Working Notes Issue 3

Doing Sociology Beyond Academia. Zuleyka Zevallos

This edition focuses on Doing Sociology Beyond Academia: Making Sociology “Work.” The articles voice some of the positive and problematic issues that applied sociologists face in their everyday work. The authors develop the links between applied and academic sociological practices.

Youth Unemployment in the Illawarra. 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. Zuleyka Zevallos

Zuleyka focuses on the connections and disconnections between academia and applied sociology. She presents 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. Joy Adams-Jackson

Joy is a clinical sociologist working as a registered nurse in a rural community mental health facility. She shows how she uses a sociology to question assumptions about risk management in health policy and biomedical practice.

Changing Places. Bruce Smyth

Bruce reflects on his move 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.

Exploring the Entrepreneurial Option for Sociologists. 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. 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. Julie 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. 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.