Social Sciences
Edge Hill University Social Sciences
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Social Sciences rated best in the UK for Teaching (National Student Survey 2012)
Social Sciences rated best in the North West and top five in England for Overall Student Satisfaction (National Student Survey 2012) Social Sciences rated best in the North West and top ten in the UK for Academic Support (National Student Survey 2012)
Shortlisted for the Times Higher UK University of the Year 2011, 2010 and 2007, and four other Times Higher Award nominations in five years
Best in the North West for Teaching Excellence (Sunday Times University Guide 2012)
Lowest graduate unemployment figures in the North West (Sunday Times University Guide 2012)
Our World
“Two events, the Aberfan disaster in South Wales in 1966 and the Bloody Sunday murders in Derry in 1972, created a sense of outrage in me and a desire to explore the roots of injustice, power and inequality. The engine that initially drove this journey was BBC Radio 4 which took me from a council flat in North London to the libraries and lecture theatres of the world.”
Dr Tony Keating, Senior Lecturer in Social Sciences
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Edge Hill University Social Sciences
Welcome The Department of Social Sciences currently has over 400 undergraduate students enrolled on our Childhood and Youth, Early Childhood, and Sociology degrees. Located in the Social and Psychological Sciences Building we have state-of-the-art learning and teaching facilities. The teaching of degrees in the Social Sciences is well established at Edge Hill University. Our staff is highly qualified, experienced, enthusiastic, and very supportive. Teaching in the Department is informed by staff research. Students also have the opportunity to place their studies in context through educational visits to a number of relevant organisations and bodies both in the United Kingdom and in other countries of the European Union, such as The Netherlands.
The Department takes a critical approach to the study of the specific subjects on offer while ensuring that students are supported in developing the kinds of skills and experiences that will prepare them for careers beyond their studies. Our team of tutors is committed to supporting students as they prepare to meet their career aspirations and ambitions. We also offer work experience opportunities, and are putting in place a group of professional stakeholders in order to assist us in enhancing student opportunities.
Francesco Rizzuto Head of Department of Social Sciences and Professor in European Law
Our undergraduate programmes progress through three levels of knowledge acquisition and intellectual and skills development successively defined as Foundational, Consolidation and Development, and Depth and Exploration. Each year of study has aims and outcomes that are broadly consistent with the three stages of undergraduate progression. Study is supported and enhanced by the use of our virtual learning platform. Learning in the Department takes place through lectures, small group seminars, workshops, and one-to-one support tutorials.
We will be offering a number of postgraduate degrees from September 2013. They include Research Master’s programmes in Childhood Studies and Sociology, and a taught Master's programme in International Childhood Studies.
Staff and students work in a friendly, dynamic and vibrant environment in which our students are able to pursue their chosen fields of study. Students’ extracurricular activity is supported by a student-run Social Sciences Society.
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Edge Hill University Social Sciences
Why study Social Sciences at Edge Hill University?
Rated as the UK’s best department for teaching Social Sciences and Academic Support in the National Student Survey 2012, our courses provide you with an exciting and innovative learning experience, and prepare you for future career paths. All of our programmes have an excellent reputation for academic quality and open up opportunities in a wide range of fields in the social and caring professions, in both the public and private sectors.
Real world application You will have the chance to gain practical experience in relevant workplace environments. We are committed to combining academic insight with real world application, and this is reflected in the range of opportunities you will have across the programmes to take part in field trips to places such as London, Amsterdam and Belfast.
