Peter Saunders
Emeritus Professor of Sociology, University of Sussex
Distinguished Fellow, Centre for Independent Studies
Professorial Research Fellow, Civitas
Independent Author
Peter Saunders...
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"Brash, brilliant and cannot be ignored" Times Higher Education Supplement
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"That rare beast, a sensible sociologist" Max Hastings, Daily Mail
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"Absolutely second-to-none" LBC Radio
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"The antithesis of an Ivory Tower intellectual" ABC National Radio, Australia
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"Ideas wrecker" The Guardian
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Forthcoming Event:
TALK ON 'CROYDON BOY' TO THE CROYDON NATURAL HISTORY & SCIENTIFIC SOCIETY, 11 December 2023
In this talk, I shall draw on experiences from my Croydon childhood in the 1950s to reflect on some of the changes (for better and for worse) that have taken place since then in the way we live, work and bring up our children. The talk will be illustrated by photographs from the period, and there will be plenty of time for discussion
Non-members welcome (The Society asks for a voluntary contribution of £3). More details at https://croydonnaturalhistoryscientificsociety.files.wordpress.com/2023/10/cnhss-programme-454.pdf.
David Sweet Hall, East Croydon United Reform Church, 86 Addiscombe Grove, CR0 5LP, 7.45pm
Latest Publication:
Interesting Times: Growing Old in a New Millennium
In this final part of the Croydon Boy trilogy, Peter Saunders brings a lifetime's immersion in sociology to bear on the question: How do the hell do you survive creeping old age in a world that has gone completely potty?
Paperback published July 2023.
More details here
Biographical Note
Born Croydon, 1950
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EDUCATION & QUALIFICATIONS
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Selhurst Grammar School for Boys, Croydon (1961-68)
University of Kent 1968-71. BA in Sociology 1971
Chelsea College London 1971-73. PhD in Sociology 1975
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ACADEMIC CAREER HISTORY
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Research Officer, Dept of Sociology, University of Essex (1973-76)
Lecturer in Sociology, University of Sussex (1976-84)
Reader in Sociology & Urban Studies, University of Sussex (1984-88)
Professor of Sociology, University of Sussex (1988-2001)
VISITING ACADEMIC POSITIONS
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Dept of Environmental Planning, University of Melbourne (1981)
Urban Research Unit, Australian National University (1982)
Dept of Sociology, University of Canterbury, New Zealand (1982)
ZWE (Arbeit und Region), Universitaet Bremen, Germany (1992)
Dept of Sociology, Brown University, USA (1996)
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POST-ACADEMIC CAREER HISTORY
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Research Manager, Australian Institute of Family Studies (1999-2000)
Director of Social Research, Centre for Independent Studies, Sydney (2001-2008)
Freelance researcher and independent author since 2008
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LISTEN:
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"I Used To Be A Sociologist But I'm Alright Now"
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Interview on Australia's ABC National Counterpoint programme, with Michael Duffy and Paul Comrie-Thomson.
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The interview, conducted just before I left Australia to return to England in June 2008, discusses my work and career, and my reflections on sociology and politics.