Annika Coughlin: BA Hons Sociology

Annika Coughlin

MA Social Research, 2004 (Goldsmiths)

BA Hons Sociology, 2001

Annika chose sociology at Luton because the modules were so varied and interesting and seemed to be taught from quite a radical perspective. "My favourite modules were on Black politics, feminism and sociological theory".

“All the tutors were very helpful and encouraged me to go onto post-graduate study”.

After the BA (Hons) she did an MA in Social Research at Goldsmiths College; a college she chose because of their expertise in qualitative research methods.

Annika worked part-time at a department store to fund the MA and was able to use her job as a site for an ethnographic research project studying the day-to-day life of retail workers.

After the MA in 2004 she carried on working at the department store but felt a yearning to be back in an academic environment.

When she saw the job as an Information Assistant in the Learning Resources Centre (LRC) at the University of Bedfordshire she applied and was fortunate enough to be offered a post in 2005.

“Working in the University enabled me to network with the social studies department.

I sent an email to a former tutor of mine asking her if anyone in the department needed assistance for anything sociologically related.

I got two replies. I was a guest speaker on a third year applied social studies students seminar where I talked about my experience of designing, carrying out and analysing a research project and I also helped out as a research assistant on a Joseph Rowntree Funded Study in the social sciences department whilst still working in the LRC.”

Annika left the LRC in 2007 when she got commissioned to undertake a small 6 month research project for the Centre for Personal and Career Development and CETL about graduate employability.

After this 6 month project, Annika worked freelance for a while conducting interviews, focus groups and literature reviews for University of Bedfordshire staff.

She now has a fixed term contract at the CETL as an Action Research assistant and project coordinator.

Updated: February 2009