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Our programmes At Edge Hill we offer single and joint honours degrees in Social Sciences. In a joint degree you will study a programme comprising around 50% in each subject area. Single Honours BA (Hons) Childhood and Youth Studies BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies BA (Hons) Sociology
Joint Honours BA (Hons) Childhood and Youth Studies and Criminology BA (Hons) Childhood and Youth Studies and Sociology BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies and Sociology BA (Hons) Criminology and Sociology
Postgraduate Study MA International Childhood Studies (subject to validation) MRes Childhood and Youth Studies (subject to validation) MRes Sociology (subject to validation)
Edge Hill University Social Sciences
Programmes
Our World
“There seems to be no logic behind the idea that young people need to be taught how to express themselves. If I don't speak in a certain way does that mean I have nothing to say or that what I have to say doesn’t matter? I think that’s why Social Science and Youth Studies appeal to me. Social Science argues that everything we do is interesting and worth understanding regardless of the words we use or where we speak. Young people, who are often ignored, need to hear this, and adults, who often ignore young people, need to be told this. That is what we, as social scientists, do.” Deirdre Duffy, Lecturer in Social Sciences
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Edge Hill University Social Sciences
BA (Hons) Childhood and Youth Studies BA (Hons) Childhood and Youth Studies and Criminology BA (Hons) Childhood and Youth Studies and Sociology
Study the development of children and young people and how society understands and reacts to them. You will be introduced to key ideas related to the holistic nature of children and young people’s wellbeing, development, needs and rights. You will examine the context within which these occur and the factors that affect them, looking at the socio-cultural context of childhood and youth and the relevance of multi-professional, multi-disciplinary practice in meeting children and young people’s needs.
‘The primary task of a useful teacher is to teach his students to recognise inconvenient facts.’ Max Weber
“I worked in the prison service but became disheartened by the number of young offenders who returned to custody. I began working with challenging students at a local school running youth work sessions, and this sparked my interest in Childhood and Youth Studies. “Group projects enable you to develop skills that prepare you to work with others, and modules on Social Policy and Representations of Childhood and Youth were particularly thought-provoking. It’s become apparent how all the modules link, enabling you to look at the whole picture. “My time at Edge Hill is proving to me that I can work to a very high standard, and my confidence has grown so much.” Katrina Dewhurst BA (Hons) Childhood and Youth Studies
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Edge Hill University Social Sciences
BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies and Sociology
“I was looking for a course that would give professional backing to my skills and broaden my knowledge.
“Doing this degree has been one of the best experiences of my life. At first it was very daunting and I doubted I’d even be able to complete the first year, let alone the whole course. But, with the help of my tutors, I’ve grown in confidence and now have a completely different outlook on life.
“Once I graduate I’d like to become a lecturer in Childhood Studies as I feel that the knowledge I’ve gained from this course, combined with my years of experience, will make me a good candidate.”
Jackie Stirk BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies
Learn about the different perceptions, and realities, of childhood across the world with a degree closely linked to current Government policy and the demands of the growing early years employment sector. The programme covers major areas of early childhood studies, with debates around life stage analysis and the contested boundaries between the constructions of early years. You will be introduced to key ideas related to the holistic nature of young children’s wellbeing, development, needs and rights.
‘If children don't play, their minds don't grow. Play is where they learn to make their own decisions, trust their own judgement, set their own targets.’ Sue Palmer
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Edge Hill University Social Sciences
BA (Hons) Sociology
BA (Hons) Childhood and Youth Studies and Sociology BA (Hons) Criminology and Sociology BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies and Sociology
Understand your place in the world – study our shared experience of living in the increasingly complex and rapidly changing society of the early 21st Century.
The modules within the programme will provide a coherent and progressive structure in which to examine, with growing critical skills, key issues in the development of contemporary societies and social life, with particular reference to conflict, identity and childhood. The programme blends theoretical, empirical and applied focuses, and combines local and global contexts in the exploration of the social world.
‘Sociology is a martial art, a means of self-defense. Basically, you use it to defend yourself, without having the right to use it for unfair attacks.’ Pierre Bourdieu
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“Edge Hill University offers students the full package – superb facilities, impressive study environments and a wellestablished social scene – all on the doorsteps of Liverpool and Manchester.
“Studying sociology has definitely surpassed my expectations, with the teaching, module topics and resources combining to give me a thoroughly enjoyable learning experience. “The staff members at Edge Hill are very friendly too, and always available to help, while field trips to places such as Amsterdam and Belfast have given me unique opportunities that I’ll never forget.
“I intend to take a PhD after I graduate. I’d like to utilise all the abilities and qualities I’ve developed while at Edge Hill to produce an original sociological study.”
