Senior Lecturer in Sociology/Criminology
I have worked as a lecturer and senior lecturer in several Further Education and Higher Education establishments over the years, including four universities. 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 undergraduate and postgraduate courses, mainly in criminology and sociology. 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, one of my specialisms 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.
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.
In addition, I am interested in economic, social, political and cultural issues in general and I take a keen interest in criminological issues having appeared on national and regional television and radio to discuss moral panics in particular with regard to juvenile delinquency as well as many other social and cultural issues. As well as being a member of the British Sociologial Association and the Association of Teachers of Social Science, I am also a member of the Sport and and the European Union study group. I am a peer reviewer for the journal Leisure Studies, I have served on the TUC Regional Education Committee and I was previously a member of the Cambridge Access Validating Agency.
In the past I have organised ten one day Sociology conferences for A Level and Access students at various universities and colleges of Further Education that I have worked at. I also set up and ran a Continuing Education Scheme with HMP Hull for serving prisoners to continue into Diploma and Undergraduate levels of Sociology at Leeds Metropolitan University.
In my spare time I enjoy theatre (Alan Bennett is my favourite playwright), cinema ('Brit-Flics' in particular and especially the films of Ken Loach) and sport, especially association football. I have been an avid West Ham United supporter since 1960. I also write a regular column for the home programme of my local football club. I enjoy reading labour history and I take an active interest in politics. I am currently a member of Action for Southern Africa (formerly Anti-Apartheid Movement), the Cuba Solidarity Campaign, the National Secular Society and the British Humanist Association.
Publications
- Fawbert J. (2011) 'Social Inclusion and Social Exclusion: "Gentrification" of Football Fandom?' in Long J. et al eds. Delivering Equality in Sport and Leisure Eastbourne: Leisure Studies Association
- Fawbert J. (2011) "'Wot, No Asians?" West Ham United Fandom, the Cockney Diaspora and the New East Enders' in Burdsey D. ed. Race, Ethnicity and Football: Persisting Debates and Emergent Issues New York: Routledge
- Fawbert J. (2010) 'Thinking Allowed [Internet] Laurie Taylor, BBC Radio 4' Resources Review Social Science Teacher, Vol. 40 Issue 1, Autumn 2010
- Fawbert J. (2008) 'Northern Hammers: A subculture of Football Fandom?' in Howman B. & Ogden C. eds. Subcultures: Deviants or Illuminators? Chester: University of Chester Press [DVD]
- 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
Conference papers
- Fawbert J. (2011) "'Hoodies": Folk Devils and a Moral Panic for the New Millenium?' York Deviancy Conference, University of York 29 June - 1 July.
- Fawbert J. (2010) '"Hoodies": Folk Devils and Moral Panics Revisited in the Noughties' Crime and Deviance Conference: Philip Allan Updates, King's House, Manchester, 2 December 2010
- Fawbert J. (2010) '"Hoodies": Folk Devils and Moral Panics Revisited in the Noughties' Crime and Deviance Conference: Philip Allan Updates, Friends House, London, 22 November 2010
- Fawbert J. (2010) 'Hoodies as a Moral Panic' Sociology National Teachers' Conference: An Update for A-Level Teachers and Heads of Sociology, Hilton Euston Hotel, London, 13 July, 2010
- Fawbert J. (2010) 'Social Inclusion and Social Exclusion: Has the Process of 'Gentrification' of Football Fandom stalled in the Recession?' Diversity and Equality in Leisure, Sport and Tourism: Leisure Studies Association Annual Conference, Leeds Metropolitan University, 6-8 July, 2010
- Fawbert J. (2009) '"Wot, No Asians?" West Ham United Fandom, the Cockney Diaspora and the New East Enders.' Race, Ethnicity and British Football: Persisting Debates and Emergent Issues, University of Brighton, February
- Fawbert J. (2008) 'Northern Hammers: A Subculture of Football Fandom?' Subcultures: Deviants or Illuminators Conference, Social and Communication Studies Department, University of Chester
- Fawbert J. (2008) 'Hoodies: Moral Panic or Justifiable Concern?' Bedford Talks, Public Lecture, University of Bedfordshire
- Fawbert J. (2007) 'Black Footballers - The Making of Thierry Henry' Hidden From History Conference, University of Bedfordshire
- Fawbert J. (2006) 'The Political Economy of Replica Football Shirts' Theorising Leisure: The Consumer Experience Conference, British Sociological Association: Leisure and Recreation Study Group, Centre for Scientific and Cultural Research in Sport, Roehampton University
- Fawbert J. (2005) 'Replica Football Shirts: Serious or Casual Leisure?' Serious and Casual Leisure: Extensions and Applications Conference, University of Luton in Association with the Leisure Studies Association
- Fawbert J. (2004) 'Football Fandom, West Ham United and the "Cockney Diaspora": From Working-Class Community to Youth Post-Tribe?' Active Leisure & Young People: Leisure Studies Association Annual Conference
- Fawbert J. (2004) 'Football Fandom and the "Traditional" Football Club: From "Cockney Parochialism" to a European Diaspora.' European Football: Influence, Change and Development. International Football Institute Conference, University of Central Lancashire
- Fawbert J. (2003) 'Social Class, Replica Football Shirts and Televisual Communication: Towards a More Social Semiotic Understanding.' Leeds Metropolitan University Research Conference
- Fawbert J. (2003) 'Is This Shirt Loud? Semiotics and the "Language" of Replica Football Shirts.' Leisure and Visual Culture: Leisure Studies Association Annual Conference
- Fawbert J. (1996) 'Reading Replica Football Shirts.' Association of Teachers of Social Science Annual Conference
- Fawbert J. (1995) 'Using Video in Teaching.' Association of Teachers of Social Science Annual Conference
- Fawbert J. (1994) 'Teaching Semiotics.' Association of Teachers of Social Science Annual Conference
Contact details
Dr Jack Fawbert
E: jack.fawbert@beds.ac.uk
T: +44 (0)1234 793128
