The department is a dynamic and thriving centre for sociological research and education. It combines theoretical creativity, substantive empirical research and a tradition of engagement with public policy around important social issues.
We are one of the oldest and most well-established Sociology Departments in London and, with over 30 staff, also one of the biggest.
Our students receive a top-class education that is consistently informed by cutting-edge research and delivered by internationally recognised leaders in their fields. Our range of courses involve a mixture of hands-on and theoretical learning through which students develop the sociological imagination, knowledge and research skills to engage with the key challenges and debates that are shaping policy formation, professional practice and social life in a rapidly changing world.
Our central London location gives students direct access to the learning and cultural resources of a global city. The department's academics have particular expertise in: criminology and criminal justice; culture and the creative industries; quantitative sociology, including survey methods and data analysis; media and communications; and work, class and gender. At the end of their studies, our students graduate with a highly marketable degree from an institution with an outstanding track record for student employability.
Watch this video to learn more about the Department of Sociology's history, our courses and our Research focus.
The department offers a range of courses at undergraduate, postgraduate taught and research degree level.
See which course is right for you:
The School of Arts and Social Sciences at City, University of London, is offering seven full-time, three-year doctoral studentships for 2019/20 entry. Applications are invited from exceptional UK, EU, and international graduates wishing to pursue cutting-edge research within any of the School's departments.
Find out more about the studentships and apply online before 20th January 2019
Our research centres promote cutting-edge research that achieves impact and influence through working to improve: knowledge and understanding; policy and practice; training, standards and service provision; and wider behaviour change.
| Date | Title | Speaker | Chair | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 October 2017 | ‘Work in a time of ecological crisis’ | Lynne Pettinger (Warwick University) | Rachel Cohen, Head of Department, Sociology | DLG20 (Rhind Building) |
| 18 October 2017 | ‘Learning to think about food: an anthropological view’ | Pat Caplan (Goldsmiths, University of London) | Martin Caraher, Centre for Food Policy, Sociology | DLG20 (Rhind Building) |
| 1 November 2017 | The Battle for Black Studies | Kehinde Andrews (Birmingham City University) | Jo Littler, Centre for Culture and Creative Industries, Sociology | DLG20 (Rhind Building) |
| 8 November 2017 | ‘Twice as Hard, Half as Good: Gender and candidate success’ | Susan Banducci (University of Exeter) | Vanessa Gash, Centre for Quantitative Sociology, Sociology | DLG20 (Rhind Building) |
| Date | Title | Speaker | Chair | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 February 2018 | Les will be talking about his new book, Academic Diary | Les Back, Goldsmiths, University of London | Rosalind Gill, Centre for Culture and Creative Industries, Sociology | D104 |
| 21 February 2018 | ‘Families and food poverty in austerity Britain: Early findings from a mixed methods study’ | Rebecca O’Connell (UCL) | Martin Caraher, Centre for Food Policy, Sociology | C307 |
| 7 March 2018 | TBC | Jane Elliot, ESRC | Sally Stares, Sociology | D104 |
| 4 April 2018 | ‘Victim voices and criminal justice policy: parents as “moral beacons”?’ | Sandra Walklate | Johnny Ilan, Centre for Criminology, Sociology | D104 |
| 18 April 2018 | TBC | Nick Crossley, University of Manchester | Carolina Matos, Jeremy Tunstall Global Media Research Centre | D104 |
The Department of Sociology celebrated an outstanding performance in the Research Excellence Framework (REF) in 2014.
City is ranked as the 2nd strongest Sociology Department in London for research and our national research ranking rose seven places to joint-16th in the UK. 74% of City Sociology research was graded as world-leading (4*) or internationally excellent (3*), a huge increase from 45% in the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise (RAE). This increase in the percentage of 4* and 3* research ranks the department as 12th in the UK for Research Power (Guardian analysis).
Sociology at City has an internationally recognised tradition of theoretically informed, empirical research that engages critically with defining societal transformations and policy challenges. In recent years, we have consolidated and developed our research profile around four cross-cutting themes: European Social Research and Analysis; Media, Communication and Society; Policy and Governance; and Structures of Inequality.
Here is a list of the academic staff who work in the Department of Sociology. You can find out more about each member of staff, including their latest publications and their contact details by following the links below.
