Dr Melanie Lovatt

Senior Lecturer

Sociology, Social Policy & Criminology RG Bomont Building, University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA

Dr Melanie Lovatt

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About me

I joined the University of Stirling as a lecturer in sociology in August 2016. Prior to this I was at the University of Sheffield, where I completed a PhD in the Department of Sociological Studies and worked as a research associate. I have an MA in folklore from Memorial University of Newfoundland and a BA in history from the University of York. 

Research (6)

I have three main research interests (which often overlap):

Ageing, the life course and time: Sociology of ageing; critical gerontology; cultural gerontology; time - particularly future perceptions of time in older age; fictional representatives of ageing and the life course.

Sociology of health and illness: Experiences of health and illness; lay epidemiology - particularly in the context of risk and public health; alcohol; death and dying; relationships in the context of health and illness; how illness is experienced and constructed differently at different stages of the life course. 

Home, relationships and families: Particularly in the context of older age, health and illness, death and dying. 

Methods and approaches: I predominantly use qualitative methods, although I have worked on mixed methods projects.  Material and sensory approaches. I am also interested in narrative approaches. 

I am interested in supervising doctoral students on any of the above or related topics and would welcome speculative enquiries.

Projects

Waste/Land/Futures: intergenerational relations in places of abandonment and renewal across Europe.
PI: Dr Melanie Lovatt
Funded by: Volkswagen Stiftung

BSG Small Event
PI: Dr Melanie Lovatt
Funded by: British Society of Gerontology

Designing homes for healthy cognitive ageing: co-production for impact and scale (DesHCA)
PI: Professor Alison Bowes
Funded by: Economic and Social Research Council

Reimagining the Future in Older Age
PI: Dr Melanie Lovatt
Funded by: Economic and Social Research Council

Mercator Fellowship with the Doing Transitions research group
PI: Dr Melanie Lovatt
Funded by: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft

Living Right Up To The End
PI: Professor Liz Forbat
Funded by: Strathcarron Hospice

Outputs (22)

Outputs

Research Report

McCall V, Phillips J, Lovatt M, Robertson J, Rutherford A, Woolrytch R, Sixsmith J, Macintyre Z, Porteus J, Ziegler F & Eadie J (2019) Housing and Ageing: Linking future strategy to future delivery for Scotland, Wales and England 2030. Scottish Universities Insight Institute and Social Policy Association. https://www.scottishinsight.ac.uk/Programmes/Scotland2030/HousingOlderPeople.aspx


Commentary

Lovatt M & Holmes J (2017) Digital phenotyping and sociological perspectives in a Brave New World. Commentary on: Skinner A., Attwood A., Baddeley R., Evans-Reeves K., Bauld L., Munafò M. Digital phenotyping and the development and delivery of health guidelines and behaviour change interventions. Addiction 2017; https://doi.org/10.1111/add.13746. Lovatt M., Eadie D., Meier P. S., Li J., Bauld L., Hastings G. et al. Lay epidemiology and the interpretation of low-risk drinking guidelines by adults in the United Kingdom. Addiction 2015; 110: 1912–1919.. Addiction, 112 (7), pp. 1286-1289. https://doi.org/10.1111/add.13805


Research Report

Holmes J, Lovatt M, Ally AK, Brennan A & Meier P (2016) A new approach to measuring drinking cultures in Britain. Alcohol Research UK. Alcohol Insights, 133. University of Sheffield. http://alcoholresearchuk.org/downloads/finalReports/FinalReport_0133.pdf


Article

Lovatt M, Nanton V, Roberts J, Ingleton C, Noble B, Pitt E, Seers K & Munday D (2015) The provision of emotional labour by health care assistants caring for dying cancer patients in the community: a qualitative study into the experiences of health care assistants and bereaved carers. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 52 (1), pp. 271-279. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2014.10.013


Teaching

I coordinate the first year undergraduate module SPCU911 Social Differentiation and the honours module SPCU9JK Ageing, Society and Social Policy. 

I also teach on the undergraduate modules SPCU912 Social Problems, SPCU9C5 Research Process 1 (Qualitative Methods) and the masters module ASRP002 Research Design and Process.

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