Drew West BA (Hons) Sociology
Edge Hill University Social Sciences
Joint degrees
“Being able to study Criminology and Sociology meant I was able to explore two of my favourite interests, learn and develop in different ways, and broaden my future career prospects.
“The two subjects complement each other. To be able to use the same knowledge and terminology in both enhances your understanding and your thinking.
“I’ve been inspired to explore issues I hadn’t thought about before. It’s been very challenging, but there’s no doubt that having real passion for what you’re studying keeps you motivated.
“The support we all receive from the teaching staff is absolutely priceless. I’ve found that when you have tutors with such enthusiasm for what they teach, as they do at Edge Hill, it certainly rubs off.”
Ellis Brennan BA (Hons) Sociology and Criminology
The difference between this and a single honours degree emerges in the different focus and depth of subject knowledge and range of skills and choice of subject areas – notably in the distinction between learning critical academic skills in reading Social Sciences and the skills of doing Social Science that are supported at single honours. What is important is that joint degrees demand commensurate or equivalent depths of subject knowledge and skills, and provide students with a particular orientation to their studies whilst lying within the broad parameters of a sociological degree.
‘To tell the truth is revolutionary.’ Antonio Gramsci
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Edge Hill University Social Sciences
Postgraduate
MA International Childhood Studies (subject to validation) The MA in International Childhood Studies develops the needs of both new and experienced scholars and practitioners who are working, or who intend to work, with children in a variety of culturally-diverse settings, including service delivery and policy development.
MRes (subject to validation) The Department will develop MRes programmes in Childhood and Youth Studies and Sociology for entry in 2013-2014, and will provide a highly flexible Master’s degree. Centred on the study of research methods and significant project work, the MRes is an ideal entry into a dynamic and flourishing research culture.
“I wanted to become a teacher, so spoke to the Early Childhood Studies course leader. I was told that we would take psychological and sociological perspectives of childhood and how the notion of childhood and children has changed over time; as a curious individual, this all made me keen to find out more. “I wanted to specialise in those subjects I found particularly interesting, so I decided to embark on an MA. I believe that having the MA will help my employability.
“The support and kindness shown by my lecturers has been amazing. Edge Hill is a place where you feel that you’re being heard and acknowledged, and that your opinions are important.”
Julie Assimacopoulou BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies
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Edge Hill University Social Sciences
Department of Social Sciences
Our World
“From Children's Services to Children's Spaces (2002) by Peter Moss and Pat Petrie made me stop and think. They analyse what they regard as the ‘dominant narrative' in the West concerning children. Taken for granted as the basis of policy and practice, it assumes that children are needy, vulnerable, incomplete and requiring adult control and intervention. Moss and Petrie offer alternative ways of thinking about children, and in order for these to be considered, they want to interrupt the seamless flow of dominant ideas, or as they put it, to 'make (dominant) narratives stutter'.� Dr Keith Maclennan, Lecturer in Social Sciences
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Edge Hill University Social Sciences
Field trips
The field trip is a really important, unique learning experience. It allows you to meet, listen and talk to people involved with vital social issues at grassroots level.
You will have the chance to look at many important social questions that resonate far more widely in the contemporary social world.
“It was a eye opener. Studying at Edge Hill isn’t all about lectures and essays.”
Dr Allison Moore: “Field trips provide a unique opportunity for our students to understand the many social changes that are taking place in contemporary society, and to apply their knowledge to real life situations. The trips also highlight the relevance of their chosen degrees to their future careers. Meeting staff and volunteers from social welfare organisations gives an insight into the wide range of career routes available.”
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Northern Ireland You explore social issues of a divided society going through the process of post-conflict transition. The programme includes visits to the Northern Ireland Assembly at Stormont and the Free Derry Museum, as well as meetings with human rights and victims groups. real
“Our trip to London took us to the Department of Education, The Museum of Childhood and The Coram Foundation, and gave us an opportunity to expand our knowledge of the history surrounding childhood. It was a real eye opener. Studying at Edge Hill isn’t all about lectures and essays.”
