School of Social, Historical and Literary Studies

Profile

Laura joined the University of Portsmouth in January 2011, having previously worked as a Lecturer in Sociology at Kingston University and as a Research Officer at the ESRC Question Bank at the University of Surrey. She also undertook her doctoral research and MSc in Social Research Methods at Surrey, and obtained a BA in Sociology at the University of Reading.

She is the associate Admissions Tutor for Sociology, and offers a second year optional unit entitled ‘Emotions and Social Life’. She also contributes to the teaching of the first year Sociological Analysis units and a first year unit called ‘Families’, and offers undergraduate dissertation supervision.

Laura’s main research interest is in the sociological study of happiness, and her doctoral thesis examined the role of culture and discourse in people’s everyday experiences and perceptions of this. She also has interests in the sociology of emotions, self, identity and subjectivity, qualitative and quantitative research methods and social theory. She has co-edited a book on the survey measurement of social phenomena (Social Measurement through Social Surveys: an applied approach, 2010) and is currently writing a number of articles on the contribution of sociology to happiness research and the relationship between happiness, society and culture. She is also a Convenor of the British Sociological Association’s Happiness Study Group and is involved with the organisation and promotion of conferences, seminars and other events relating to sociological inquiry into happiness and well-being.

Publications

Edited Book

• Bulmer, M., Gibbs, J. & Hyman, L. (eds) (2010) Social Measurement through Social Surveys: an applied approach. Farnham, Ashgate.

Book Chapters

• Bulmer, M., Gibbs, J. & Hyman, L. (2010) ‘Introduction’. Social Measurement through Social Surveys: an applied approach. M. Bulmer, J. Gibbs and L. Hyman. Farnham, Ashgate: 1-8.

Other Recent and Forthcoming Publications

• Hyman, L. (2011) A Sociology of Happiness: the missing dimension. Under construction for Sociology.
• Hyman, L. (2010) ‘What is Happiness?’, Paper presented at the BSA Happiness Study Group Day Seminar, London, September 15, 2010.
• Hyman, L. (2009) ‘Happy and you know it? An examination of the social construction of happiness’, Paper presented at the Department of Sociology Autumn Research Conference, University of Surrey, November 11, 2009.
• Hyman, L. (2009) ‘A Sociology of Happiness: reflections and perceptions’, Paper presented at the European Sociological Association conference, Lisbon, Portugal, September 2-5, 2009.
• Hyman, L. (2008) ‘Questioning Happiness? Problematising the survey measurement of happiness’, Paper presented at the Health, Wellbeing and Happiness conference, University of Teesside, June 30-July 1, 2008.
• Hyman, L. (2007) ‘Subjective Indicators of Well-being: Where Happiness Measures Fall Short’, Paper presented at the European Survey Research Association conference, University of Economics, Prague, June 25-29, 2007.
• Hyman, L. & Patulny, R. (2007) ‘‘Generalised’ or ‘Particularised’ Happiness Measures? Implications for Time Diary Research into Happiness’, Paper presented at the Policies for Happiness conference, Siena, Italy, June 14-17, 2007.
• Hyman, L., Gibbs, J. & Bulmer, M. (2006) ‘The Use of Pre-existing Survey Questions: Implications for Data Quality’, Paper presented at the Conference on Quality in Survey Statistics, Cardiff, April 24-26, 2006.