Background

Could you briefly outline your career?

After a PhD in political science at Aston University, I worked for a couple of years on the OPERA (Older People in Europe’s Rural Areas) study at Bangor. I moved to Keele in 1992 to take up a lectureship in Modern German Studies. Notwithstanding a 2-year stint as Visiting Professor of European Studies in Worms, Germany, I have been at Keele ever since. The formal shift away from German Studies into Gerontology occurred in 1998. Since 2006 I have been Professor of Social Gerontology at Keele.

How did your interest in ageing begin, and why?

My background in political science and German studies did not point me towards a career in ageing research. However, I was fortunate enough to be given the chance to work on a cross-national study of ageing at the University of Wales, Bangor, in the early 1990s. Working with Clare Wenger and other colleagues at Bangor generated a genuine fascination for issues around ageing and the life course.

What are your key areas of interest, and why?

My interest in cross-national research reaches back to my PhD days and continues. I have always enjoyed the exchange of ideas with colleagues from other countries and, often, from other disciplines. But my main interest at present is in social policy aspects of ageing. Here the challenge is enormous. How does one convince government and the policy process of the urgency of tackling such key issues as older people’s poverty; the growing gap between those who are comfortably off, and those who are struggling to get by; the need to address the poor quality of much institutional care provision; the declining life expectancy in some parts of the UK? These are some of the themes of my recent Inaugural Lecture (pdf file 130 KB)

What has been the biggest change in ageing research since you started your career in ageing?

There have been changes in all key aspects of ageing research. This encompasses both the themes of research and the ways in which we go about doing our research. The focus on engaging with older people in our studies, and on translating research outcomes into policy is something that is increasingly taken for granted. But this was not always the case.

Your work at Keele

What does your role as Director of the Centre for Social Gerontology at Keele involve?

This has to be one of the best roles in UK social gerontology. With such an excellent group of colleagues, the Centre has always been a creative place in which to do research. Building on my experience at the Centre for Social Policy Research and Development in Bangor, I see my role primarily as one of sustaining creativity and encouraging colleagues to achieve their potential. Increasingly, my role involves presenting the public face of social gerontology at Keele, and engaging more in national debates on ageing issues. You can find out more about the CSG on our website http://www.keele.ac.uk/depts/so/csg/index.htm

The CSG recently celebrated its 20th anniversary. What have been some of its key achievements over this period?

This is a really difficult question, especially since I have only been at Keele for part of the journey. But I think that any Centre which is able to celebrate 20 years of a sustained contribution to social gerontology activities should be proud of its achievements. In relation to teaching, there are countless people who have benefited from courses offered at Keele over the years. There are also 16 PhD awards to celebrate since the mid-1990s. The Centre’s contribution to research has been recognised internationally, and ranges from innovative empirical projects to path-breaking work in social theory. The fact that we had over 160 delegates at our anniversary events highlights the regard in which the Centre is held by the UK’s gerontology community.

What research projects are you currently involved in?

At the moment, I am still engaged in writing up findings from a study supported by the ESRC’s Growing Older Programme. This involved a study of older people living in some of England’s most deprived urban communities. I am also part of a team investigating a fascinating purpose-built retirement community in Buckinghamshire. The Longitudinal Study of Ageing in a Retirement Community (LARC) has the potential to become a life-time enterprise.

What do like best about your work?

Working with like-minded colleagues on genuinely interesting research projects.

What do you like least about your work?

The e-mail mountain that awaits each morning.

You have recently been appointed a Professor in Gerontology at Keele and have given your inaugural professorial lecture. What was your lecture about?

My lecture was entitled ‘The Extremes of Age: Challenging Poverty, Promoting Inclusion’. The lecture gave me an opportunity to show how I came to be involved in gerontology, but also a chance to draw attention to some of the key inequalities that mark later life in Britain. Giving a lecture to family, friends, colleagues and members of the public is always likely to be nerve-wracking, but I was genuinely overwhelmed by the warmth with which my lecture was received. I’d recommend the experience to anyone!

Inaugural Lecture (pdf file 130 KB)

How many PhD students do you currently supervise? What are their research topics?

