Public sociology

Our research works towards addressing some of the most significant challenges of the day. Ranked 13th in the UK for impact and power in the most recent Research Excellence Framework (2014), our research is making a difference in society.

We have a wide and varied portfolio of policy-relevant research that is both sociologically informed and methodologically innovative. We work with a range of local, national and international organisations to translate our research into policy and practice.

These activities inform the lively and well-grounded international dimension of all the School's teaching both at undergraduate and postgraduate level.

Current projects include:

• Pregnant Men: An International Exploration of Trans Male Practices of Reproduction
• Translations and transformations in patienthood: cancer in the post-genomics era
• Researching emergent social and economic futures
• Realizing the political rights of persons with disabilities (PODI)
• Effectiveness of a Community Health Care Workers Programme for Maternal and Child Health in Nigeria

Examples of our research impact:

• Shaping disability policies in Europe
• Informing the energy industry on the importance of public engagement
• Understanding what it means to be a patient in the post-genomics cancer era
• Influencing thinking and shaping practice about poverty and worklessness
• Financial sustainability – emergent social and economic futures
• Building the anti-racist university – resources for organisational change