Dr Dawn Jones
Senior Lecturer in Social Care
Dawn graduated in 1990 with a BA (Hons) In Sociology (first class) from Bangor University, University of Wales. She then went on to complete her PhD in Sociology from Lancaster University.
Dawn worked as a Senior Lecturer in Sociology at Liverpool Hope University from 1995 until 2007, delivering the programme at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
Dawn has been a member of the Social Work team at Wrexham University since 2007 and teaches on the Social Work programme. She has been Programme Leader for the BA (Hons) Public and Social Policy degree, and for Foundation degree programme in Health and Social Care.
Dawn is a research active sociologist and has published across the field of sociological theory, social policy, and the sociology of risk. Most recently she has conducted three research projects that have been commissioned by Improvement Cymru that have explored the quality of care and support received by children and young people with learning disabilities in Wales. Dawn also acts as an external academic advisor to a number of universities across the UK, assessing the quality of provision for new undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in social work, health and social care, and public health.
Research Interests
As a sociologist I am passionate about using my sociological imagination to critically explore the links between social experiences and wider social structures. My PhD (1998) explored the ways in which political and economic policies work ideologically through discourses of nation and belonging, to reinforce the power of elite groups. I then went on to research and publish in the field of the sociology of risk, again motivated to understand how certain dominant narratives around risk relate to wider politial and cultural structures, looking at risk discourse around disability and pregnancy. My current research is commissioned by Improvement Cymru and has investigated, over three research projects, models and principles of care in Wales for children and young people with a learning disability. While a departure from my earlier theory-focused research, this current project continues to look at the ways in which values and visions fit (or don't!) to the realities experienced by children, families and professionals in the field of learning disabilities.
Research Projects
| Title | Role | Description | From/To |
|---|---|---|---|
| ‘An evaluative literature review of National Care Models and Frameworks providing Care for children and young people with learning disabilities in Wales. Improvement Cymru, 2023. | Principal Invistigator | Evaluative literature review exploring models and principles of care for children and young people in Wales with a learning disability. | 2023 - 2023 |
| ‘It sounds really good in theory’: Exploring parents’ and carers’ experiences of accessing care and support services for their child with a learning disability. | Principal Invistigator | Primary research exploring parents' and carers' experiences and perceptions of the care and support received for their child with a learning disability in North Wales. | 2023 - 2024 |
| Exploring professionals’ experiences of working with children and young people with a learning disability in Wales. | Principal Invistigator | Drawing on the fidnings from my previous work conducted for Improvement Cymru this project explores the experiences of professionals in health, social care and education across Wales who work with chidren and young people who have a learning disability. | 2024 - 2025 |
Publications
| Year | Publication | Type |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | "Dangerous conversations": a case study involving language, EQUALITY DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION, 34. [DOI] Madoc-Jones, Iolo;Jones, Dawn;Parry, Odette;Dubberley, Sarah |
Peer Reviewed Journal |
| 2015 | "Dangerous conversations”: a case study involving language, [DOI] Madoc-Jones, Iolo;Jones, Dawn;Parry, Odette;Dubberley, Sarah |
Peer Reviewed Journal |
Honors and Awards
| Date | Title | Awarding Body |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | John Robert Jones Award | University of Wales |
Committees
| Name | Description | From/To |
|---|---|---|
| Assessment Panel: external examiner and external reviewer assessment panel. | Responsibility for reviewing applications across the university for external examining applications and external assesser applications. | 2024 |
| Academic Integrity Committee | 2023 | |
| University Ethics Committee | 2023 | |
| University Health and Safety Committee | Faculty rep for Social and Life Sciences, reporting concerns raised by staff members in my Faculty. | 2023 |
| University Appeals Committee | Assessment of appeals usually relating to the extension of maximum course length. | 2024 |
Employment
| Employer | Position | From/To |
|---|---|---|
| Liverpool Hope University | Senior Lecturer in Sociology | 1996 - 2007 |
Education
| Institution | Qualification | Subject |
|---|---|---|
| Lancaster University | PhD | Sociology/State Theory |
| University of Wales, Bangor | BA (Hons) Sociology | Sociology |
Journal Reviewer or Editor
| Journal Name | Activity |
|---|---|
| Gender, Sex and Sexuality - Frontiers in Sociology | Editorial Board |
Other Professional Activities
| Title | From/to |
|---|---|
| External Examiner in Health and Social Care - John Moores University | 2024 - 2028 |
| External Examiner BSc Intgrated Health and Social Care - University of Bedfordshire | 2024 - 2028 |
Teaching Interests
My key areas of interest relate to social policy and research methods. My approach is social policy is critical, with a focus on critical thinking and looking closely ad the ideologies that inform social policy and how these relate to the role of the social worker.
As a research active sociologist, I draw on my own background and research experiences to inform my teaching of research methods at level 5. This continues into level 6 where I am module leader for the Dissertation in Social Work, delivering class materials in addition to supervising undergraduate dissertations.
Programs/ Modules Coordinated
| Title | Subject |
|---|---|
| Dissertation | SWK615 |
| Research for Social Work Practice | SWK523 |
| Introduction to Social Policy and Poverty | SWK418 |
| Health and Social Policy in Wellbeing | HLT517 |
| Conflicts and Dilemmas | SWK519 |