School of Sociology and Social Policy

Research Interests

My main research interest is in the development of sociological theory. My approach is informed by the work of Zygmunt Bauman, Norbert Elias, Critical Theory and the Critical Realist perspective. Substantive concerns include the relationship between society, the environment and ecological processes with a particular focus on knowledge, science, ideology and global capitalism.

In addtion I am engaged in a number of projects investigating and developing e-learning techniques for supporting learning and teaching.

Presentations and papers on 'Web 2.0', social software and technology enhanced learning (TEL)

Promoting and supporting C&IT in the Curriculum: Bottom up meets top-down at the ALT-C 2001 Conference, Changing Learning Environments, Edinburgh, September 9-11, 2001. 

Blogs and Wikis in Education:A WUN seminar in the e-learning series: Researching the Immediate World. University of Leeds. 16 March 2006

Web 2.0 and the Networked Learner: JISC RSC/YH  E-learning Conference: Engaging the Digital Learner. National Museum of Photography, Film and Television, Bradford. 19th June 2006

Web 2.0, Personal Learning Environments and New Ways of Learning: The Learning Differently Conference. University of Central Lancaster. 26th - 30th June 2006

Using Weblogs as E-portfolios: JISC 1 day event: A Beginner’s Guide to E-portfolios. Leeds University. 27th March 2007

The Institutional Deployment of Web 2.0: JISC virtual conference Using Web 2.0 Technologies for Learning and Teaching. 30th April to 3rd March 2007.

Blending the learning and research ecologies: 5th Annual University of Leeds Learning & Teaching Conference: 10 & 11 January 2008.

PhD Supervision

I jointly supervise PhD projects that are sociologically based investigations of environmental issues and problems