Social Science - research opportunities
Introduction
The School has a significant and expanding research profile, with strong institutional and external support. Research findings are disseminated through publications, including books and academic journals, national and international conferences and bespoke research reports. The School has particular strengths in the study of Liverpool and Merseyside via the interdisciplinary and cross-institutional CLAMS (Centre for Liverpool and Merseyside Studies), via Base Line research consultancy, via an ESF (European Social Fund) project on work-life balance and via individual and team research in the five disciplines that make up the School – Criminology, Geography, History. Politics and Sociology. A number of staff received national and international ratings in the last Research Assessment Exercise (RAE).
The School carries out research in each of its academic disciplines: Criminology, Geography, History, Politics and Socology but research often cuts across disciplinary boundaries. In the RAE staff were involved in LJMU research groups that received grades of 3b, 3a and 4. In addition, a new crossdisciplinary research consultancy service is now available, namely Base Line.
In Criminology, research topics include: law enforcement agencies; security and the state; prisons and the prison system; corporate crime; ethnic minorities and the criminal justice system; criminological theory; power and criminal justice; surveillance; research methods; politics of social research; miscarriages of justice; public parks and crime.
In Geography, staff research interests include: landscape planning; new ontologies for planning; stakeholders in conservation; GIS for HE recruitment management; land use management and community conservation issues in North-West England; ecological networks; spatial development of Liverpool; urban, regional, environmental and health issues in the People’s Republic of China; ageing in China; REFLECT as a means of grassroots development in Nepal; NGOs, gender and development; ethnic minority business in the UK.
In History, the research focus is on: local elections in the Inter-War era; Liverpool and Empire; the sugar industry; the Irish diaspora in England; decolonisation and the post-colonial era in Southeast Asia; the rise of the Third Reich; Chamberlain and appeasement; the Holocaust; Liverpool and globalisation; the Labour party in Liverpool; the Conservative party and British foreign policy in the 20th century.
In Politics, staff work on research in: survival strategies of small island states; the Europeanisation of UK government and politics; the external policies of the European Union; gender issues in EU enlargement and European security; gender issues in the politics of global environmental change; feminism and political philosophy; US politics.
In Sociology, staff manage a major ESF research project on work-life policies and women’s progression in the UK and Netherlands. They are also involved in a project looking at asylum-seeking children in Merseyside. Other research interests include: gender issues in the sociology of work; class inequalities in education and gender and education in Nepal.
Base Line is currently led mainly by geography staff, but is contributed to by various disciplines within and outwith the School, depending on the specific topic. Research undertaken to date includes Passenger survey for John Lennon International Airport; Road Safety including the Journey to School for Liverpool City Council and surveys of Ageing in Liverpool Communities for Liverpool City Council; studies of the protected species, Great Crested Newt, for clients such as English Nature or various development companies.
The School provides access to research training and specialist supervision, via supervisory teams under a Director of Studies, together with appropriate office accommodation, library, audiovisual and ICT facilities.
Career prospects
Graduation with a postgraduate qualification in one of our disciplines can lead to careers in higher education, management roles within a variety of public sector or voluntary sector agencies, and the private sector. A significant number of postgraduates have moved on to become lecturers in Higher Education, but also ICT consultants, full-time researchers, or career advisers. If part-time, graduates have gained promotion within their place of work or a new place of work.
Target awards
MPhil (Master of Philosophy); PhD (Doctor of Philosophy). Note that all students enrolled for a MPhil have the right to apply for transfer to a PhD programme.
Entry requirements
A good honours degree in an appropriate subject is generally required, or a relevant Masters qualification. It is also useful to give a brief summary of the topic that the applicant is interested to develop, to facilitate a dialogue between the Admissions tutor, subject specialists and the applicant.
Attendance
Full-time postgraduates are expected to work 35-40 hours per week for 46 weeks of the year. Part-time applicants should be able to devote a minimum of 12 hours per week to their study for a similar length of time per annum.