Staffordshire Polytechnic, September 1984 - December 1989.

·     ESRC Research Student and Part-time Lecturer in Sociology and Social Policy, Department of Social and Political Studies, Plymouth Polytechnic, September 1981 - August 1984.

 

TEACHING

Between 2013 and 2015. Led final year undergraduate/Masters Social Policy modules in the School of Applied Social Sciences, Durham University

Between 1981 and 2002,  taught extensively across a range of sociology, social policy and social research methods modules in schools of social sciences and business schools.

Supervising doctoral in Durham Business School / Newcastle Business School, 2015-2021..

 

IMPACT OF RESEARCH ACTIVITIES

Third Sector Research

Has undertaken projects on the third sector by public, private and third sector organisation over a period of 20 years. This has included issues surrounding tackling public health, voluntary sector interactions with the private sector, community cohesion and neighbourhood renewal, diversity and inclusion, amongst other things. Appointed as a consultant assessor for the establishment of the ESRC Third Sector Research Centre and reviewed over 20 applications.

Third Sector Trends, which began in 2008, is the core study around which other projects have developed. Initially funded by Northern Rock Foundation, the study has more recently been supported by the Community Foundation, Power to Change, Garfield Weston, Barrow Cadbury Trust, Millfield House Foundations, Charity Bank and JRF.

Worked with colleagues in several universities in Japan for the last fifteen years on the study of social enterprise and community regeneration. This has involved exchange visits between Durham/Tees Valley and Yamagata funded by the Japanese Government. Have long-established relationships with several universities including: Tohuko, Sanno, Tokyo, Keio, Waseda and Teikyo Universities.

Spoken at many national third sector conferences as a panel speaker for  ACEVO, ACF, TSRC, amongst others and speak regularly at regional conferences on the Third Sector in England. Also spoken at a number of international third sector conferences and events in Chicago, Atlanta, Tokyo, Yamagata, Barcelona, amongst others.

Uses knowledge and understanding gained in the Third Sector Trends study to advise and undertake further research for several local authorities including Sunderland City Council, Northumberland County Council, Durham County Council, Stockton Borough Council, Redcar and Cleveland Council, Kirklees Council, Bradford City Council, Sheffield Council and North Yorkshire County Council.

Act as a reviewer for a number of academic journals and book publishers including: Theory Culture and Society, Voluntary Sector Quarterly, Voluntary Sector Review, Urban Studies, amongst others.

 

Young people’s life transitions

Early career research focused on young people, gender and social mobility, drawing upon data from the Scottish Mobility Study for doctoral research, and subsequentl in the 1980s a CNAA funded long-term study of graduate employment transitions undertaken at Staffordshire University with colleagues at Brunel University.

From 2000, research focused on the evaluation of interventions to assist young people to make successful life transitions. Evaluation projects were undertaken for a range of public, private and third sector organisations including: O2 Telefonica Foundation, Big Lottery, Cabinet Office, Department for Education, UK Youth, JP Morgan, Durham County Council, National Childrens’ Workforce Development Council, National Youth Agency, amongst others.

Appointed to the Youth in Action EACEA expert advisory panel for the EU Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency in June 2012.  Given evidence to the OECD Youth Entrepreneurship Report on the O2/Telefónica Corporate Social Responsibility programme.  Invited by the Chair of the Education Select Committee to submit evidence on approaches to evaluation for the ‘Services to Young People’ report.  Submitted evidence to the Milburn Commission on Child Poverty and Social Mobility.

Research interests

  • Civil society and third sector trends
  • Home and community
  • Japanese culture and society
  • Young people and social mobility

Publications

Authored book

Chapter in book

Edited book

Journal Article

Newspaper/Magazine Article

Other (Print)

Report

Supervision students