In the first Inaugural Lecture of 2024, Professor Kathy Kendall will deliver a lecture entitled My Sociological Imagination: Reflections on connection, belonging and wellbeing.
In this lecture, she will use her own sociological imagination to reflect upon a career as an educator and as a researcher of curricula, prisons, asylums, and horror films, and argue that human connection and belonging are fundamental to individual and community wellbeing. As our personal troubles are bound with others and rooted in structural forces, creating a more just and humane world will benefit us all.
Kathy is Professorial Fellow in Sociology as Applied to Medicine and the Faculty Lead for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (ED&I). Here, she discusses her experience and career to date as well as what excites her about the future.
Your inaugural lecture takes place on Thursday 18 January, what will it be about?
Using examples from my own career I will talk about the relevance and value of sociology to medical education and research. Sociology focuses on us as social beings and directs our attention towards the human need for connection and belonging with others. Connection gives purpose and meaning to our lives, and it happens when we feel heard, seen and valued. Such conditions are necessary for us to have a sense not only that we are part of a social environment but also that we can be our true selves within it. The social ties, emotional safety and self-acceptance which follow are vital for individual and community wellbeing.
What is your current research/job role focus?
I am the Faculty Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (ED&I) lead and the subject lead for Sociology as Applied to Medicine. I am currently working collaboratively with students and colleagues to develop a more inclusive curriculum and am part of a research team evaluating a community residential alternative to imprisonment for women and their children.
Why did you decide to focus your career on these particular areas?
It has been fascinating preparing for my inaugural lecture because doing so has allowed me to see that, from a young age, I have been interested in how society works, equity and social justice. I found a badge for International Women’s Year from 1973 that I proudly wore as a ten year old! In my second year at the University of Saskatchewan, Canada, I was taught criminology by someone who had been incarcerated in a notorious federal prison. His impassioned activism alongside his robust analysis of the criminal justice system inspired me to focus my research on criminalised populations and mental health. He furthermore demonstrated the value and importance of lived experience. While completing my Master’s degree at the University of Saskatchewan, I taught first- and second-year students. I loved the connections I made with them as well as the networks they themselves formed and this imprinted on me the value and joy of education. These various strands complemented each other and led me to teach and research in our medical faculty as well as work on various ED&I projects.
What have been your biggest ‘eureka’ moments or highlights during your career so far?
My biggest ‘eureka’ moment came quite early in my career. I was speaking with an Indigenous Elder while researching in a Canadian women’s prison. She asked me what my motivation was and I said that it was to ‘help’ incarcerated individuals. She encouraged me to think about how this desire might reflect white privilege and power and cause potential harm to others instead of support. I have since come across a similar sentiment expressed as ‘If you have come here to help me, you are wasting your time. If you have come because your liberation is bound with mine, then let us work together’ (Aboriginal activists group, Queensland, 1970). The encounter changed how I saw myself, others, and the work I was doing. It taught me that ongoing critical self-reflection and humility are essential.
How would you describe the rate of progress in your field that you’ve witnessed?
Sociology has historically been marginalised within medicine and it can be difficult for students and colleagues to see the clinical relevance of the discipline. However, we are fortunate at Southampton because sociology has been part of the medical curriculum since the school first opened in 1971 and colleagues are supportive. In addition, the number of sociologists teaching and researching within our faculty continues to grow. The vast majority of medical schools now incorporate sociology in their curriculum and the GMC recognises it in their Outcomes for Graduates. I have seen sociology shift from being seen as ‘nice to know’ to ‘need to know’. A key part of this transformation has been the development of professional organisations and I currently co-chair the UK-wide Behavioural and Social Sciences Teaching in Medicine (BeSST) network. We share good practice, collaborate on projects, provide peer support and champion our discipline with key stakeholders.
How has the role of women in the field changed during the course of your career?
During my career there have been more female than male sociologists on teaching or balanced pathways in medical schools and the recent BeSST membership figures indicate that this continues to be the case. I am uncertain what the figures are for those on a research pathway. However, the vast majoritiy of us in the field are white, heterosexual, cisgender, able-bodied and middle-class. It will be important for our discipline to become much more diverse.
What would you say is your proudest career achievement?
Co-teaching with clinicians I once taught as undergraduates. These have been joyous moments which fill me with hope and possibility. There is something wonderful about teaching with someone in front of a classroom knowing that a short while ago they were ‘on the other side’, seated among the learners. The power of such instances are amplified when my clinical co-teachers eloquently and engagingly apply sociological concepts to medicine and this makes me very proud.
What excites you most about the future of your field?
That governing bodies like the General Medical Council and the Medical Schools Council, as well as universities, are recognising the lack of diversity, equity and inclusion within medicine and are taking active and meaningful measures to address it. I am inspired by my younger colleagues and students who are leading the way on this.