Department of Sociology

By Laura Harvey “Can you be happy for 100 days in a row? You don’t have time for this, right?” The call to arms (or cameraphones) of the #100HappyDays challenge began with Dmitry Golubnichy deciding to publicly document daily moments of happiness, as a response to finding himself in a ‘trap of sadness’ at the […]

By Thomas Roberts A couple of months ago the fridge in the sociology department kitchen was replaced. Whilst the new fridge looks nearly identical to the old one, there is a fundamental difference – the hinges are on the opposite side.   I have lost count of the number of times I have walked into the […]

By Victoria Redclift Last month nine people were burnt alive in a ‘refugee camp’ in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The fire occurred after a clash between the Urdu-speaking ‘Bihari’ camp residents and Bengali locals from a nearby slum. Some reports allege that several hundred Bengalis carrying machetes attacked the camp, setting houses ablaze. Most reports suggest that […]

By Nigel Gilbert The 2008 Climate Change Act committed the UK to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by at least 80 per cent compared to 1990 levels by the year 2050.  This is a very ambitious target, and if achieved will change our world in many ways, some of them unexpected.  For example, the majority […]

By Nicola Green The ongoing fallout from the phone hacking scandal in the UK is a gift that keeps on giving for media sociologists. The 24th of June saw (some initial) verdicts in the trials of several senior editors and managers of media organisations on charges of conspiracy – conspiring to intercept communications, conspiring to […]

By Rachel Brooks A cursory glance at the website or prospectus of most British universities will reveal the important place ‘international agendas’ occupy within contemporary higher education. Universities are typically keen to demonstrate: their close links with overseas institutions; the international composition of their student body; opportunities for overseas study and work placements; and, sometimes, […]