Rachel Hardie BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies
Edge Hill University Social Sciences
London The trip gives you the opportunity to meet representatives from organisations supporting children and families, and reflect on the range of childhood experiences in Britain today. Recent trips have included visits to a children’s centre in Bethnal Green, the City of London School for Boys (an independent school dating back to the 15th century), and Family Action, an organisation working with families with multiple, complex needs. Students have also been on guided tours of the Foundling Museum, and discovered the history of the Foundling Hospital, Britain’s first home for abandoned children, opened in 1759.
The Netherlands Early Childhood Studies and Childhood and Youth Studies undergraduates explore and compare issues facing children and young people in the UK and the Netherlands, while Sociology students consider gender, sexuality and difference from an international perspective.
You meet a wide range of groups and agencies specialising in child protection, foster care and counselling with disabled children and children with chronic illnesses, and ending child prostitution and trafficking. You also spend a day in The Hague with a leading member of Childcare International exploring the Dutch childcare system. Sociology students meet experts on issues of gender and sexuality, visit an internationally-renowned archive, and find out about the issues facing sex workers at the Amsterdam Prostitution Information Centre.
“One of my course highlights was an inspirational visit to Amsterdam where we met social workers from an organisation who help to combat child trafficking, prostitution and exploitation throughout the world.” Victoria Hillier BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies
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Edge Hill University Social Sciences
Social Sciences Lecture Series
Our World
“When I first read Harvey Sacks’ Lectures on Conversation (1992) I was blown away by the notion that people methodically produce what he calls the ‘local orders’ of everyday phenomena in their lives, and that these ‘orders’ are as worthy of attention from sociology as the ‘big issues’ available through professional sociological analysis.” Dr Sally Hester, Lecturer in Social Sciences
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Edge Hill University Social Sciences
We’re serious about our research. That’s why the Department organises a public lecture series, supported by the Power, Conflict and Justice Research Group. Studying real-life situations helps you contextualise and understand the role of the sociologist within society, holding a magnifying glass to the behaviour of people, and exposing themes and underlying issues which can then be addressed through, for example, policy-making and community initiatives. In introducing you to the work of leading experts in the field, we aim to develop your own critical and theoretical skills.
The theme of our launch series was (In)Security, Surveillance and the State, and leading social scientists explored the politics of ‘insecurity' by examining some of the most controversial events in today's society.
Mark McGovern, Professor of Social Sciences and series coordinator: "The lecture series centred on whether or not contemporary society is characterised by uncertainty, anxiety and ‘insecurity'? Or is the idea of ‘insecurity' a way for society's most powerful agencies, including the State, to promote an agenda of surveillance and fear that pervades and delimits so many aspects of our lives today? These were the kind of questions our experts asked as we explored some of the catastrophic events that were, and still are, having a huge impact on our society."
Liz Fekete, Executive Director of the Institute of Race Relations, kicked off the series, looking at the concept of Islamophobia, while Owen Jones, political commentator and author of Chavs: The Demonization of the Working Class, focused on the backlash to the riots of summer 2011, and asked what this said about Britain today.
Other speakers examined discourses around the ‘war on terror’ and the ‘suicide bomber’; the use of informers in counter-terrorism intelligence since the 9/11 attacks on the US; and John Finucane, solicitor, talked about his family’s struggle for truth and justice over, and possible state collusion in, the death of his father, human rights lawyer Pat Finucane, shot dead by loyalist paramilitaries in front of his family in their Belfast home in 1989.
Professor Mark McGovern has recently secured funding to continue his own research into similar cases:
“My research should contribute to the understanding of postconflict truth and justice mechanisms more generally, in Northern Ireland and elsewhere, in dealing with issues of state violence and collusion.”
We aim to expose you to more radical, exciting and thoughtprovoking speakers and ideas during your time here.
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Edge Hill University Social Sciences
Where can my Social Sciences degree take me? Social Sciences graduates are found in almost every occupational field. As well as the specific subject knowledge gained from studying an Edge Hill University degree, you'll develop many transferable and work-related skills that are highly valued by employers and which will increase your employability.
