School of Education and Sociology (EDSOC)
Find out more about our teaching and research activities within the School of Education and Sociology
The School of Education and Sociology (EDSOC) is home to courses and research in the fields of childhood, education and sociology. It's where we examine the world through the way we learn, and where we think critically about society, social structures and social inequalities. We're training the next generation of school and educational leaders and managers, early years practitioners, and the wider workforce working with children and young people. We also prepare our graduates for work in the civil service, in local government, policy and research roles in the charity and third sector locally and internationally. We also offer PGCE teacher training and undergraduate, postgraduate and research qualifications.
Within EDSOC, we're making a difference locally, nationally and internationally through our teaching, research and community engagement. Our research is embedded in our teaching and community engagement.
Teaching
Our teaching areas
Explore the undergraduate and postgraduate degrees we offer within the following areas.
Childhood, youth studies and education courses
Want a rewarding career shaping how children and young people learn and develop? Choose one of our childhood, youth studies and education courses.
History, politics and international relations courses
Get the skills, knowledge and opportunities to develop a deep understanding of human behaviour, culture and society, and how they interact.
Or read about postgraduate research opportunities on our Education and Sociology and Gender Studies postgraduate research degrees pages.
Research
In collaboration with Portsmouth City Council and local charities, we're researching mental health and wellbeing in childhood and education, cyberbullying, and the social and emotional aspects of learning in schools and early years settings. We also undertake research in sociology on a range of topics linked to social inequalities, identities and lived experiences, engaging with the local and national effects of phenomena from citizenship to war-making.
We've worked with a range of organisations including the Imperial War Museum, Forceswatch, ichange21, Vegan Society, Friends Without Borders, Connect Futures, and Journeys Festival International. We're working with the Armed Forces as the lead provider for the ‘Further Forces’ programme, which develops forces leavers into further education teachers.
Outside the UK, we're working with North American schools to improve classroom attainment, and investigating women's access to education across Africa.
Our Sociology research
Find out more about the work we're doing across our four areas of research expertise in Sociology.
Identities and inequalities
We're asking questions around who we are, who is different from us, and who we want to be, to challenge structural violence and reduce inequality.
Sociology of culture
We're probing the link between culture and power, confronting societal issues, and looking at the ideological function of culture in naturalising them.
Social research methods
We're investigating the different methods, tools and techniques for studying social phenomena and generating information and data about all aspects of social life.
Social theory
We're drawing on classical and contemporary social thought, philosophy, political economy, social anthropology, and history to explain and analyse social processes, issues, and concerns.
Our Education research
Find out more about the work we're doing across our five areas of research expertise in Education.
Early years education
In this area of expertise, we're exploring the experiences and opportunities that play a role in the development of young children.
Gender, race and education
Our work is identifying, exploring and engaging with forms of discrimination across gender and race in the education system.
Higher education
We're researching into issues in higher education, and finding solutions to them. Explore our higher education research.
Youth and digital networking
Our research in this area of expertise is investigating how young people aged 13–19 use social media and digital technologies in their daily lives.
Our staff
Explore our faculty
Explore the other schools and departments that make up our Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences.
School of Criminology and Criminal Justice
Read more about the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, and explore the teaching and research activities that take place within it.
School of Area Studies, History, Politics and Literature
Explore the School of Area Studies, History, Politics and Literature, and find out more about the teaching and research activities happening now within the school.
School of Languages and Applied Linguistics
Explore the School of Languages and Applied Linguistics, and learn more about the teaching and research activities that take place within the school.
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
Explore more about the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, teaching and research activities taking place across the faculty's four schools and institutes.
Contact us
To get in touch, please contact our Faculty office.
Phone: +44 (0)23 9284 2992
Email: hss-enquiries@port.ac.uk