Supporting the next generation of gerontology researchers is one of the most important tasks facing UK gerontology. Our track record of supervising PhD students at Keele is a good one, and we are constantly trying to increase our capacity so that we can supervise more PhDs. At the moment I am co-supervising 4 full-time students, all of whom are working on projects related to forms of disadvantage, and to particular types of community setting. The themes involve both urban and rural communities, majority and minority groups, and a mix of (primarily) qualitative approaches.

What are the challenges and rewards of supervising PhD students?

There is nothing more satisfying than seeing your PhD students graduate. Each student has negotiated a difficult path to get to this point, and the supervisors’ role is to provide as much support as possible to facilitate the process. Having a group of around 10 PhD students at Keele working in ageing-related areas means that there is also a lot of peer support available. Once of my favourite tasks is taking part in our regular PhD group meetings. Each session is led by one or two doctoral students, and our discussions cover everything from methodological approaches through to theoretical principles. They are also a good opportunity to catch up on students whose projects one is not supervising.

What advice would you offer students undertaking a PhD? Any tips for success in their Viva examination?

Get involved in NOGS and BSG at the earliest opportunity. Seek out like-minded colleagues and make use of the incredible amount of goodwill that exists within UK social gerontology towards PhD students. In relation to the Viva, I’d suggest that preparation is key. Make sure that you have had at least one dry-run through the exercise ahead of the day, and take part in any training events offered by your university to help you through the examination.

What contribution do you make to the MA/MSc Gerontology program at Keele?

The Keele gerontology courses have been running since 1988. My contribution is primarily linked to the social policy aspects of ageing, although we all deliver additional teaching sessions on other areas of interest. For example, I have inherited the task of introducing students to the demography of ageing. While this is not one of my key research interests, it is something that continues to fascinate me and which I always enjoy reading up on.

You are also involved in the EuMaG programme. What does this involve?
The European Masters programme in Gerontology (EuMaG) http://www.eumag.org/ is a European endeavour that provides an interdisciplinary qualification in gerontology. Co-ordinated by the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, students taking the EuMaG course take modules in Amsterdam, Keele (Social Gerontology), Heidelberg (Psychogerontology) and Paris (Health Gerontology). Additional modules are available across a wide range of partner institutions in other European nations.

Membership of BSG

How long have you been a member of BSG?

I have been a member of BSG since 1990, when I first took up my post in Bangor. I was a member of the Executive Committee for 3 years in the early part of this decade. My main contribution at that time involved initiating a change to the Society’s out-dated constitution.

What are the key benefits of being a member of BSG?

Belonging to BSG has been an important part of my professional life. In many ways, I try to organise my year around the annual conference, which is a real highlight. I think that BSG has struck the right balance between necessary critique and collegiality. This is an excellent environment in which to present one’s research – whether emerging findings or something much more polished.

About you

Describe yourself in three words.

Optimistic; persistent; over-stretched.

What was the first record that you ever bought?

The first record I’d admit to buying is probably Kimono My House by Sparks – still a classic, but unplayed for many years. The most recent CD I bought was Jarvis by Jarvis Cocker – a future classic! And my current favourite is The Go-Betweens Live at the Barbican.

What is your favourite film, and why?

One of the few things I had in common with Neil Kinnock used to be a favourite film – Baz Luhrmann’s Strictly Ballroom. More recently I have been won over by Jared Hess’ Napoleon Dynamite, one of the few films I can watch repeatedly and always find something new to enjoy.

What has been your favourite holiday destination, and why?

One of my favourite destinations is the Palatinate Forest (Pfälzerwald) in Germany, where fine walking can be combined with a trip to the vintners around Deidesheim. In fact, access to good wine seems to feature in most of my favoured destinations.

Which book have you enjoyed reading the most, and why?

This is an impossible question. I could probably narrow it down to a top 50. Particular books have meant something at particular points in time. I am especially impressed by historians who can write lucidly about complex events. Norman Davies’ Europe: A History and The Isles: A History are excellent examples.

What is the best piece of advice you have ever been given?

To develop a thicker skin (early advice from a supportive academic colleague).

What is the best piece of advice you have ever been given that you did not listen to?

To develop a thicker skin.

What do you want to achieve in your future career?

There is still a lot to be done, if we are to bridge the gap between research and policy. Somehow – as researchers – we need to be better at getting our message across, so that policies can be more effective in meeting the needs of older people.