"Architecture Cures Cancer", But can it Cure Crime? The Architecture of Incarceration and the Architecture of Hope

Wednesday 9 November 2016, 3.00pm to 16:00

Speaker: Yvonne Jewkes - Research Professor in Criminology, University of Brighton, UK

Many countries are modernizing their prison estates, replacing older facilities that are no longer fit-for-purpose with new, larger and more ‘efficient’ establishments.  At the same time, there is growing recognition that our bloated penal systems are unsustainable and must be challenged. The notions of ‘healthy’ and ‘unhealthy’ prisons have become common in academic and policy discourse, and even some politicians (including former Prime Minister, David Cameron) have referred to prisoners as potential ‘assets’, rather than risks to be managed.  But is the concept of a ‘healthy prison’ an oxymoron, or even a desirable goal? And how far could we go in incorporating healthy design elements into the prisons of the future? 

Like hospital design, the architecture of incarceration conveys clear messages about the individuals confined within and how they are expected to behave. Yet, while prisons and hospitals traditionally have shared an ethos of discipline and surveillance that dehumanises their occupants and instils feelings of fear and vulnerability, there has in very recent times emerged a different approach to designing and building such institutions – described by the architectural theorist behind Maggie’s Centres (a developing, global cancer care network), as the ‘architecture of hope’.

So what can prison architects learn from the design of Maggie’s and why is it that, in some jurisdictions, discussions about custodial architecture and design is dominated by concerns about punishment, security, control and risk management, while in other countries, the emphasis is on 'healing' damaged individuals and preparing them to be good citizens when they return to society?  Drawing on the findings of a three-year ESRC-funded research study that looks at the role of prison architects and the effects of carceral design, Professor Yvonne Jewkes will discuss the broad rationales behind the prison modernization programmes currently underway in the UK and parts of Europe, including the primary drivers behind design decisions and the extent to which top-level stakeholders are cognisant of the effects of their decisions on the everyday lives of prisoners and prison staff. 

Location: Wentworth College, W/222

Admission: FREE - ALL WELCOME

Email: sarah.shrive-morrison@york.ac.uk

BOOK TICKETS HERE

Scholarship for Masters in the Department of Sociology

We're delighted to announce a new annual scholarship for taught Masters-level study in the Department of Sociology at the University of York.  The Maria Bourboulis scholarship is awarded in memory of York Alumna Maria Bourboulis. We are able to to offer one scholarship each year for EU/ UK fee paying applicants.

Details

• The scholarships include a fee waiver covering fees (Home/EU) with £12,000 paid as a stipend towards living costs
• The scholarships are tenable for up to one year of full time Masters study

Eligibility

Scholarships are awarded on the basis of academic excellence and are eligible for all applicants that hold a conditional and/or unconditional offer from the University for 2016 study for the following MA courses:

• MA in Social Research
• MA in Criminology and Social Research
• MA in Social Media and Social Research
• MA in Society, Culture and Globalisation

It's not too late to apply for these courses in time to also apply for the scholarship.  Deadline for scholarship applications is 1 July 2016.  See: https://www.york.ac.uk/sociology/postgraduate/masters/pgt_funding/#tab-2 for more information.

BA Criminology ranked 2nd in League Tables

Georgia Ladly, a third year BA Criminology student

The BA Criminology degree has successfully ranked 2nd in the Guardian University League Tables
This is a real achievement for single honours degree run by two departments - Sociology and Social Policy and Social Work. We are just about to see our second cohort of Criminology students graduate in July and its fabulous to see the degree flourishing.

New Lecturer in Criminology

Many congratulations to Jack Denham, a final year doctoral researcher here in the dept. Jack has accepted a permanent lectureship in Criminology at York St John University from September.

Jack has contributed hugely to the Sociology Department in recent years as the administrator of Centre for URBan Research (CURB) and as a seminar tutor and occasional lecturer. He has also been a lynch pin in organizing a variety of events including the Death and Culture Conference 2016. We wish him all the best in his future career.

New Professor in the Sociology and Criminology

The Sociology Department is thrilled to announce the appointment of Professor Maggie O'Neill who is moving from Durham University in April 2016 as a Chair in Sociology (Criminology).

Professor Maggie O'Neill

Maggie has research interests in:

• cultural and critical criminology
• innovative methodologies
• race, crime and justice
• asylum, migration and diaspora
• sex work
• social justice and cultural citizenship
• critical and feminist theory

Follow her on twitter: @maggieoneill9

New Job at York St John University

Matt Spokes, a Teaching Fellow in the Department has been appointed to a permanent Lectureship in Criminology and Sociology at York St John University.

Matt successfully completed his PhD on The Contemporary Avant-Garde: Classification, Organization, Spatiality and Practices of Resistance earlier this year. He has made a massive contribution to the teaching the second year Crime, Culture and Social Change module and Social Research Methods as well as running and teaching on the first year Sociology of Crime and Deviance module. He has been a vital part of the Crime Team here at York and we are sorry to see him go but are glad that he is remaining local and has achieved a lectureship.