Social Sciences qualifications provide an excellent background for a wide range of careers. Opportunities can be found across all sectors. Education, central and local government, finance, health and social care, law, the media, public services, campaigning and research are frequent career choices. Within the public sector, openings can be found in all areas of the criminal justice system, such as the police, prison and probation services, youth and community work, and administration and management of social services. Here, we ask a few of our Social Sciences alumni where their degree took them. Edge Hill Social Science graduates can get involved in the alumni network by emailing us: alumni@edgehill.ac.uk
Our World
“Sarah Thornton’s seminal Club Cultures (1995) was crucial in developing my ‘sociological imagination’. It’s inspirational in revealing how youth cultures that coalesce around music, dance clubs and raves can be a subject for empirical investigation. It encouraged me to question my own involvement in club culture and employ a sociological approach to thinking about music cultures, youth and the formation of taste. Pigeon English (2011) by Stephen Kelman provides an insight into knife crime, gangs, social class, childhood and youth, from the perspective of a young Ghanaian immigrant, revealing a world where violence and conflict have become a feature of everyday life in inner-city London.” Dr Lucy Gibson, Lecturer in the Social Sciences
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“Towards the end of my degree a great opportunity arose in my local village to open a pre-school, so, along with my mum, who has a huge amount of experience in education, we decided to open Croft Village Pre-School.
“Based in a local hall, we have to set up what we need every morning. It’s hard work, but definitely exciting and enjoyable. There are now over 25 children on our books and we’re extremely proud of what we’ve achieved in such a short space of time.
“We’ve recently developed a new woodland area, and we’re planning to build dens, plant trees and flowers, enjoy the outdoor snack area, and generally take advantage of this great natural resource. My course tutors officially opened the area, a way of showing how grateful I am for all their support.”
Helen Gregory BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies
Edge Hill University Social Sciences
“My degree offered a broad perspective in this area, and a specialism in working with young children. The encouragement and support I received inspired me to go on to study for an MA in Therapeutic Play. “A placement working with children and young people who’ve experienced domestic abuse led to my current role as a children’s support worker. We provide therapeutic recreational play provision for children living in a women’s refuge.
“I enjoy forming therapeutic relationships with children and their non-abusive parent, letting them have fun and be children despite their negative experiences.
“The degree reinforced my view of children as capable and competent beings, with childhood a valuable time in itself, not simply preparation for later schooling or adulthood.
“I would never have believed that I’d be working with vulnerable children in such high-risk situations, but learning and personal development gave me the knowledge and confidence to take on this role.”
Claire O’Brien BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies
“After graduating I worked in newspapers for five years before moving into public relations. Writing my first front page story for the Echo was a highlight, finding myself sitting on the ITV breakfast show sofa as England’s anti-litter spokesman was slightly staggering, and being interviewed on BBC radio alongside culture minister Ed Vaizey MP made me very proud.
“I’m now the communications manager at National Museums Liverpool and manage the press office. My team looks after the PR for eight museums and galleries across the city, which means the work is really varied. One minute you can be at a press call with a Turner Prize winner, and the next talking to the media about the Titanic disaster.
“In 2009 I wrote my first book, The Day I Met Morrissey, about obsessive fans that have met the singer. It was a real thrill to see it in stores such as Waterstones.
“If I could give one piece of advice it would be to move around a bit. Lots of organisations do PR very differently, so it’s good to get experiences of different places.”
Dickie Felton BA (Hons) Joint Applied Social Sciences and Community, Race Relations
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Edge Hill University Social Sciences
There’s a lot of activity currently taking place across our stunning, award-winning campus at the moment. £200m worth of activity, in fact, with the campus expected to grow significantly by 2020.
The Hub is a new £13.5m state-of-the-art facility, a communal space for students and staff to meet, eat, relax, and collaborate, and forms the centre of the campus.
