Senior Lecturer in Applied Social Sciences (BA Childhood and Youth Studies)

I have been teaching in higher education in the social sciences for many years including several years as an Associate Lecturer within Applied Social Studies at the University of Bedfordshire. I joined the department on a permanent basis in July 2017.

My doctoral research, undertaken at the Open University, was a feminist informed narrative-discursive exploration of step-mothering and identity.

I am, myself, a biological mother, a stepmother and have also been a foster carer and these experiences have informed my interest in children, families, and parenting in all their many forms.

I am the Course Co-ordinator for the BA (Hons) Childhood and Youth Studies.

Qualifications

• PhD Psychology – Open University
• MBA – University of Durham
• BSc (Hons) Psychology (First Class) – University of Northampton

Teaching Expertise

I have taught on many units across both the Undergraduate and Post Graduate portfolios particularly focused on the following areas:

• Child Welfare
• Sociology of childhood
• The diversity of childhoods and families
• Child Development
• Qualitative research methods
• Participative research with children and young people
• Q Methodology

Research Interests

• Families
• Parenting
• Identity (including digital identities)
• Looked-after children

Projects

• I am part of the Networking Families Research Group. We are currently working on a Journal Special Issue and a paper on Mothering during Covid. We have recently been awarded funding for a project researching ‘Supporting children’s mental health through familial online relationships’. Work on this began in June 2021.
• fass.open.ac.uk/research/groups/networking-families

Publications

• Roper, S., and Capdevila, R. (2020). Hapless, helpless, hopeless: An analysis of stepmothers’ talk about their (male) partners. Feminism & Psychology. doi.org/10.1177/0959353519900212
• Lazard, L., Capdevila, R., Dann, C., Locke, A. and Roper, S., (2019) Sharenting: Pride, affect and the day‐to‐day politics of digital mothering. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 13(4), p.e12443.
• Roper, S. (2017). Different childhoods: Re-imagining development through the lifecourse in conversation with Lindsay O’Dell. Psychology of Women Section Review, 19 (1). 63-68.
• Roper, S., Capdevila, R., Lazard, L. & Roberts, A. (2015). How is this feminist again? Q as a feminist methodology. Psychology of Women Section Review, 17. 3–12.
• Book review of Stephanie Taylor and Karen Littleton, Contemporary identities of creativity and creative work. Feminism & Psychology February 2016 26: 116-118, first published on July 3, 2015 doi:10.1177/0959353515591912
• Roper, S. (2011) Seminar Review: Studying the Psychosocial. Qualitative Methods in Psychology Section Bulletin. 12. 39-40.
• Roper, S. & Capdevila, R. (2010). ‘We are a real family’: A Q methodological study on the experiences of stepmothers. Radical Psychology, 9 (2). radicalpsychology.org

Contact Details

T: 01582 743214

E: sandra.roper@beds.ac.uk