Social Sciences

Department of Social Sciences

Welcome to the Department of Social Sciences at Glasgow Caledonian University.

Social Sciences is a dynamic and innovative Department within the Glasgow School for Business and Society. We are dedicated to providing both undergraduate and postgraduate students with a friendly, engaging, and research-led learning environment. We are committed to research excellence, public engagement, and community empowerment. Our learning, teaching, research, and community engagement is informed by our commitment to the Common Good.

Our focus on distinct academic disciplines means that we are able to provide strong disciplinary pathways on the BA/BA (Hons) Social Sciences (in Criminology & Policing, History, Politics, and Sociology & Social Policy) and the MSc Health History. However, our interdisciplinarity also means that we make valuable contributions to the MSc International Economics and Social Justice, and the MSc Climate Justice at GCU.

Research

Social Sciences at GCU seeks to engage with two of the societal challenges outlined in the GCU Research Strategy - Inclusive Societies and Healthy Lives. Therefore, our work contributes to the research themes of Social Innovation, Equalities & Justice, and Public Health & Long-term Conditions.

As a Department, we are organised around the academic disciplines of Criminology, History, Politics & Public Policy, and Sociology & Social Policy. However, our teaching and research also reflects a strong interdisciplinary focus. In research, we contribute to the work of both The WiSE Centre for Economic Justice and TheYunus Centre for Social Business and Health, and we are in partnership with the University of Strathclyde in the Centre for the Social History of Health and Healthcare. Within the Department of Social Sciences, we host the Scottish Poverty and Inequality Research Unit and a number of interdisciplinary Research Groups – the Gender Research Group, the Justice, Violence and Gender Research Group and the Sport and Physical Activity Research Group.

Our research in all these areas underpins our teaching and also means our teaching has an applied aspect, focusing on real world challenges to equip our students with the skills necessary for global employability, critical citizenship, and life-long learning.

Explore our research

Degree courses

Courses 1 - 2 of 2 card list

Health History

2021/22

MSc
Award:

MSc

Start date:

Sep 2021

Subject:

Social Science

Take skills in history, humanities, social science or health science and apply them at postgraduate level to history of health, medicine and healthcare study. Progress your career in health or academia.
Social Sciences

2021/22

BA (Hons)
Award:

BA (Hons)

Start date:

Sep 2021

Subject:

Social Science

Follow a career focused on understanding and changing society. Study this degree course and explore issues such as crime, justice, democracy, globalisation, immigration, gender, consumer culture, and human rights.

Meet the department

Our teaching and support staff are here to help. For Course and programme enquiries: T: +44 (0)141 331 8630

E: studentenquiries@gcu.ac.uk

Rachel Russell

Senior Lecturer, Sociology /Head of Department

Main research interests are focused on equality and diversity and young people's engagement with popular and consumer culture.

Dr. Janet Greenlees BA, MA, DPhil, FRHistS, SFHEA

Reader in Health History

Janet’s research focuses on two areas: maternal and child health and welfare and relationships between environments and health.

Professor Bill Hughes

Professor

A respected academic in sociology and social policy, Professor Hughes current research focus in the areas of disability, the body and social theory, care, gender and equality and diversity.

Dr Xander Kirke

Lecturer in Politics

My research focus is on terrorism, extremism, and radicalisation through the lenses of political myth, and ontological security.

Dr Ruth Lightbody

Lecturer in Politics, Programme Leader for the BA Social Science

Ruth’s research focuses on deliberative democracy and democratic innovations, particularly looking at how a deliberative approach can be used to implement policy changes which tackle social inequalities and environmental issues.

Dr Nancy Lombard

Reader in Sociology and Social Policy

The main areas of my research are childhood, gender and inequality, feminist methodology, violence against women including domestic abuse.

Dr William McDougall

Lecturer in Politics

My principal research interests are in Scottish, British and European comparative politics and history.

Professor John Holland McKendrick

Professor in Social Justice

John's primary research interests are on poverty (with a particular interest in children) and children’s play.

Professor Lesley McMillan

Professor of Criminology and Sociology

Professor McMillan's research interests surround gender inequality and crime and justice. In particular she is interested in gendered and sexual violence and the statutory and non-statutory response to it.

Dr Angela O’Hagan PhD, MSc Urban Development, MSc Public Policy, BA Hons

Reader

Wise Centre for Economic Justice

Gender budgeting, equalities, human rights and public policy.

Dr Katy Proctor Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy

Lecturer in Criminology and Policing

Katy’s principal research interests include gender-based violence (GBV) and in particular, stalking.

Dr Annette Robertson

Senior Lecturer, Criminology

Dr Robertson has research interests in crime and policing in Russia and the former Soviet Union, Police reform, International criminal justice policy transfer, Policing young people, Student victimisation.

Dr Lani Russell

Senior Lecturer, Sociology

Race and ethnicity, migration, health.

Dr Ben H Shepherd

Reader, History

Dr Shepherd's main research activities divide across two areas - German and Austrian military history 1914-1945 and post-1945 German social and political history.

Professor Stephen Sinclair

Professor in Social Policy

Research specialist in poverty and social exclusion, particularly social innovation financial exclusion, child poverty and social policy in devolved Scotland.

Dr Fiona Skillen

Senior Lecturer in History

Her research interests concern modern history, in particular aspects of sport, gender, health and changes in popular culture.

Dr James Smith

Senior Lecturer in Politics

Based in the Department of Social Sciences, Media & Journalism, Dr James Smith's key research interests have centred upon the European Union, Europeanisation, multi-level governance, territorial politics, Scottish government and politics.

Professor Emmanuelle Tulle

Professor, Sociology

Dr Tulle has over 15 years’ experience of doing research in old age, with a particular focus on understanding and theorising how older people make sense of and manage the process of bodily ageing from a cultural perspective.

Professor Oonagh Walsh

Professor of Gender Studies

Professor Oonagh Walsh's principal research interests lie in gender and medical histories, and in the nineteenth century history of Irish psychiatry in particular.