Dr Kirk Mann
Senior Lecturer in Social Policy and Sociology
My work straddles the social policy and political sociology boundary. My main academic interests focus on the relationship between social divisions and welfare, including occupational and fiscal welfare.
Recently, I have been concerned with policies aimed at activating older people, retirement rights and pensions. I am pleased that some of my publications - thirty-seven in total - have subsequently been reproduced in undergraduate textbooks.
Research Interests
My current research focuses on retirement, pensions, and policies for older workers. I continue to produce work on social exclusion and welfare theory. I take a keen interest in Australian and US social policy developments. I have been fortunate to have been a Visiting Fellow at Sydney University and Berkeley. I have also served as an external PhD Examiner at three Australian Universities and several in UK.
Teaching
I enjoy teaching at all levels with introductory lectures on, among other topics, 'the underclass' and contemporary social policies. I also teach a module on 'Men and Masculinities' and 'Social Exclusion in later Life' at undergraduate level. I have also been the MA Coordinator for the School for the last couple of years.
PhD Supervision
I have supervised PhD students for the last fifteen years. All my students have completed, and I currently supervise seven students. Reflecting my diverse interests, the topics I have supervised include the following.
- Pensions Policy (in UK, EU, Korea, Australia, and China)
- New Labour
- Benefit Fraud
- Male Anorexia
- The 1960s Student Movement
- Violent Women
- Older People as Welfare Service Users.
- Child care & post-separation households.
I welcome enquiries from prospective candidates.
Key Publications
Book
Mann, K. (2001) Approaching Retirement; Social Divisions, Welfare and Exclusion. Policy Press. Bristol.
Chapters in Books
Mann, K. (2009) “Divine” Benefits: The Role of Employers in Meeting Future Retirees’ Needs. In Hyde, M. and Dixon J. (eds) Social Security: Market, State and Associations in Retirement Provision. pp117-136. Edwin Mellon Press. , Lewiston, NY.
Mann, K. (2003) The Schlock and the New: Risk, Reflexivity and Retirement. In: Bochel, C. Ellison, N. and Powell, M. (eds.) Social Policy Review: UK and International Perspectives: No.15, Policy Press.
Journal Articles
Mann, K. (2009) Transforming employer responsibilities: the privatisation of occupational pensions Journal of Comparative Social Welfare, Volume 25 Issue 2, 139.
Mann, K. (2009) Remembering and Rethinking the Social Divisions of Welfare: 50 years on.” Journal of Social Policy., 38, 1, pp1–18.
Mann, K. (2007) Activation, Retirement Planning and Restraining the 'Third age'. Social Policy and Society, 6(3).
Contact Details
- Room: SSB 12.02
- Tel: 0113 343 4424
- Fax:0113 343 4415
- Email: k.mann@leeds.ac.uk