Professor Deborah Youdell

• PGCert. Education Studies (Teaching and Learning in Higher Education) (Macquarie University)
• PhD Sociology of Education (Institute of Education)
• MA Women and Writing (University of East Anglia)
• BSc Applied Social Science (University of North London)

Deborah Youdell has been a member of academic staff at the Institute of Education, the University of Cambridge and Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia. Before joining the School of Education at the University of Birmingham she was Professor of Education at the Institute of Education, University of London. In her early career she was an education researcher at the University of Sydney, the University of New South Wales and the Institute of Education, University of London.

Deborah Youdell has wide experience of working with doctoral students and has seen a number through to completion. She has supported many of her students in securing research council and other studentships and many have been published during their study and gone on to academic employment on completion. She is happy to work with prospective students developing their research proposals and is interested in supervising doctoral work across a range of concerns with substantive, theoretical, political and/or methodological intersections with her own research.

The Disability under Siege project is supported by the Global Challenges Research Fund.

The body social: synthesising sociology and biology to re-conceptualise student identity 

British Academy Mid-career Fellowship

This Fellowship brings together evidence from sociology and biology to understand and disseminate what these disciplines can tell each other about the making of children and young people’s bodies, minds, and social and learner identities. It includes a focused review of literature from across the target disciplines, consultation with biological and social scientists, and a series of inter-disciplinary expert workshops. Public engagement is at the heart of the programme which will deliver a series of bespoke interactive workshops and events for professionals, volunteers, community members, parents/guardians, and children and young people.  

Destination Work (Public Service Academy)

This project is being led by Dr Ian McGimpsey and is providing research and evaluation to Birmingham City Council (BCC) as part of their 'Destination Work' youth employment programme. 

Schools, Family Support and Early Help

This project is being undertaken in collaboration with Dr Jerry Tew and Birmingham Education Partnership and is working with a group of schools in Birmingham to explore experiences of Family Support and Early Help with a view to understanding how schools can best support children and families. 

Flying Seagull Project: Joining the laugh-olution (Public Service Academy)[DY6] 

The Flying Seagull Project is a charity that brings circus and related activities to children, especially those in crisis. The research supported the Flying Seagulls to gather audience responses and documented their practice and its impact.

Executive Editorial Board, British Journal of Sociology of Education.
Editorial Board, Race Ethnicity and Education.