Research Institute for Social Sciences

I would either like to continue Higher Education in a Fellowship role, carrying out some further research, perhaps with some lecturing duties. Alternatively I would like to enter the profession of being a government advisor and/or a member of a social policy think-tank.

“Student learning experiences compared statutory organisations and the 'Third Sector': Bourdieu's 'ideological reproduction' revisited.”

Many observers are of the view that society’s values, its sense of right and wrong, what people’s priorities should be, are reinforced in our schools, being transferred by our teachers to our pupils via our education system. The process by which society’s values are transferred via education is called ‘ideological reproduction’, a process explained by the sociologist Pierre Bourdieu.

My PhD study seeks to consider does ‘ideological reproduction’, the transfer of society’s values from educator to learner, occur in universities from lecturer to student. My research will also examine, does more ‘ideological reproduction’ take place for students who participate in a student placement in a statutory traditional setting such as a hospital, social work department or school, compared to student learning experience with a ‘Third Sector’ organisation. ‘Third Sector’ organisations tend to be private enterprises in the voluntary and community sector such as local churches, mental health charities, immigrants and asylum seeker support organisations, advice centres. These enterprises often have no connection with the State, not performing any statutory duty such as the Health or Education Service. Amongst other issues, my PhD seeks to inform society do students who’s learning experience is with a ‘Third Sector’ organisation become more socially and politically aware of issues concerning marginalised groups, compared to students who’s learning is with a statutory agency, due in part to ‘ideological reproduction’ which takes place during the education process of students.

I have had a paper accepted for discussion by the North England Education Conference, 16-18 January 2013 at Sheffield Hallam University.

I took part in a design a poster promotional video as part of a team for the Higher Education Academy (HEA), which has been made publically available on their official website.

I also volunteered to produce an individual video, explaining my PhD research study in layman's terms and the benefits of working with the HEA, which has also been made publically available on the official website.