Paul Dawson BA MSc

Room C14
Academic Unit of Oral Health and Development,
School of Clinical Dentistry,
Claremont Crescent,
University of Sheffield,
S10 2TA, UK.

+44(0)114 222 7612

Email: p.dawson@sheffield.ac.uk

Biography

I obtained my first degree in sociology and an MSc in social research methods from Nottingham Trent University. There I developed an interest in the sociological and political aspects of scientific and medical knowledge. I joined the dental school in 2008 as postgraduate research student.

Research Interests

Research Interests
Sociology of health and illness
Medical sociology
Cariology
Sexuality and gender

My MSc dissertation explored the lived experience and cultural knowledge surrounding erectile dysfunction. Part of this research was published in a disabilities studies reader which traced the concept of erectile dysfunction through St Augustine’s 4th Century City of God to the more recent film The Departed.

My thesis explores the political character at play within cariology in order to illustrate the social construction(s) of dental decay. I am incorporating the approaches of Ian Hacking, Reinhardt Koselleck and Quentin Skinner to analyse preventive and evidence-based approaches to caries treatment and management.

Teaching

I have taught sociology, public health and politics at both undergraduate and postgraduate level, including the philosophy of sociology, medical sociology, health promotion and introductory public health. I am currently supervising two master’s students on the postgraduate dental public health course. Both students are conducting fascinating conceptual histories of dental knowledge. I am also lecture sociology at the English Language Teaching Centre here at the University of Sheffield.

Publications

Dawson P (2008) Coming Out Softly: An Exploration of Erectile Dysfunction from Augustine to Scorsese. In Campbell T, Fontes F, Hemingway L, Sorenian, A and Till C (eds), Disability Studies : Emerging Insights and Perspectives. Leeds: Disability Studies Press

PhD Title: The social construction of dental decay: An investigation into the science and practice of disease diagnosis and management in dentistry.

Primary supervisor: Professor Christopher Deery
Secondary supervisor: Dr Barry Gibson