Congratulations Matt!

Welcome to new staff

The Department of Sociology is welcoming new teaching fellows this September in the form of:

Germain Stockbridge, Teaching Fellow in Social Psychology

Steve Hirshler, Teaching Fellow in Criminology

Two New Jobs in the Sociology Department

The Sociology Department is now recruiting two new professors

As a department we were ranked 1st in the UK for research quality by the recent major Research Excellent Framework review (REF 2014). We are a supportive and innovative Department driven by excellence in both research and teaching. Have a look at our website to get a bit of insight into us - Sociology at York

Chair in Sociology and/or Criminology - Click here

Chair in Sociology/Science and Technology Studies - Click here

Sociology Department Graduation

The Class of 2015 from the Sociology Department graduated on Friday 17th July. The ceremony went well and the graduates did us proud particularly with cheering for each other as everyone walked across the stage and shook hands with the Chancellor.

Also particular congratulations to Dr Paul Chappell and Dr Matthew Spokes both of who play vital roles in the dept as teaching fellows and also Dr Sara Stephenson and Dr Mark Johnson who graduated with Doctor of Philosophy.

Staff (see below) really enjoyed being part of the graduation celebration. We don't get to dress up in our doctoral robes that often so it was great to be part of the graduation experience for our graduates.

Reflections of a Teaching Fellow in Sociology

In recent years many university departments are employing teaching fellows are they are playing a crucial role in the undergraduate experience. Matt Spokes reflects on what it is to be a teaching fellow:

Trying to come up with a neat definition of what being a teaching fellow involves is, I think, a little tricky; it encompasses a number of different roles so it can be many things rather than just one. Firstly, I see it is a chance for those starting out in academia to get some working experience of the trials and tribulations of life on a day-to-day basis in a busy Sociology department; I began the fellowship as I entered the final phase of writing up my PhD, so in this sense it also represents my transition from student to academic (which is, of course, far from straightforward).

One of the necessary skills required of a teaching fellow is time and workload-management; if, for example, you’re writing-up a PhD thesis then how do you juggle that alongside your seminars, lectures, and administration roles? During my doctorate I held a number of jobs concurrently and I seemed to adapt an already-established rigidity of approach to both my thesis write-up and my teaching, but this still surprised me as I hadn’t realised how disciplined my working processes had become until I started in the role. Having said that, there is always the possibility of something unexpected coming along which means it is still a challenge to balance your time effectively.

The other fundamental aspect of the role – as the title indicates - is teaching, and again this involves a variety of different tasks, practices and expectations. Presently I lecture on, and am the module convener for, the first year Sociology of Crime and Deviance module; as a team-taught module, this requires co-ordinating with a number of members of staff (lecturers and post-graduates who teach) as well as first year undergraduates. This role is different from the work I do with second year undergraduates as a seminar leader and lecturer on the Social Research Methods and Crime, Culture and Social Change modules, so it is important to be able to modify and apply different pedagogical approaches depending on the particular needs of the teaching environment. Alongside this, as I move from finishing my PhD in to academia more fully, I am also working towards completing a couple of publications based on my thesis - as well as sketching out new research projects - and this creates additional considerations in terms of balancing the varied teaching and research schedules spread across the academic year.

            Ultimately though, the fellowship enables me to experience the upsides and downsides (relatively speaking) of working in a vibrant and engaging department: it is a great opportunity to gain valuable hands-on experience of the strains and successes of making a contribution to teaching and research in a modern academic institution.

Shades of deviance marketing

Rowland's new book 'Shades of Deviance' has just been released. This is a key reading for his second year undergraduate module - Crime, Culture and Social Change and for anyone interested in crime and deviance. Follow the link for a full author interview: http://www.routledge.com/u/shades/ or visit the the Routledge website: Criminology and Criminal Justice homepage

New Video - Criminology at the University of York

The Sociology Department has had a new short animated film made to help you get some more insight into what it is like to study criminology at the University of York. This is not just for our BA Criminology applicants but also for those interested in the Sociology with Criminology route. The film gives you an idea of the sorts of topics that come up within our various modules and also gives you a taste of what the academics who teach the degree programme are interested in.

The video is online at: http://youtu.be/dpW-RiSyVqs

York Conference showcasing Careers in Sociology, Criminology and Social Policy

The Departments of Sociology and Social Policy and Social Work have organised a Careers Conference for all sociology, criminology and social policy undergraduates and postgraduates at York.

The conference, which will showcase careers after social science degrees, is scheduled for Monday 17th February 5pm-7pm in Alcuin Teaching Block (ATB/056/057).

For the first hour, there will be a series of short talks. We've invited six great speakers from industries including probation, policing, social work, civil service, and local politics, to talk about their career journeys. The second part of the event will be a networking opportunity. Speakers and recent alumni will mingle with students and offer advice to those aspiring to similar careers. Drinks and snacks provided.