Working Notes

‘Knowing That My Work Makes a Real Difference’: The Career of One Applied Quantitative Sociologist

By Tony Alderton, UK

Tony reflects on his career in civil service and his current role as a researcher for Early Years and Childcare with the Kent County Council in the UK. He talks about how he uses statistics and Geographical Information Systems (GIS) in his job.

An Organisational Perspective: Applying Sociology to the Health Sector

By Christine Walker, Melbourne, Australia

Christine answers some questions about her work as Chief Executive Officer for Chronic Illness Alliance in Melbourne, Australia, which connects not-for-profit groups with government and academics in order to advocate for better healthcare for people with chronic illnesses.

War and Peace in Educational Disadvantage

By Lea Campbell, Melbourne, Australia

Lea works as a researcher for a social welfare organisation in Australia. She seeks out to answer the question: ‘How do we bring students, parents, teachers and stakeholders together to have powerful and respectful conversations around the educational, social and emotional needs of students?’ Lea makes a case for constructive conflict in educational policies.

Strengthening Business Through Sociology: The Work of a Council Coordinator

By Lui Wing Shek Adrian, Hong Kong

Adrian works for a global membership organisation for the business community. He tells us how his general sociological skills help him to work with businesses in order to strengthen their services. Adrian shows that ‘Realising the promise of sociological imagination is a long and winding road.’

Consuming Sociology: Working for State Government

By Stephen Leyden, Melbourne, Australia

Stephen works as a Research Officer for Consumer Affairs Victoria in Australia, a government agency more accustomed to focusing on business and legal concerns rather than on sociological issues. Stephen says some of the rewards of job involve ‘adding to the organisation’s knowledge by demonstrating the social/historical factors that influence behaviour.’

Beyond Merciless Critique: Reflections on the Contribution of Sociology in the Social Policy Space

By Anthony Hogan, Canberra, Australia

Anthony is a Fellow with the National Centre for Epidemiology and Public Health at The Australian National University. His paper argues that sociology could make a stronger impact on social policy if it went beyond criticism and engaged with the imperfect aspects of decision making.

Advice for Students Who Want to Work as Social Activists: A View From a Trade Union

By Gary Pattison, UK

Gary provides advice for students interested in becoming trade union officials, including how he moved into his profession and how sociology helps him achieve better conditions for workers. Gary discusses the challenges of bringing sociology into his job, but he notes the benefits are, ‘That I get to use my professional salary to challenge the state and capitalism. Seriously.’

Defining Sociological Identity and Community: The Work of the Sociologists Outside Academia Group

By Annika Coughlin, UK

Annika is one of the convenors of the Sociologists Outside Academia Group, which is part of the British Sociological Association. She answers questions about the issues facing their members.

Becoming an Applied Sociologist: A Personal Journey From Student to Academic to Public Servant

By Dr Zuleyka Zevallos, Australia

Zuleyka has a position as Sociologist in the Australian Public Service. She provides a reflexive case study of her career. She argues that sociology students need better vocational training and career planning strategies.

To Be or Not to Be ‘Too Academic’: Theory and Practice in Applied Contexts

By The Editors

Within a non-academic work setting, the idea of being ‘too academic’ often implies placing a different value on the scholarly application of theory and methods than is usually practised in formal academic contexts. This edition of Working Notes aims to highlight the different ways in which sociology is practised outside academia.

Language, Ideas and Policy: Insights From the Periphery 

By Dr Dina Bowman, Melbourne, Australia

Dina draws parallels between her initial encounters with the jargon and assumptions of employment services policy and the treatment of ‘invalid’ survey responses. She emphasises the importance of looking at marginal perspectives—those understandings outside the dominant frame of reference within which policy research.

Do It Yourself Social Research and Everyday Evaluation: Lessons From a 40-year Career as an Applied Sociologist 

By Dr Yoland Wadsworth, Melbourne, Australia

Yoland is renowned for her action research techniques, having worked with various research centres within universities as well as with state government research centres. She writes about her new book which brings together the wealth of her social research and evaluation experiences.

Health Matters: Working with Qualitative and Quantitative Methods

By Dr Christine Walker, Melbourne, Australia

Christine specialises in qualitative research on health issues, but she has more recently began working with quantitative methods. She discusses her not-for-profit alliance network supporting chronic illnesses, as well as her research on diabetes and epilepsy.