Sport for all Our 25-acre sports site provides high quality indoor and outdoor facilities, and a range of sports clubs which compete with other educational institutions locally and nationally. Facilities include a competition standard running track, floodlit tennis and netball courts, grass and astroturf pitches, and a well-resourced gym. Edge Hill was also an accredited training camp for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The Students’ Union gives you a voice, promoting positive change to ensure you have the best possible experience while at university. This includes access to a weird and wonderful variety of student clubs and societies, from sports to circus skills, puppetry to pilates, on-campus bars and club nights, and the opportunity to dust down a soapbox, look up the word ‘hustings’ in the dictionary, and enter the world of student – and national – politics. You are also automatically entitled to an NUS card, offering discounts on almost everything. Those looking for a creative outlet can sign up for a shift on our online mag, or subject peers to their eclectic music collections as a broadcaster on the Uni’s radio station.
Our World
“The Poverty of Theory (1978) by Marxist historian EP Thompson was a huge early influence on me, as indeed was just about anything Thompson wrote. His work had that powerful effect of not so much opening up a new world as making me see, in a radically different way, the world I thought I knew; a world of oppression and inequality, but also one where collective human agency could make progressive, radical social change. The work of the Irish modernist writer James Joyce, and particularly Ulysses (1922), also allowed me to see the world in a totally new way. It helped me appreciate the multiplicity of views and experiences, and the ‘epic’ character, of everyday life.” Mark McGovern, Professor in Sociology
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Edge Hill University Social Sciences
Facilities
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Edge Hill University Social Sciences
Social Sciences Staff Profiles Dr Gabriella Brundrett MBA PhD Senior Lecturer in Social Sciences
Paul Bunyan MSc Programme Leader for Childhood and Youth Studies
Educated at the universities of Umeå, Uppsala and Leicester, Gabriella has studied Early Childhood Education and Care, International Relations, Development Studies, and Educational Management. She taught at Liverpool John Moores University before joining Edge Hill University. Gabriella worked for eighteen years in Early Years and Primary Education as a teacher, headteacher, and international consultant in school development and improvement. She has been involved in international research in Botswana, Ghana and Japan, and interests include educational development and management in developing countries, and perceptions of childhood. She sits on the editorial board of the international journal Education 3-13, and is the reviews editor for the International Journal of Art and Design Education. Gabriella is a member of several societies, including the British Educational Leadership, Management and Administration Society, and the Association for the Study of Primary Education.
Educated at St Martin’s College, Lancaster, and the Open University, Paul spent sixteen years in the voluntary, community and statutory sectors in East London and Cumbria. He helped to establish ‘The East London Communities Organisation’ (TELCO), forerunner to ‘London Citizens’, now the largest citizen-based organisation in the UK, campaigning for social justice on a multi-issue agenda. He moved into HE in 2007, and is a regular contributor to Community Development Journal. His research interests include community organising, and the impact of neo-liberalism upon the Third Sector.
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Edge Hill University Social Sciences
Vicki Coppock MA Reader in Social Work and Mental Health
Ursula Curwen MA Senior Lecturer in Social Sciences
Vicki completed her BA (Hons) Sociology degree at Liverpool University in 1981. She then trained as a psychiatric social worker at the University of Manchester, after which she worked as a child guidance social worker for seven years. She completed her MA in Crime, Deviance and Social Policy at Edge Hill in 1990, and joined Edge Hill as a Senior Lecturer in Social Work and Social Policy in 1991, before being appointed Reader in Social Work and Mental Health in 2006. Research interests and publications focus on the critical analysis of theory, policy, legislation and professional practice in the field of mental health, with particular emphasis on asserting a positive rights agenda for children and young people in mental distress.
Ursula is a Senior Lecturer and Fellow, with module leader responsibilities for Critical Youth Studies. She teaches on Youth in Context and Interdisciplinary Childhood Studies. Research interests include approaches to student induction, retention, reflective learning and assessment and the use of technologies in learning and teaching. Ursula is also a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.
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Edge Hill University Social Sciences
Deidre Duffy MSc Lecturer in Social Sciences
Dr Victoria Foster MSc PhD Senior Lecturer in Social Sciences
Deirdre has degrees from University College Cork and Aberystwyth University, and is completing her PhD in Youth Work and Politics with the University of Nottingham.
