Dr Will Mason
School of Education
Senior Lecturer in Qualitative Methods
+44 114 222 8368
Full contact details
School of Education
The Wave
2 Whitham Road
Sheffield
S10 2AH
- Profile
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Will is a sociologist with expertise in youth work, critical methodologies, and the voluntary community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector. He takes an engaged and pragmatic approach to scholarship, working at the intersection of research and practice. His research experience ranges from large-scale, multi-institutional studies to small, community-based projects delivering bespoke, localised initiatives.
Will specialises in engaged scholarship and community-led university partnerships. He plays an active role in several local and regional initiatives. He has been a volunteer youth worker for over ten years, supporting the coordination and delivery of five open-access youth provisions, including homework clubs, youth clubs, and community gyms.
He is a steering group member of the Sheffield Youth Alliance, a cross-sector network of youth and community organisations in Sheffield, and co-editor of the British Sociological Association (BSA) journal Sociological Research Online.
- Research interests
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Will’s research examines how the voluntary community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector responds to social inequalities, with a particular focus on youth. His recent projects explore the importance of community resources (like youth clubs and community gyms) for young men’s mental health, as well as the role of community partnerships in strengthening the capacity of grassroots youth organisations to meet local needs.
His work aligns with current policy priorities that emphasise the role of civil society in addressing national challenges. It highlights the need for sustained investment and infrastructural support for the VCSE sector to improve working conditions and build organisational capacity, while safeguarding social purpose.
Methodologically, Will is particularly interested in engaged, community-led scholarship, longitudinal research relationships (staying) and partnership working. Substantively, his research focuses on the social determinants of health and wellbeing, the civic role of universities, VCSE partnerships, and the translation of policy into practice.
- Publications
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- Teaching interests
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Will is a Senior Fellow of the HIgher Education Academy. His teaching and wider pedagogical research has won several awards. In 2021 he was awarded Masters Teacher of the Year in the national FindaAMasters.com and FindAPhD.com Postgraduate awards. In 2025 his collaborative work Towards a Pedagogy of Joy with Dr Lauren White received a University of Sheffield Education Award.
Will has experience of teaching across a wide range of substantive and research methods courses. He currently convenes modules on the principles of research design, advanced qualitative methods and interdisciplinarity.
Will’s teaching philosophy is closely informed by both critical pedagogy and an ethic of care. This emphasises the value of extending and enriching knowledge in dialogue and doing so in ways that promote mutual understanding and growth. Will is committed to enhancing enjoyment in and through his teaching. His educational practice seeks to achieve this by (i) creating inclusive learning environments (ii) actively seeking and responding to student feedback and (iii) creating opportunities for students to practice their craft, in experiential learning encounters.
- PhD Supervision
Kaltum Osman Rivers