Addressing Disadvantage: Applying Theory to Practice

By Dr Dina Bowman, Melbourne, Australia

Dina writes about her work with a not-for-profit organisation that addresses employment disadvantage through services, advocacy and research. Dina’s current research focus is on understanding inequality in the ‘working years’. She outlines how it is possible to use social theory in an applied context in order to address inequality and to inform effective policy and practice.

Sociological Leadership in Education

By Dr Steve Nwokeocha, Abuja, Nigeria

Steve explains how sociology influences his management style for a government department contributing to regional educational policies. Steve also demonstrates ‘the difference a sociologist can make in bringing about positive changes in an organisation and in launching a very new organisation into national, continental and global relevance’.

Influencing Social Change: Advice for Students Who Want to Work with NGOs 

By Sharon Bond, Melbourne, Australia

Sharon works as a Senior Research Officer with a not-for-profit organisation. She discusses her research that informs planning and development for community services helping school to work transition. Sharon discusses her career path and she provides advice for people looking to find similar jobs, including her studies and the skills required in her day-to-day work.

Identity Development Amongst Sea/Tree Changers: A Postgrad Research Blog

By Christina Kargillis, Sunshine Coast, Australia

Christina is a third-year postgraduate student studying identity development amongst people who move from larger cities to smaller country areas. She introduces how her blog supported her research.

Doing Sociology Beyond Academia

By Zuleyka Zevallos

The articles in Doing Sociology Beyond Academia: Making Sociology “Work” aim to give voice to some of the positive and problematic issues that applied sociologists face in their everyday work. This collection of papers develop the links between applied and academic sociological practices, so that we might all better work together to strengthen Australian sociology.

Youth Unemployment in the Illawarra: An Investigation into the Problems facing Young Job Seekers in our Region

By Scott Burrows

This article discusses studying youth unemployment outside of an academic setting by contextualising the ‘sociology of work’ context. It also considers important private sector dimensions that differ from research undertaken in an academic context.

Breaking Down the Otherness of Applied Sociology

By Zuleyka Zevallos

Zuleyka focuses on the connections and disconnections between academia and applied sociology, with a view to breaking down the divide between these complimentary spheres of sociology. She discusses Michael Burawoy’s typology of public sociology before presenting a brief case study of the applications of sociology towards national security research and policy.

Sociology as Other: Sociological Thinking Applied to Mental Health Clinical Practice

By Joy Adams-Jackson

Joy works as a registered nurse in a rural community mental health facility, but identifies as clinical sociologist. She shows how she uses a sociological perspective to question assumptions about risk management in health policy and biomedical practice.

Changing Places

By Bruce Smyth

Bruce moved back into academia having worked in social policy for many years. He reflects on what it’s like to address family issues in an applied context, including identifying problems, finding funding and communicating with external audiences. He also reflects on his move back into university.

Exploring the Entrepreneurial Option for Sociologists

By Karina Butera

Karina explores how she uses sociology in her commercial work as a life coach. She discusses how she set up her business whilst undertaking her PhD and provides tips to students who share her entrepreneurial spirit.

Social Acts

By Anthony Hogan

Anthony outlines some of the advocacy and research he has led in the policy sector, including occupational health and safety risks, farmers’ perceptions of climate change, food security, and work experiences of people with disabilities.

Diversity in the Sociological World

ByJulie Cappleman-Morgan and Annika Coughlin

Julie and Annika discuss the need to properly value the work of applied sociologists. They share the history of the Sociologists Outside Academia group, founded under the British Sociological Association. The group tackles various issues from networking to campaigning.

The Utility of Participant Observation in Applied Sociological Research

By Jan Ali

Jan shows how to use participant observation to explain complex social phenomena and to illustrate that practitioners can affect social change. Jan uses a case study of his research on the Tablighi Jamaat, a religious social movement in Sydney, Australia.

Opportunities for Teaching Sociology Within Enabling Courses

By Anna Bennett

Anna discusses her experiences teaching sociology outside a university as part of an enabling course for youth aged 17 to 20 years who hope to qualify for tertiary study.

I Can Feel Like a Ship Without a Rudder

By Susan Pitt

Susan offers an introspection on the importance of peer support and networks for non-academics, and how this shapes her identity as a sociologist.