Sociology Research and PhD Programmes

Sociology research at Brunel has a global perspective and examines core sociological issues through a distinctive cultural and media sociology lens, with an emphasis on societal and political relevance. Through three strategic research groupings, staff work across disciplinary and institutional boundaries, advancing theoretical agendas, while generating public engagement and impact on social and cultural policy and practice, nationally and internationally. The team’s research strength in social-cultural change, spanning digital cultures, media, inequality, race, gender and spatial politics, has been applied to a highly collaborative, interdisciplinary and methodologically-innovative sociological research agenda. Currently, researchers are applying sociological concepts to contemporary societal shifts including plastic pollution, social cash transfers in Africa, cultured meat and France’s gilets jaunes movement.

Research opportunities for students 

Research students are welcomed to Brunel as valued members of our thriving, research-intensive community. Browse PhD opportunities below and find out about the funding available for students.

Research in Sociology

Find people, projects, groups and publications in Sociology and read more about related research to this area.

Meet our experts

See the Staff List for the Sociology Department

Impact of our research

Our research focuses on issues of societal and political relevance and we aim to generate impact on social and cultural policy and practice.

Our research expertise

Independent assessment of our research quality (REF 2021)

View REF 2021 details for Sociology (UoA 21)

Sensing our need for authentic experiences of cities

REF 2021

AI Social and Digital Innovation

Social, economic and strategic effects of AI and associated technologies. Impact of AI and related technologies on societies, organisations and individuals.

Arts Health and Social Change

This Research Group is dedicated to fostering art-based initiatives that drive social change towards inclusivity and equality in healthcare.

Comedy Studies

As an interdisciplinary centre it considers the production, content, reception and wider socio-political implications of comedy in a variety of formats and from a range of perspectives.

Global Lives

Research conducted in the Centre addresses the challenges facing society, helping to change the lives of people around the world by bringing economic, social and cultural benefits.

Health and Wellbeing Across the Lifecourse

Inequalities in health and wellbeing in the UK and internationally; welfare, health and wellbeing; ageing studies; health economics.

Human Geography

Aims to develop and consolidate interdisciplinary research around space, place and society at Brunel. We provide a forum for engagement with geographical research, for sharing and receiving feedback on writing and developing new collaborations nationally and internationally.

Institute of Communities and Society

The Institute focuses on the social, community, and cultural aspects of pressing contemporary issues including migration and movement, social unrest, intersectional inequalities, and institutionalised poverty.

Institute of Health, Medicine and Environments

Our challenge-led work in health and wellbeing focuses on understanding the relationships between biological, social, natural, and built environments and health and wellbeing outcomes.

Living avatars

Uniquely interdisciplinary approach to better understand the social, cognitive, and political impacts of avatar use.

Migration, Asylum and Law

The Migration, Asylum and Law Research Group serves as a hub for interdisciplinary teaching and research, bringing together scholars working at the intersection of migration, refugees, human rights, and law from various perspectives.

Open data analysis in social and political science

A forum for discussion and analysis of key issues in theory-driven empirical research in social and political science.

South Asia Studies

We provide a research base for the development of new South Asia specific programmes and teaching, and bring together scholars from across the University working on South Asia from different disciplinary perspectives.

Sustainable Plastics

SPLaSH group combines the strengths of social scientists in the Department of Social and Political Sciences with colleagues working in the area of plastic pollution from Environmental Sciences, Design, Business & Marketing, and Engineering. We are leading experts on behaviour change, public health protection, resource and waste management, governance aspects and sustainability design.

Browse examples of our work

Language stigma, standards and surveillance in US/UK schools

Completed

Islamic private schools in UK: What is "Islamic" and why does it matter

Completed

Parenting across cultures in contemporary England

Ongoing

Grown up - children from military families

Completed

Understanding rural youth identities in India

Completed

Sensing our need for authentic experiences of cities

Completed

Plastic pollution in Nigeria

Completed

Perceptions of plastics pollution in Sri Lanka and Vietnam

Completed

Exploring behavioural change in Nigeria and Sri Lanka

Completed

Teaching kids about the perils of plastic pollution

Completed

Rapid evidence scoping review: Creativity and Pathways to Subjective Wellbeing

Ongoing

Investigating digital poverty in Margate

Completed

Social, ecological, political, and cultural implications of extinction

Completed

Doctoral students negotiating the shift to academic positions

Completed

Creative Interruptions: cultural politics at work

Completed

Optimising eel conservation efforts

Completed

Mitigating plastic waste in Indonesia

Ongoing

Sustainable and healthy school food environments in Brazil

Completed

Understanding the causes of atheism in Mauritius

Ongoing

Overcoming gender stereotyping in education

Completed

Furthering gender equality in higher education in India

Completed

Social health in older adults from minority groups

Ongoing

Change Makers - Brunel Youth Action Group

Ongoing

Understanding the transnational influence of YWCA of the USA

Completed

Change Makers - Brunel Global Ethnic Majorities Action Group

Ongoing

Explaining the causes of atheism and non-belief

Ongoing

Education systems, aspiration and learning in remote rural settings

Completed

Understanding cyberbullying behaviours through computational models

Completed

Multigenerational living in London.

Completed

Social cash transfers, generational relations and youth poverty trajectories

Completed

Big Tissue and Society

Completed

The Covid-19 pandemic and the emergence of anti-lockdown sentiments

Completed

Audience reactions to #ShakespeareLives diplomacy campaign

Completed

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Courses

Comedy Studies PhD

Culture and Evolution PhD

Global Challenges PhD

Sociology and Communication PhD

View all courses