Dr Sarah Irwin
Reader in Sociology
I am a Reader in Sociology. I am a member of Timescapes, an ESRC qualitative longitudinal study (‘Changing lives and times: relationships and identities through the life course’ 2007-12). I run the Secondary Analysis Project on Timescapes. There are lots of resources for qualitative secondary analysts on the Timescapes website. I am also running a research project into parenting and family life, which has involved survey research and semi-structured interviews. I am Director of the Centre for Research on Families, the Life Course and Generations (FLaG).
Research Interests
My main research interests are in the areas of family, parenting, education, gender, youth, the life course and research methods. Recently I have been exploring the scope for working across different kinds of data (including qualitative and quantitative) in advancing conceptual understanding: a feature of my work for Timescapes, and also of my work on parenting and social inequalities.
Teaching
My main teaching interests reflect my research interests. I currently convene a level 3 module called Education, Culture and Society, and a level 1 module called Identity, Difference and Inequalities. I have extensive MA and PhD supervision experience.
PhD Supervision
I am interested in supervising PhD students in the following areas:
- Family
- Education
- Generations / life course
- Class, gender, social inequalities
Key Publications
Books
Irwin, S. (2005) Reshaping Social Life, Routledge.
Irwin, S. (1995) Rights of passage. Social change and the transition from youth to adulthood, UCL Press.
Indicative Journal Articles
Irwin, S. and Elley, S. (2011) 'Concerted Cultivation? Parenting values, education and class diversity', Sociology 45, 3, 480-95.
Irwin, S. (2009) ‘Locating where the action is: quantitative and qualitative lenses on families, schooling and structures of social inequality’, Sociology 43, 6, 1123-40.
Irwin, S. (2009) ‘Family contexts, norms and young people’s orientations: researching diversity’, Journal of Youth Studies 12, 4, 337-54.
Irwin, S. (2008) Subjectivity and Social Structure, International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy 28 [7/8]: 282-84.
Irwin, S., Bornat, J. and Winterton, M. (2012) ‘Timescapes secondary analysis: comparison, context and working across data sets’, Qualitative Research, (in press) (special edition: Advancing methods and infrastructure for qualitative longitudinal research in the UK: The Timescapes Experience).
Chapters in Books
Irwin, S. (2008) 'Data analysis and interpretation: emergent issues in linking qualitative and quantitative evidence', In: Hesse-Biber, S.; Leavy, P. (eds.) Handbook of emergent methods in social research, Guildford Publications.
I have work on qualitative secondary analysis in press. In the meantime please visit the Timescapes website – Secondary Analysis Project pages, and Working Paper series.
Contact Details
- Room: SSB 12.06
- Tel: 0113 343 4432
- Fax:0113 343 4415
- Email: s.irwin@leeds.ac.uk