Dr Paul Jones

Summary

I one of the editors of The Sociological Review (www.thesociologicalreview.com). As part of that role, I have had special responsibility for the digital footprint of the journal; we publish a great many blogs, illustrations, sociological fictions, book reviews, photo essays, interviews, and very active profiles on numerous social media profiles. The aim of all of this is to help make sociological research connect with public issues, and also to support and showcase early career research, two things I care a great deal about.

In 2017 I was 'Sociologist in Residence' at Bluecoat, which is housed in the oldest building in Liverpool city centre - opened in 1717 - and that has serious claims on being the first arts centre in the UK. During this time I delivered a range of taught courses, facilitated reading groups, and organised conferences there; the aim was to open up my usual sociological work to a broader public. There's an archive of information about the programme of events and the general idea here: http://www.thebluecoat.org.uk/content/dr-paul-jones-sociologist-in-residence. I had a wonderful time doing ‘sociology in public’ at the Bluecoat!

I am very keen to continue with a 'public' approach to doing sociology, and have some ongoing collaborations ongoing with the Open Eye gallery (with whom I/we have co-promoted a number of events and collaborated on some teaching provision), Port Sunlight Village Trust (with whom I co-supervise Ronnie Hughes, a PhD researcher), and the architectural firm Harrison Stringfellow, a RIBA Role Model Practice, with whom I have much in common with respect to thinking about the built environment and social change, and with whom I collaborate on some undergraduate teaching.