Dr Peter Watts

I joined CCCU in 2000. My work at the University has always centred on the teaching of Sociology. My key areas of academic interest are: social theory; the sociology of knowledge; the sociology of gender and sexuality; the sociology of health and medicine - and to a lesser extent social inclusion and the sociology in/of learning and teaching. I have also served in a variety of management roles on the Sociology course - as Subject Lead, Course Director, and Level 4 Co-ordinator.

As well as my work within the the Sociology Programme I have in the past held a number of Faculty and University-wide roles such as Learning and Teaching Co-ordinator, Widening Participation Officer and Academic Lead on the Student Communications Group.

I am a Fellow of the Advance HE. In 2011 I contributed significantly to the submission for which the Sociology Programme won the BSA/C-Sap National Award for Excellence in Teaching Sociology, and have also received a Teaching Excellence Award from Canterbury Christ Church University.

Before joining the University I was employed as a Research Fellow at Warwick Business School, and then as a Programme Administrator at Brunel University. Both posts were associated with the ESRC Virtual Society? Research Programme. My PhD research was concerned with the sociology of HIV/AIDS.

I am currently the lead for the following undergraduate modules:

Thinking Sociologically (first year social theory);  Power/Knowledge? Re: Thinking Sociologically (second year social theory); Gender, Sexuality and Modernity (third year core module); Reading Social Texts (third year social theory).

In the past I have also taught (at both undergraduate and post-graduate level) on modules focussing on:

social theory and the sociology of knowledge; introductory sociology; theories of human nature; cultural studies; research methods; the sociology of the body; social exclusion; power and subordination; the sociology of health and medicine; introductory psychology; sociology of learning and teaching; sociology as applied to social work; psycho-social aspects of health-care work, such as nursing, medical imaging, occupational therapy, osteopathy etc. 

My research activity has focussed on three areas: the sociology of health and medicine (with a particular focus on complementary and alternative medicine); learning and teaching in higher education, and the role sociology can play in this; integrated delivery of social and governmental services, and social regeneration.

I have been involved in a number of presentations at national and international conferences in recent years. These include:

• “Precarious Professionalism: attempts by nurses and midwives to position themselves as competent practitioners of complementary and alternative medicine in the UK National Health Service” (Sarah Cant and Peter Watts), ISA RC52 (Sociology of Professional Groups) Interim Conference on Challenging Professionalism: New Directions in Policies, Publics and the Professions, School of Economics and Management (ISEG), Lisbon, Portugal, November 2013
• “Pure and dangerous: complementary and alternative medicine, risk and governmentality” (Sarah Cant and Peter Watts), British Sociological Association Medical Sociology Group Annual Conference, Durham University, September 2010.
• “Familiarity breeds contentment: Enabling student transitions into HE through taking a holistic approach to level IV delivery”, Higher Education Academy Seminar Series, Canterbury Christ Church University, October 2009.
• “Soft, strong and very, very long: An integrated approach to fostering student retention and success” (Sarah Cant and Peter Watts), Retention in Tough Times Conference, Southampton Solent University, September 2009.