Profile

Dr Jack Fawbert, Senior Lecturer in Sociology/Criminology

Having been employed in several Further Education and Higher Education environments over the years, I have taught a wide range of subjects and at a wide range of levels including basic study skills, liberal studies, trade union studies for the TUC and individual trade unions, Health and Safety courses, Community Education, GCSEs, A Levels, Access to Higher Education and in Higher Education generally.

In the latter I have mainly taught various aspects of sociology including social theory, the philosophy of social science, research methods, social identities and structures, social class and stratification, the sociology of crime and the sociology of popular culture. With regard to the latter, my specialism is the sociology of association football.

As a mature student myself, having returned to education in my 30s after working as a carpenter sub-contracting in the building industry for many years, I am particularly keen to help and encourage mature students to return to study.

Because of their life experiences, Mature students not only bring a great diversity of common-sense knowledge to sociology, but also they derive great pleasure from putting their life experiences into a social context, often for the very first time.

In this context, I am particularly keen to encourage student-centred learning as a vehicle for students to become independent learners. The friendly and relaxed atmosphere at the Bedford campus of the University of Bedfordshire and the virtual ‘open-door’ policy of teaching staff on the campus encourages such development.

Research interests

My research interests are related to my other passion; association football. Football is such a global phenomenon; played, watched and commentated on in virtually every corner of the planet that I always think that, with some honourable exceptions, it was perverse of sociologists to virtually ignore it for so long in the past.

This was wrongly, in my view, because of the fear that studying aspects of popular culture like association football might be seen by others, particularly in the media, as ‘dumbing down’ Higher Education.

The rigorous and systematic study of various social aspects of football by sociologists, including myself, in recent years suggests that such possible criticism has little or no substance.

I am particularly interested in football fan culture and how social identities are expressed through football-related behaviour and attachment to football clubs and even more specifically in how these identities are expressed through the consumption of replica football shirts.

As well as being a member of the British Sociological Association and the Association of Teachers of Social Science I am also a member of the Sport and the European Union study group.

Publications

• Fawbert J. (2008) 'Northern Hammers: A subculture of Football Famdom?' in Howman B. & Ogden C. eds. Subcultures: Deviants or Illuminators?  Chester: University of Chester Press (forthcoming)
• Fawbert J. (2007) 'Shirt Off Your Back' Football Business Winter, London: Media for Business
• Fawbert J. (2006) ‘Replica Football Shirts: Serious or Casual Leisure?’ in Elkington S. et al eds. Serious and Casual Leisure: Extensions and Applications Eastbourne: Leisure Studies Association
• Fawbert J. (2005) 'Football Fandom, West Ham United and the "Cockney Diaspora": From Working-Class Community to Youth Post-Tribe?' in Bramham P. & Caudwell J. eds. Sport, Active Leisure and Youth Cultures Eastbourne: Leisure Studies Association
• Fawbert J. (2005) 'Football Fandom and the "Traditional" Football Club: From "Cockney Parochialism" to a European Diaspora?' in Magee J. et al eds. The Bountiful Game? Football Identities and Finances Oxford: Meyer & Meyer Sport
• Fawbert J. (2004) 'Is This Shirt Loud? Semiotics and the "Language" of Replica Football Shirts' in Kennedy E. & Thornton A. eds. Leisure, Media & Visual Culture: Representations and Contestations Eastbourne: Leisure Studies Association
• Fawbert J. (1998) 'Please Sir, What’s the Right Answer?' Social Science Teacher Vol.28 No.1
• Fawbert J. (1998) 'Giving Students the Full Monty.' Social Science Teacher Vol.28 No.2
• Fawbert J. (1998) 'Going the Full Monty.' Sociology Review Vol.8 No.2
• Fawbert J. (1997) 'Replica Football Shirts: A Case of Incorporation of Popular Dissent.' Social Science Teacher Vol.27 No.1

Contact details

Dr Jack Fawbert
E: john.fawbert@beds.ac.uk
T: 01234 793128