Victoria draws on her background in fine art to inform her work with marginalised groups with the aim of consciousness-raising and providing a critique of current policy initiatives. Her doctoral research looked at women’s experiences of mothering in poverty and their interactions with Sure Start, carried out in a particularly disadvantaged area of St Helens, Merseyside. Her Postdoctoral Fellowship gave her the opportunity to revisit this community and reflect on the impacts of the research. Since then she has developed an interest in health inequalities through her work at the University of Manchester on ‘Medicines for Neonates’. This involved working with service users to design a large-scale attitudinal survey. She is a member of the British Sociological Association, and has published in Health, The British Journal of Social Work, and The European Journal of Social Work, amongst other publications.
Before joining Edge Hill, Deirdre worked at the University of Nottingham where she taught social policy, classical and contemporary sociological theory, social science research methods and youth justice. She has also worked at Sheffield Hallam University and the University of Nottingham. Research interests include issues and services relating to marginalised communities and social groups (particularly children and young people) for various government departments. She has also produced research informing support services for unemployed young people, and had work published in Social Policy and Society and Policy Studies.
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Edge Hill University Social Sciences
Dr Lucy Gibson PhD Lecturer in Social Sciences
Dr Sally Hester PhD Lecturer in Social Sciences
Educated at the University of Manchester, Lucy then lectured there in Sociology before joining Edge Hill University. Her doctoral research explored themes of cultural commitment, lifestyles and identities amongst fans of northern and rare soul, rock, and electronic dance music. Lucy has published work on popular music and ageing, the extension of youth cultural practices in adulthood, and using email interviews to investigate music and memory. Her research interests broadly focus on ageing, generation, youth culture, and online research methods. Since completing her Doctoral research, Lucy has worked with a youth music charity in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, and is currently exploring new avenues for research on youth and community engagement through music.
Dr Sally Hester was educated at Bangor and Manchester Metropolitan Universities. She has taught Sociology and Cchildhood Studies at Manchester Metropolitan, Bangor and Aberystwyth Universities since 2001. She is part of an international network of researchers who conduct naturalistic studies of children’s lives. Published work has appeared in Discourse Studies, Human Studies and Law at Work.
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Edge Hill University Social Sciences
Dr Tony Keating PhD Senior Lecturer in Social Sciences
Dr Keith Maclennan PhD Lecturer in Social Sciences
Tony studied at City of London Polytechnic and the University of Oxford, before completing a PhD at Dublin City University in 2003. He is a registered social worker and qualified teacher, and worked with young offenders, and with the travelling community, before taking up an academic post. His research has focused on crime, in particular sexual crime, the abuse of children in residential institutions, and the socio-political history of the Irish Free State. He is currently researching aspects of the political campaigning of the racist right in Britain, and local democracy and the ‘big society’ agenda, and has published in the New Hibernia Review and the Irish Studies Review, amongst other academic publications.
Educated at the universities of Cambridge and Manchester, Keith worked for 27 years in public administration, mainly local government. He specialises in school reviews/reorganisations and in the restructuring of various types of public-facing services. He taught at Stirling, Chichester and Liverpool Hope Universities prior to joining Edge Hill, mainly in the areas of education studies and sociological theory. His research interests lie in the sociology of school organisation.
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Edge Hill University Social Sciences
Professor Mark McGovern PhD Professor of Sociology
Dr Allison Moore PhD Programme Leader for Early Childhood Studies
Mark studied History at Trinity College, Dublin before being awarded a PhD by the University of Liverpool in 1994. He was awarded a Chair at Edge Hill in 2009. Research interests include the study of conflict and the politics of transition in post-conflict societies, human rights and transitional justice, and the critical analysis of 'terrorism' and political violence. Mark is the co-author of two books, and has published in Sociology, International Journal of Transitional Justice, Law and Society, State Crime and Capital and Class.
Since graduating with a degree in Applied Social Sciences in 1999 Allison has worked in higher education and the voluntary and community sector, teaching on a range of modules within the Social Sciences. She has been Programme Leader of Early Childhood Studies at Edge Hill University since 2006. Her research interests include sexual politics, rights and citizenship, and the politics of HIV and sexual health, and has published in the Journal of Youth Studies and Journal of the International Network for Sexual Ethics and Politics.
