Sociology

I am a Lecturer in Sociology and particularly interested in exploring the social worlds of those who voluntarily engage in ‘high-risk’ pursuits. My doctorate research focused on the social processes involved in becoming and being a skydiver and documented the regular sequence of transitions that typically occur in the skydiver’s moral career. Teaching interests include social theory, sociology of risk and voluntary risk taking, theories of identity, ethnography and qualitative methodology. Since completing my thesis at the University of Durham in 2005, I have worked at the University of Bath on the ESRC funded project 'Doing Justice: An Analysis of Risk and Needs Assessment in Youth Justice'. I joined Keele in September 2006.

My research interests include social theory, sociology of risk, with a particular emphasis on voluntary risk taking, theories of self and identity, ethnographic research and qualitative methodology.

• State crimes and crimes against humanity
• Research Design and Process
• Contemporary Criminology: Theory and Practice
• Contemporary Cultural and Media Theory
• Globalisation, Culture, Media
• Philosophy of the Social Sciences 20 - PIR-40060
• Sport and Society
• Classical Sociology
• Research Methods
• 20th Century Social Theory
• Social Theory: Contemporary Issues, Perspectives and Debates