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Professor Julie Scott Jones

Deputy Faculty Pro-Vice-Chancellor

My profile

Biography

My research interests fall into two main categories.  The first of these is religious worldviews and identity.  My doctoral research was on a small Protestant fundamentalist community in the USA and explored the construction and maintenance of their worldview. I continue to be interested in how meaning systems intersect with religious identities, particularly among fundamentalist groups.
My second research interest is in teaching methods. I focus on improving the delivery and learning of research methods, specifically quantitative methods.  I am currently engaged in two research projects that are looking at this issue.

Words of wisdom

In my experience, Sociology is dynamic and fascinating and allows the student to study any aspect of the social world. This means it has a breadth that may disciplines lack.  It contains something of interest for everyone. Sociology makes you realise that the social world is not ‘taken for granted’ and can be changed.  Its approach to the ‘normal’ is to question: ‘what is normal?’. We realise that ‘normalcy’ is a contested term that changes over time and across cultures.   My advice would be for students to embrace this liberation and question their own ‘taken for granted’ ideas and beliefs; to reflect and perhaps to change.

Academic and professional qualifications

MA (Edin), PhD (Edin)

Her doctoral research was on worldview construction and maintenance among white, protestant fundamentalists in the USA.

Other academic service (administration and management)

Centre Coordinator, MMU Q-Step Centre for Excellence in Undergraduate Quantitative Methods, funded by Nuffield/ESRC/HEFCE.

Expert reviewer for external funding bodies

  • Member of ESRC Peer Review College
  • Peer reviewer for HEA

Membership of professional associations

  • Member of British Sociological Association
  • Fellow of the HEA

Get in touch

0161 247 3003
403 Geoffrey Manton Building

Teaching

Why do I teach?

Sociology is a great subject and I love teaching it. That is what drives me to do what I do at MMU.  I enjoy the effort of encouraging students to engage with sociology It‘s a subject that gives a sense of liberation and helps us to understand ourselves better.  By reflecting on the social world, we learn how to change it for the better.  The social sciences also serve the central purpose of education, which is to encourage an enlightened, knowledgeable citizenry that can fully participate in civil society and the democratic process.

How I’ll teach you

I love my subject and my main aim is to communicate to my students that this subject is worth their time and effort. They will definitely gain something from it.  The student, their experiences and needs are at the heart of my teaching. I will do whatever’s necessary to ‘wake’ students up to the joy of sociology.
The key to good teaching:  energy, enthusiasm, engagement.
 

Subject areas

Sociology

Supervision

Current:

Completed:

Supervisor, ‘There and Back Again: a sociological case study of HRM as a force for cultural change in a division of a civil service department’ (Sal Watt, 2005, University of Liverpool)

Potential PhD Supervision

I would be interested in supervising PhDs in the following areas:

  • religious identities
  • religious fundamentalism
  • worldview and meaning systems
  • religious identities and social change
  • rituals and collective identities

Research outputs

Research Interests

Julie’s main research interests are:

  • religious identities
  • religious fundamentalism
  • worldview and meaning systems
  • ethics and research
  • pedagogy and teaching research methods

  • Books (authored/edited/special issues)

    Scott Jones, J., Goldring, J.E. (2021) Explanatory and Descriptive Statistics. SAGE Publications Limited.

    Jones, J.S., Raisborough, J. (2016) Risk, Identities and the Everyday.

    Jones, J.S., Raisborough, J. (2016) Preface.

    Jones, J.S. (2016) Being the Chosen: Exploring a Christian Fundamentalist Worldview.

    Scott-Jones, J. (2015) Research Ethics Collection: Context and Practice.

    Scott-Jones, J. (2012) Being the chosen: exploring a Christian fundamentalist worldview.

    Scott-Jones, J., Raisborough, J. (2012) Risks, identities and the everyday.

    Jones, J.S., Raisborough, J. (2012) Preface.

    Jones, J.S. (2010) Being the chosen: Exploring a Christian fundamentalist worldview.

    Jones, J.S. (2010) Being the Chosen. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd..

    Scott-Jones, J., Watt, S. (2010) Ethnography in social science practice.

    Jones, J.S., Watt, S. (2010) Preface.

    Jones, J.S., Watt, S. (2010) Preface.

    Jones, J.S., Raisborough, J. (2008) Preface.

    Jones, J.S., Raisborough, J. (2008) Risk, identities and the everyday.

  • Chapters in books

    Jones, J.S. (2017) 'Research ethics and visual methods.' Teaching Visual Methods in the Social Sciences. pp. 24-41.