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Edge Hill University Social Sciences
Paul Reynolds BA Reader in Sociology and Social Philosophy
Liz Richards BA Lecturer in Social Sciences
Paul taught at Universities in Hull, York and Leeds before taking up a lectureship at Edge Hill in 1992. He is currently Programme leader for Sociology, while also developing postgraduate degrees. Research interests include sexual ethics and politics, focusing on the relationship between sexual consent, sexual literacy and sexual well-being, and the problems of sexual law and citizenship. Paul has editing roles with Historical Materialism: International Journal of Research in Critical Marxist Theory and other academic publications, and is an external examiner for several universities.
Having worked for Post Office Counters Ltd, Liz returned to Higher Education in 2004, gaining a first class BA (Hons) in Childhood and Youth Studies and Sociology from Lancaster University. She has worked at Edge Hill since 2008, and lectured full-time on the Childhood and Youth and Early Childhood Studies programmes since 2011, specialising in Law and Social Policy. She is currently researching for an MPhil, exploring the effect of various articulations of children’s rights and their implications in the academic, political and legislative spheres. Her research also explores the ethics of policy and guidance relating to sex/sexuality education for children of primary school age, and analysis of the citizenship rights of children and young people.
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Edge Hill University Social Sciences
Francesco Rizzuto BA LLM Head of Department of Social Sciences
Dr Zana Vathi MA MSc DPhil Senior Lecturer in Social Sciences
Educated at the Universities of Hull and Manchester, and the Academy of Law, Florence, Franco has taught at a number of universities, including Ulster, Hull, Cardiff, Oxford Brookes and Lancaster. He is involved in a number of European Commission-supported projects training judges in community law in former communist states. His research interests include anti-trust and merger law, telecommunications law and EU law, and he has published in the Journal of Legislative Studies, European Competition Law Review, Global Competition Litigation Review, Computer and Telecommunications Law Review, Intermedia, Parliamentary Affairs, Political Studies, and Government and Opposition.
Zana joined Edge Hill University in 2012. Prior to this, she worked at the University of Sussex in Brighton where she was part of the Sussex Centre for Migration Research. Zana’s doctoral research involved children of migrants, firstgeneration Albanian migrants, and teachers and key informants in London (UK), Thessaloniki (Greece) and Florence (Italy). Her post-doctoral research has covered the integration and transnational ties of the Kosovan-origin migrants in London, and mobility, cosmopolitanism and space. Her work has been published in several journals, including Mobilities, the Journal of Mediterranean Studies, the Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies and Ethnic and Racial Studies.
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If you would like to find out more about our programmes, or book in on any of our Open Days or for a tour of the campus, please visit our website: edgehill.ac.uk/socialsciences
UK STUDENTS: Course Information, Advice and Guidance Edge Hill University St Helens Road Ormskirk Lancashire L39 4QP
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS: International Office Edge Hill University St Helens Road Ormskirk Lancashire L39 4QP
T: 01695 657000 E: study@edgehill.ac.uk
T: +44 1695 657 122 E: international@edgehill.ac.uk
Preston
Blackburn M65
M6
Southport
M62
M66
Bolton Ormskirk
Wigan
M61
M60 M58
MANCHESTER
M57
M67 M62 M60
LIVERPOOL
Warrington
Aberdeen
M53 Dundee
M56 Edinburgh
Glasgow
M6
Carlisle
Derry
Chester
Newcastle
Donegal Belfast
M6
Sligo
Knock
Isle of Man Leeds
Preston
M62
Liverpool
Athlone
Manchester
Dublin
Galway
Sheffield M1 M6
Nottingham
Shannon
Norwich
Limerick Birmingham
Wexford Waterford
Cambridge
Kerry
M1
Cork M5
Cardiff
Exeter
w f
t
Bristol
M4
London
M25
Portsmouth
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Edge Hill University St Helens Road Ormskirk Lancashire L39 4QP United Kingdom