PhD Sociology

Sociology at Durham is grounded in the Department's five core research themes. We welcome candidates for our research degrees who are interested in developing their own thesis in an area that intersects with these and where we have staff available to supervise.The Department’s research activity focuses on five main research themes, around which we organise research groups of staff and postgraduate researchers to share and develop research ideas and practices. These groups are currently:Communities and Social JusticeHigher Education and Social InequalityViolence and AbuseHealth and Social TheoryCriminal Justice, Social Harm and InequalitiesDisciplinary expertiseThe Department also has expertise in the following disciplinary areas:Criminology - Criminology and deviance, hate crime, crime reduction and prevention, forensic investigation, criminal justice systems, prisonsSociology - Globalisation, science and technology, identity, culture, social capital, entrepreneurialism, social inequality, health and illness, complexity theory, methodologiesSocial Policy - Health inequality, social exclusion, regeneration, housing, education, local and regional government, professional ethics, cultural strategiesSocial Work - Child well-being, children’s rights and child mistreatment; adoption, fostering, and residential child care; disability, mental health and older age; green social work, post-disaster social work, professional ethics, service user involvement, community development and social change, globalisation and international social workCommunity and Youth Work - Community development, community-based research, participatory action research, faith-based community and youth work, cross-community interaction, community-based responses to debt, ethics and politics of community development.