BSc (Hons) Public Sociology
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://eresearch.qmu.ac.uk/handle/20.500.12289/7265
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Item Lifelong Capital: An Ethnographic Investigation into How Social Capital is Produced by Lifelong Learning Literacies Groups(2023) UnknownIt has been argued by recent sociological research using qualitative and quantitative methods that lifelong learning literacies groups have the utility of producing social capital for their learners. This finding is significant as it has allowed for an interactionist contribution to the withstanding sociological debate concerning the role of lifelong learning in society. What has been missed by this recent research is an explanation as to how these interactions within lifelong learning literacies groups contribute to the production of social capital. It is this missing area of knowledge that this research seeks to address. Using an ethnographic methodology consisting of participant observation and semi-structured interviews, this research finds that both interactive aspects of the dynamics and relationships in the group are imperative to the production and facilitation of social capital. This research enriches and provides nuance to the interactionist contribution to the lifelong learning debate. Thus, potentially providing useful insights and considerations to workers and researchers within all lifelong learning provisions.Item Grassroots football volunteering in a de-industrialised locale as a source of social capital(2021)De-industrialisation and its impact on local populations, while a long-standing theme of sociological research, is notoriously difficulty to make concrete and bring into focus as its reality seems more of an ‘absence’ than a presence; refers to a social condition heavily characterised by the on-going impact of a set of social conditions that have gone; a former set of defining conditions that have not been replaced; is akin to describing a reality in people’s lives that is ‘missed.’ The question of the presence of the past in the present is explored through interviews with locals in Dalkeith.Item A Poetic Inquiry into Emotional Labour of Public Library Work(2020)This study explores the nature of emotional labour in public library work through poetic inquiry. Building off past qualitative and quantitative studies, this project adds nuance to the body of research on emotional labour in library work. Participants participated in a 90-minute poetry workshop, facilitated by the researcher and inspired by Freirean pedagogical principles, where they wrote poems about how it feels to work in a public library. They wrote based on prompts about surface acting, deep acting, and the physical sensations associated with libraries. These poems served as data for thematic analysis. The primary four themes to emerge were “libraryness,” surface acting, identity, and empathy. This study found that emotional labour manifests uniquely in public library work, where workers are typically deeply passionate about literacy and social infrastructure.Item The lived experience of working-class students at elite Scottish universities(2020)The research in this dissertation was conducted with the aim of building upon previous work which explored working-class experiences at elite university institutions in the UK and overseas, and challenges that presented for working class social mobility. It has been established that, in terms of the UK, comparable research in this area is limited. It is therefore deemed important to bring a Scottish focus to this area. In depth interviews were conducted with students to collect and compare their experiences with each other, and with previous research, in order to find common themes. The research was then analysed using the theories of Pierre Bourdieu; namely cultural capital, field and habitus, with the aim of explaining the experiences of the students through the sociological imagination. The Scottish Government has passed legislation making university tuition free for all, and have focused on closing the attainment gap between rich and poor through a dedicated programme. The focus of these initiatives are on increasing social mobility, and will result in more young working-class applicants embarking on degrees at ‘elite’ universities. This dissertation focuses on the lived experiences of working-class students in this elite environment and seeks to uncover what challenges those coming from a traditionally non-university background may face, as they attempt to adapt to their new environment, or ‘habitus’.Item WHY MENTAL HEALTH IS UNSPOKEN OF BY MEN IN SOUTH ASIAN COMMUNITIES IN SCOTLAND(2020)The taboo and negligence surrounding the issue of mental health is something of a global concern. Though there has been increased awareness in recent years, it is not enough. This research captured why mental health is unspoken of by men in South Asian communities in Scotland. Through the use of structured interviews, this research aims to examine why mental health remains a largely unspoken issue within the South Asian community in Scotland. Four themes surfaced through the use of thematic analysis which provided various findings. The findings of the study illustrated that the stigma surrounding mental health was primarily due to the cultural norms within South Asian communities, developed over decades of misunderstandings of mental health and upholding izzat. Izzat is honour and reputation often upheld by family which can be destroyed through shameful acts and behaviour of an individual (Gilbert et al 2004). South Asian Scottish men are emotionally imprisoned as they suffer in silence to avoid disregarding the construction of hegemonic gender roles, thus being considered as inferior.Item East-West migration in contemporary Europe: Exploring social mobility through the lens of young Central and Eastern European adults living in Scotland.(2020)The purpose of this qualitative research project was to create a theoretical discussion of youth migration patterns that incorporates macro and micro-sociological perspectives. The research analyses intra-European migration trends through the narratives of young migrants from postaccession EU countries. To gain an in-depth understanding of how young movers make sense of their migration experiences, semi-structured interviews were conducted, applying appropriate research design and data analysis methods. The study provides a thorough discussion of present-day sociological themes and brings new insights to the existing knowledge.Item “A sociological analysis of the lived experience of quasi-emergency service volunteers in Edinburgh”(2020)Prior to this research no in depth sociological exploration of quasi-emergency service volunteer existed. This research employs a phenomenological methodology in order to develop a detailed description of those individuals who volunteer for a quasi-emrgency service in Edinburgh. Emerging from the participants experience were four key themes surrounding experiences of volunteering, emotional labour, relationships with other emergency services and challenges emanating from a lack of funding. Participants report that, volunteering was beneficial to them in a number of ways; emotional management was an important aspect of their voluntary work; experiences with mainstream emergency services were varied and, similar to mainstream emergency service workers, a lack of funding was an existential reality.Item Environmental activism: A sociological analysis of people’s fight against climate change in Scotland(2020)Environmental activism has long been the focus of various scientific studies. However, a thorough examination of activism on an individual level has not been universal. This research aims to dive deeper and explore the point of view of participants of campaigns and protests. By the use of semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis, principal themes have been established in the study. The main aspects are environmental justice, networks, participation and membership in groups that are active in this field.Item A Sociological Exploration of Perceptions of Femininity on the Reality TV Show Love Island(2020)This research explores the perceptions of femininity on the popular reality TV show Love Island from women of two different age groups. The emergence of reality TV in the 21st century has created a new platform which merges with femininity representations and women’s body and beauty ideals. Through two focus groups one with women aged 18-25 and one with women over 40, this study exhibits the influence that the media and reality TV can have on younger women’s perception of femininity and the social ‘norms’of femininity reality TV reinforces.Item A sociological exploration of the affective and emotional labour in the experiences of museum community engagement outreach facilitators(2020)This research explores the work and role of museum community engagement facilitators in central Scotland. Museum community engagement is increasingly significant in museum practice and, as such, this research calls for a more nuanced understanding of the role(s) played by its facilitators. In particular, the affective and emotional dimensions of their work are explored. Utilising Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis as methodology and data analysis technique, the participants’ descriptions, reflections and sensemaking in relation to their work and practice form the basis of the study. The six semi-structured interviews with museum community engagement practitioners reveal the complexity of their professional role in managing participant-centred programmes or projects in a, sometimes, testing environment. In accordance with the existing limited knowledge in this area, this research unveils the practical and emotional challenges of museum community engagement work. However, as previously undiscussed in academic literature, the participants’ placed much emphasis on equality in the facilitator/participant relationship, the recognition of project participants’ expertise and how such expertise can be mobilised through supportive facilitation. Underpinning their experiences are similarly hybrid forms of emotional and affective labour. In all, their accounts evidence the multi-layered role of museum community engagement facilitators and the necessity for an increased awareness and appreciation of the work they perform.