Professor Paul Lambert

Professor

Sociology, Social Policy & Criminology Colin Bell Building, University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA

Professor Paul Lambert

Contact details

About me

  I have worked at the University of Stirling since 2003, having held previous posts at Cardiff University School of Social Sciences (2000-3), and at the Centre for Applied Statistics at Lancaster University (1996-2000, where I did my PhD). Most of my work involves analysis using secondary survey datasets, and I'm often involved in methodological research and training activities in the domain of quantitative data analysis and social science computing. I undertake applied research in a few different  application areas, but most often on the theme of 'social stratification', particularly studying occupations and their importance to stratification inequalities. Some of my recent and ongoing research projects are:

The 'CAMSIS' project, concerned with occupation-based measures of social stratification derived from the analysis of social interaction patterns between the incumbents of occupations (see www.camsis.stir.ac.uk).  Three recent collaborations linked to the CAMSIS research, concerned with studying social stratification in the era 1600-1938 (see http://www.camsis.stir.ac.uk/hiscam/); with recent trends in social distance patterns (http://www.camsis.stir.ac.uk/pullingapart); and with looking at the relationship between social distance and social network methodologies for exploring social connections between occupations (http://www.camsis.stir.ac.uk/sonocs) Methodological research on data management and software and techniques of data analysis relevant to large scale and survey-based quantitative datasets (e.g. DAMES; S-CSDP, www.thinkdata.org.uk)   Applied collaborative research using survey datasets to explore particular themes in studying social inequalities, such as a role in a recent study of the nature and future of photojournalism supported by World Press Photo, and inputs to a collaborative analysis of employment inequalities in Scotland for the EHRC  

I am engaged in teaching research methodology (social statistics and handling quantitative data), including inputs to the MSc Social Statsitics and Social Research at the University of Stirling. I also teach on the topicof social stratification, and supervise PhD students on a range of sociological projects, themes including social inequalty by gender and ethnicity, and issues of working with complex research data resources. I've also convened a number of external training workshops, including since 2010 teaching an annual course 'Introduction to Multilevel Models with Applications' to the Essex Summer School in Social Science Data Analysis. At the University of Stirling, I also lead the 'Social Surveys and Social Statistics' research group, and I have a role in organising the annual professional meeting, the 'Social Stratification Research Seminar' (held in recent years in Cambridge, Milan, Utrecht, Edinburgh and Stirling).  

Research interests

Structures of social stratification the uses of occupational information and occupation-based social classifications (see CAMSIS, www.camsis.stir.ac.uk and GEODE, www.geode.stir.ac.uk)

social stratification, ethnicity and immigration

methodological research on the analysis of large scale survey datasets, in longitudinal and cross-national comparisons (e.g. LDA, www.longitudinal.stir.ac.uk) and using complex quantitative data sources including administrative data and e-social science (e.g. ThinkData, www.thinkdata.org.uk)

Current PhD students:

•Kate O'Hara "Applications of Multilevel Modelling: Exploring the assumption of no correlation of explanatory variables with random effects

•Ebenezer Essien "Understanding Inequalities in Physiological Wear-and-Tear Using an Intersectionality Lens"

•Laura Bryce "An Analysis of the Impact of Social Connections on the Health Outcomes of Individuals"

•Jade Hooper "Social and locality variations in dog bites and strikes in Scotland: Analysis of linked by-product datasets and analysis of variations in public opinion"

•Scot Hunter "Assessment of the impact of contemporary immigration on the UK's Muslim community"

•Louise Macaulay "Overcoming Barriers to Labour Market Entry amongst People with Disabilities and Long-term Health Conditions and their Unpaid Carers"

Completed PhD students:

Stacey McNicol (2024) "A Life Lived for Others: Volunteering Participation and Transitions in Older Age"; Nadine Dougall (2021) "Modelling health and social risk factors for suicide in Scotland: data linkage study"; Alana McGuire (2021) "Impact of New Information Technologies and 'Big Data' on Skill Requirements"; Kane Needham (2020) "Social networking and Career Management Skills: A sociological perspective"; Nur Azam Perai (2020) "The Malaysian Third Sector: An Investigation from a Historical and Cultural Perspective"; Camilla Barnett (2020) "Recognising the intersection of gender and occupations when measuring women's social positions"; Michael Comerford (2014) "Security oriented data-linkage techniques for e-Health: e-Health Infrastructure centre linked studentship"; Roxanne Connelly (2013) "Social Stratification and Education: Case Studies Analysing Social Survey Data"; Che-Ying Lin (2010) “The development of quality indicators for Taiwanese institutional dementia care”; Susan Murray (2011) "Growing up in the 1990s - Tracks and Trajectories of the 'Rising 16s' : A longitudinal analysis using the British Household Panel Survey"; Chris Playford (2011) "The role of families in the stratification of attainment: Parental occupations, parental education and family structure in the 1990s"; Kevin Ralston (2012) "Childbearing and Below Replacement Fertility in Scotland"

Research centres/groups