The editorial team in 2011-12
Interests: environmentalism, social class and inequalities and social theory
When I first encountered sociology, I was fascinated by the
ideas behind it and the way in which it looks at society. I particularly enjoy
the way that it encourages us to think differently and works to challenge many
of the ideas and views that we have about the world and that we might have
previously taken for granted. I feel that through studying sociology I am
constantly questioning the world around me, and that it has made me engage much
more with the complex world in which we live.
My personal interest in sociology concerns the work of Marx
and his writings about capitalism, which challenge the current society we live
in, and give us a completely different view on how and why we act the way we do.
As well as Marx I am interested in the concept of environmentalism and also the
work carried out by Neo Marxists such as Marcuse and Gramsci which has updated a
lot of Marxs ideas to our current consumer society.
I think that IDEATE is a brilliant way for students to be
able to express their ideas and showcase things that they are passionate about
within their academic work, as well as being a
useful reference point for those students who are unsure about aspects of their
own essay writing.
Interests: media and crime, social anthropology, research
methods
I first studied Sociology at A-level and really engaged with the subject. I
think the best thing about sociology is that it is so relevant to our lives, it
can explain pretty much every social experience we encounter in some way which
for me makes it far more interesting than abstract subjects like Maths. The
theories from so many viewpoints can be compared and contrasted to explain the
society we live in. Being able to apply the things you learn to your own
everyday life makes a subject so much more interesting and exciting.
This year Im studying social anthropology which is really interesting because
it escapes to far-off lands and examines how lots of different cultures
experience the same natural human events, such as birth, sex and death, and in
so many different ways. Its refreshing to talk about something other than
Western societies and learn about how others live their lives.
IDEATE is great because having a piece of work youve slaved over published is
a reward that makes it all seem worthwhile. Its also a great resource when you
have coursework to complete and are unsure where to start or what the final
product should be like because you can look for essays which are relevant for
your topic and which may even have a similar question; it can help break down
the initial blankness you feel when you are faced with several thousand words to
write!
Interests: technology and the
media, the body, research methods, environmentalism, new social movements,
social theory and the philosophy of sociology
Sociology has always appealed to me because of its dogged pursuit of wanting
to know more about everything and unwrapping mysteries that exist within
society. It is an ideal which will never be reached, but one that should be
adopted and strived towards. The subject provides those who are studying it a
vast tapestry of understanding and viewpoints which encourages one to contribute
towards it, and regards others theory as a positive addition. I have always
enjoyed the feeling of constant reinvention of my own understandings on topics
which sociology provide, and give the feeling that there is always a progressive
element in our research, with this process acting as a humbling experience.
It combines elements which I enjoy in their own right, philosophy,
technology, history, geography and social understanding, and encourages one to
explore a multitude of avenues. My current interests include areas of technology
and its relationship with modern society, which comes from my love of the work
by Paul Virilio, as well as an exploration of how it has been utilised in
deviant activity, and how we can integrate technology within new research
methods. But I have other interests that range from theory on society and the
philosophy of sociology, the body, contemporary sociological understandings, and
new social movements.
I believe that Ideate will provide a great platform for undergraduates and
encourage a pride in their work, and as a former undergraduate of the
department, I only wish it existed when I was studying!
My passion for sociology stems from an interest in history that Ive fostered
throughout my life. I have found that the sense of heritage engendered by
understanding the development of our society has acted to affirm my position in
the world, and I now find my attention diverted towards understanding as much of
my present surroundings as possible.
Sociology is a broad yet deep source of enlightenment on the nature
of man, ideally situated between the inner and the outer, art and science,
philosophy and pragmatism. If there is a subject that brings passion and
rationality closer together I am yet to find it, and there is no doubt that
the perspectives of reality it exposes have truly enriched my life.
The key to learning is to be interested in your subject. Nothing is
more detrimental to the soul than forced labour, and forced mental labour all
the more so. Everything you learn for the sake of yourself becomes a part of
you, and if you are able to kindle that passion in the heart of another then you
become a part of them too. Each of us experiences the strange,
contradictory, ambiguous state that is life from only one position in the entire
universe, meaning that each of us are uniquely qualified to lay claim to our own
perspective. For this reason it is my ambition to devote my life to the greater
development of knowledge, and to share this wonderful process of discovery with
those around me
TOP
Last modified on 09 May 2012