VICE CHANCELLOR’S SCHOLARSHIPS – ELIGIBLE
PHD PROJECTS IN SOCIAL SCIENCES
In the recent Research Excellence Framework (REF2014), 52% of research in the Department of Social
Sciences was assessed as world leading or internationally excellent. Our impact case studies were ranked as
th
6 in the sociology panel, and were similarly ranked as world-leading or internationally excellent. Successful
doctoral candidates will undertake research with academics who lead their fields in innovative, critically informed
and impact-oriented scholarship that transcends disciplinary boundaries whilst maintaining a strong commitment
to theoretical and methodological rigour. We are seeking high quality students to undertake study in the fields of
sociology and criminology on the following themes: gender, sexual and family violence; psychoanalytic studies;
families and parenting; citizenship and political engagement; and human rights. Further information on our
innovative research centres, groups and individual staff can be found on our research pages.
Eligible Projects:
International comparative research on sexual and gender violence, femicide, female genital mutilation,
with Dr Aisha K. Gill
Dr Gill welcomes proposals to support the scholarship of promising doctoral researchers to conduct
original data collection on violence against women related to: the nature and prevalence of intimate
femicide in Europe with specific focus on criminal law defence of perpetrators in ‘honour’ killing cases;
comparative socio-legal responses to female genital mutilation in Iraqi Kurdistan, Somali and UK based
diaspora communities; and to conduct research on offenders and victims of sexual violence within
South Asian communities in the UK and Iraqi Kurdistan [Yazidi communities]. All proposals, regardless
of methodological design should have a strong theoretical basis.
The history and philosophy of psychoanalysis, with Professor Steven Groarke
Professor Groarke seeks doctoral research students wishing to undertake interdisciplinary studies in the
history and philosophy of psychoanalysis – including, philosophy (Continental philosophy); literature and
literary criticism; and social and political theory. He welcomes students interested in applied (i.e., nonclinical) psychoanalysis, but also in combined academic and clinical studies, with a particular focus on
the cultural and social context of British psychoanalysis as well as comparative studies of British,
European and American psychoanalysis.
Different formation of family violence, with Dr Amanda Holt
Dr Holt welcomes applications for suitable research projects that look at fatal and non-fatal violence
within different family relationships. This might include violence and abuse towards parents and
grandparents, siblings, children and young people and wider family relationships. Project proposals
might also include a comparative element and an exploration of family violence within particular
contexts. Research projects with a quantitative and/or qualitative component are welcome.
Political engagement, with Professor Bryony Hoskins
Professor Hoskins welcomes proposals for a project in either 1) how inequalities influence political
engagement, or 2) Comparative analysis of political engagement across Europe.
Project One: How
inequalities influence political engagement.
The gap between the levels of political engagement of
wealthy young people and those from less privileged backgrounds is high and increasing leaving certain
voices to be unheard within decisions on public policy and funding (Sloam 2013). In this context,
Professor Hoskins seeks doctoral research students to examine in England and/or comparatively
internationally the relationship between different forms of inequalities and political engagement and how
they can be reduced. Methods could include the analysis of existing national and international datasets
(e.g. international civic and citizenship education study conducted in 2009 & 2016 http://iccs.iea.nl/),
development of a quasi-experimental design or mixed methods research (qualitative and quantitative
data collection and analysis).
Project Two: European Citizenship and comparative analysis of political
engagement across Europe.
In the context of the economic crisis and subsequent experience of
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austerity concepts of citizens' rights and civic responsibilities have been challenged including the role of
the state and volunteer and charity organisations. Research in this domain could analyse a single
country or comparatively and/or over time the changing understandings and participation in civic and
political engagement across different European countries or comparatively with different regions in the
world. Methods could include the analysis of existing international datasets such as the European
Social Survey (2002-2016) http://www.europeansocialsurvey.org/ and/or the collection of policy related
material from a range of European countries.
Discourses of Human Rights, with Dr Darren O’Byrne
Dr O’Byrne welcomes applications for doctoral research projects looking at how human rights discourses
are used within different fields. The focus should be on how the language of human rights has been
utilised by actors in these fields to advance ideological projects and how such narratives relate to formal
rights-discourses and to the public understanding of human rights. Proposals should demonstrate a
clear understanding of contemporary debates within the theory of human rights, and the potential to
provide empirical grounding for existing conceptual work in this area. Analyses of political or media
discourses are particularly welcomed, as would be any research proposal concerned with how
processes of ‘dehumanisation’ are constructed through social institutions to facilitate ‘conditions of
rightlessness’. Other proposals within the sociology of human rights will also be considered, although
applicants should ensure that the proposed research has a strong theoretical basis and is not overly
policy-oriented or country-specific.
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