See all academic staff profiles here
Dr Stephanie Baker Lecturer in Sociology
Dr Matthew Barnes Lecturer in Sociology
Dr Marco Bastos Senior Lecturer in Media and Communications
Dr Gemma Birkett Senior Lecturer in Criminology
Dr Sarah Burton Leverhulme Trust Early Career Fellow
Dr Sarah Butt Research Fellow
Professor Martin Caraher Professor of Food and Health Policy
Professor Jean Chalaby Professor of International Communication
Dr Rachel Cohen Head of the Department
Dr Annabel De Frece - IFSTAL Teaching Fellow
Ms Deborah Dickinson Programme Director
Dr Salima Douhou Research Fellow
Professor Rory Fitzgerald Professor of Practice in Survey Research
Dr Alessandra Gaia Research Fellow
Dr Ana Gaio Senior Lecturer
Dr Vanessa Gash Senior Lecturer in Sociology
Professor Rosalind Clair Gill Professor of Cultural and Social Analysis
Professor Christopher Greer Dean
Dr Eric Harrison Senior Lecturer in Sociology (0.5) and Deputy Director, Governance and Science Communication of the European Social Survey (0.5)
Professor Corinna Hawkes Professor in Food Policy
Dr Katrin Hohl Senior Lecturer in Criminology
Dr Jonathan Ilan Senior Lecturer in Criminology
Professor Petros Iosifidis Professor in Media and Communication Policy
Professor Tim Lang Professor in Food Policy
Dr Jo Littler Reader in Culture and Creative Industries
Dr Claire Marris Reader Centre for Food Policy
Dr Carolina Matos Senior Lecturer in Sociology and Media
Dr Jenny Mbaye Lecturer in CCI
Professor Eugene McLaughlin Professor of Criminology
Dr Dan Mercea Senior Lecturer in Sociology
Dr Carrie Myers Senior Lecturer in Criminology and Sociology
Professor Andy Pratt Professor of Cultural Economy and Director, Centre for Culture and the Creative Industries
Professor Christopher Rojek Professor of Sociology
Dr Lorna Ryan Senior Research Fellow
Dr Michael Saker Lecturer in Media and Communications
Mr Luca Salini Research Assistant
Dr Marisol Sandoval Gomez Snr Lecturer in Culture, Policy and Management
Dr Liza Schuster Reader in Sociology
Dr Rosalind Sharpe - Research Fellow (Food and Brexit) at the Food Research Collaboration
Dr Emma Sheppard Lecturer in Sociology
Ms Elena Sommer Research Assistant
Dr Denise Stanley-Chard Lecturer in Culture and Creative Industries
Dr Sally Stares Lecturer in Sociology
Dr Simon Susen Reader in Sociology
Dr Emmeline Taylor Senior Lecturer in Criminology
Dr Gerbrand Tholen Senior Lecturer in Sociology
Dr Ana Villar-Casas Research Fellow
Professor Sylvia Walby OBE Professor of Sociology
Dr Rebecca Wells IFSTAL Teaching Fellow
Dr Diana Yeh Lecturer in Sociology, Culture and the Creative Industries
Professor John Coveney, Honorary Research Fellow
Dr Delaram Ghanimifard, Visiting Lecturer
Dr Chris Holly, Visiting Lecturer
Professor John Howkins, Visiting Professor
Dr Patty Kostkova, Visiting Lecturer
Dr Kerry Lee, Visiting Lecturer
Dr Geof Rayner, Honorary Research Fellow
Dr Kate Stewart, Visiting Lecturer
Dr Oddveig Storstad , Visiting Scholar
Dr Alex Williams, Visiting Lecturer
Dr Matina Zestanaki, Visiting Lecturer
Dr Martha Van Der Bly, Honorary Visiting Fellow
Dr Sandya Bhattacharya Sue Brown, Visiting Lecturer
Athina Caraba,Visiting Lecturer
Piero Corcillo, Visiting Lecturer
Jon Eilenberg, Visiting Lecturer
Ioanna Gouseti, Visiting Lecturer
Ceyhun Gungor, Visiting Lecturer
Deborah Humphry, Visiting Lecturer
Patrick Igulot, Visiting Lecturer
Eric Lybeck, Visiting Lecturer
Carina Mansey, Visiting Lecturer
Naomi Oosterman, Visiting Lecturer
Daphne Page, Visiting Lecturer
Professor Papathanassopoulos Stylianos, Visiting Professor
Kelly Parsons, Visiting Lecturer
Holly Powell-Jones, Visiting Lecturer
Professor Ali Rattansi, Honorary Visiting professor
Laura Thompson, Visiting Lecturer
Paul Watt, Visiting Lecturer
Alex Williams, Visiting Lecturer
Dr Annette-Carina van der Zaag, Visiting Lecturer
Stamatia Zestanaki, Visiting Lecturer
Q-Step is a £19.5 million programme designed to promote a step-change in quantitative social science training. Over a five-year period from 2013, 15 universities across the UK are delivering specialist undergraduate programmes, including new courses, work placements and pathways to postgraduate study.
Expertise and resources will be shared across the higher education sector through an accompanying support programme, which will also forge links with schools and employers.
City Q-Step Centre will be working with the following undergraduate courses in the departments of Sociology and International Politics: Criminology, Sociology, Criminology and Sociology, Media and Sociology, Sociology with Psychology and (from 2015/16) International Politics, International Political Economy and International Politics and Sociology.
Find out more about City Q-Step Centre