    Jones, J.S., Raisborough, J. (2016) 'Introduction: Situating Risk in the Everyday.' Risk, Identities and the Everyday. pp. 1-18.

    Jones, J.S. (2016) '‘Are We There Yet?' Negotiating Transitions and Meaning Crisis in Young Adults.' Risk, Identities and the Everyday. pp. 113-132.

    Jones, J.S. (2012) '‘Are we there yet?’ Negotiating transitions and meaning crisis in young adults.' Risks, Identities and the Everyday. pp. 113-132.

    Jones, J.S., Raisborough, J. (2012) 'Introduction: Situating risk in the everyday.' Risks, Identities and the Everyday. pp. 1-18.

    Jones, J.S., Watt, S. (2010) 'Making sense of it all: Analysing ethnographic data.' Ethnography in Social Science Practice. pp. 157-172.

    Watt, S., Jones, J.S. (2010) 'Let's look inside: Doing participant observation.' Ethnography in Social Science Practice. pp. 107-125.

    Jones, J.S. (2010) 'Origins and ancestors: A brief history of ethnography.' Ethnography in Social Science Practice. pp. 13-27.

    Jones, J.S. (2010) 'Introductions.' Ethnography in Social Science Practice. pp. 3-12.

    Watt, S., Jones, J.S. (2010) 'Let’s Look Inside: Doing participant observation.' Ethnography in Social Science Practice. pp. 107-125.

    Jones, J.S., Watt, S. (2010) 'Making Sense of it All: Analysing ethnographic data.' Ethnography in Social Science Practice. pp. 157-172.

    Jones, J.S. (2010) 'Origins and Ancestors: A brief history of ethnography.' Ethnography in Social Science Practice. pp. 13-27.

    Scott-Jones, J. (2009) 'Fundamentalism and global security.'

    Jones, J.S. (2009) 'Fundamentalism.' Globalization and Security: An Encyclopedia, Volumes 1-2. pp. 136-151.

    Jones, J.S. (2008) ''Are we there yet?' Negotiating transitions and meaning crisis in young adults.' Risk, Identities and the Everyday. pp. 113-132.

    Jones, J.S., Raisborough, J. (2008) 'Introduction: Situating risk in the everyday.' Risk, Identities and the Everyday. pp. 1-18.

  • Reports

    Cain, E., Goldring, J.E., Scott Jones, J., Watt, S., Simpson, N., Massey, S. (2015) Saving Lives With Advice: The Impact of Advice on the Health and Wellbeing of Citizens Advice Manchester clients. https://www.onestopadvice.org.uk/.

    Scott Jones, J., Goldring, J.E. (2014) HEA STEM Project: Skills in Mathematics and Statistics in Sociology and Tackling Transition Report. HEA.

  • Journal articles

    Cain, L., Goldring, J.E., Scott Jones, J. (2021) 'Getting students out there; using community partnerships to engage students.' Higher Education, Skills and Work-based Learning, 12(4) pp. 763-774.

    Scott Jones, J., Goldring, J.E. (2017) 'Telling stories, landing planes and getting them moving - A holistic approach to developing students' statistical literacy.' Statistics Education Research Journal, 16(1) pp. 102-119.

    Gray, P.M., Simpson, N., Scott Jones, J. (2016) 'Maths Cafes: Are they everyone's cup of tea?.' Learning and Teaching in Action, 11(2) pp. 5-18.

    Scott Jones, J., Goldring, J.E. (2015) '‘I’m not a quants person’; key strategies in building competence and confidence in staff who teach quantitative research methods’.' International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 18(5) pp. 479-494.

  • Conference papers

    Scott Jones, J., Goldring, J.E. (2015) 'Experiences of Pedagogical Innovation.' In New Frontiers in Teaching Quantitative Social Science. University of Sheffield, 16/9/2015 -

    Scott jones, J., Goldring, J.E. (2014) 'P is for Pedagogy; Why is Pedagogy fundamental to the Q-Step Project.' In SRC Annual Research Methods festival. Oxford University, 23/7/2014 -

    Scott jones, J., Goldring, J.E. (2013) 'Student Transitions from A Level to University.' In BSA Teaching Group Regional Day Conference. Liverpool, 3/6/2013 -

    Goldring, J.E., Scott Jones, J. (2013) 'Parentalism and other pedagogies to promote student success when learning quantitative methodologies – an action research approach.' Parentalism and other pedagogies to promote student success when learning quantitative methodologies – an action research approach, 7/5/2013 -