Dr Sarah Hale BA, MA, DPhil (Sussex)

Teaching

As well as developing and teaching modules on the BA Social and Political Studies, Sarah jointly convenes and teaches on Research Skills modules.

Research Interests

Sarah's areas of research in Politics have been linked by a continuing interest in the interface between political theory and political practice, and in particular the use of theoretical concepts in the creation of political narratives, through their use in politicians’ rhetorical statements, both spoken and written, and their deployment in developing and justifying policy. This has naturally led to a focus on the relationship between academe and various areas of political activity, in particular the role of higher education in shaping local councillors' perceptions and performance of their roles.

She has also researched and published on higher education issues, in particular, the widening participation agenda and the role of universities in promoting social mobility, and the integration of the academic study of Politics into the workplace and work based learning.

Background and other activities

Prior to joining TILL in September 2012, Sarah spent five years in the Faculty of Lifelong Learning at Birkbeck, University of London, and previously held posts at the universities of Huddersfield and Portsmouth.

She has been a local authority councillor, and a founding member and Company Secretary of a large community development association, actively involved in local regeneration partnerships.

When not working, Sarah enjoys an obsession with historic canal boats, and is Press Officer for the Historic Narrow Boat Club.

Selected Publications

BOOKS

Blair’s Community: Communitarian Thought and New Labour Manchester University Press, 2006

The Third Way: Criticisms, Futures, Alternatives edited by Sarah Hale, Will Leggett and Luke Martell Manchester University Press, 2004

EDITED COLLECTIONS

Innovations in Teaching and Learning in Politics symposium special issue of European Political Science, 7:2, June 2008

ARTICLES/CHAPTERS

'Education for Modernisation? The impact of Higher Education member development programmes on councillors' perception and performance of their roles' Local Government Studies, forthcoming.

'Discourse, Policy... and Ideas: An Obituary of the Third Way in Britain' European Political Science 10:4, December 2011

‘Implementing Problem Based Learning in Politics’ European Political Science, 7:2, June 2008

‘Widening Participation, Equalising Opportunity?’ Politics, 26:2, May 2006.

‘Politics and the Real World: A Case Study in Case Based Learning’ European Political Science 5:1, February 2006.

‘The Communitarian “Philosophy” of New Labour’ in The Third Way: Criticisms, Futures, Alternatives (above), 2004.

CONFERENCE/SEMINAR PAPERS

'Workplace Politics: Introducing Political Studies on Vocational Courses' Political Studies Association Annual Conference, London, April 2011

‘”Don’t worry if you are not already a member of a party”: Councillor recruitment and the depoliticisation of local government’ Political Studies Association Annual Conference Manchester, April 2009

‘But not for me? Experiences of employer engagement in a traditionally non-vocational discipline’ (with John Craig) Higher Education Academy Conference Harrogate, June 2008

‘”Something to show for the work that I do”: The role of HEIs in the Professionalisation of Local Authority Councillors’ Political Studies Association Annual Conference Swansea, April 2008

‘Politics and the Real World’ Political Studies Association Annual Conference Reading, April 2006

‘Community Governance: For and Against’ Institute for Public Policy Research/Joseph Rowntree Foundation conference London, September 2004

‘Community by contract? New Labour, the rhetoric of community and the language of the social contract’
Political Studies Association annual conference Lincoln, April 2004

‘Playing Politics with Community’ Invited speaker at the Annual Conference of the John Macmurray Fellowship
Oxford, October 2004

REVIEWS

Judi Atkins, Justifying New Labour Policy and Florence Faucher-King and Patrick le Gales, The New Labour Experiment Party Politics (forthcoming)

Catherine Needham, The Reform of Public Services under New Labour British Politics.

Jeremy Nuttall, Psychological Socialism: The Labour Party and Qualities of Mind and Character 1931 to the Present Party Politics.

Glen Burgess and Matthew Festenstein (eds), English Radicalism 1550-1850 Labor History 49:1, 2008

Andrew Russell and Edward Fieldhouse, Neither Left nor Right? The Liberal Democrats and the Electorate
Party Politics 14:2, March 2008

Amitai Etzioni, The Common Good British Journal of Sociology 56:2, June 2005.

G.W. Smith (ed), Liberalism: Critical Concepts in Political Theory History of European Ideas 30:2, April 2004.