Julie Walsh

Julie is a Lecturer in Sociology at The University of Sheffield. Her research interests grew from her practice based work in youth and community work where she worked with marginalised groups, and her research interests include family, migration, personal life, childhood and the influence of prevalent narratives on everyday life.

Julie’s previous research has included working with migrant and settled communities to understand transnational family making practices, relationality, culturally located perceptions of ‘the family’ and, in turn, if these perceptions impact on connectivity between diverse communities. Julie’s interests also include the ways in which social care professionals conceptualise ‘family’, and if and how this is affected by broader narratives.

Julie currently holds an ESRC New Investigator grant, the title of which is “Everyday Bordering' in the UK: The impact on social care practitioners and the migrant families with whom they work”. As such, she continues to research themes that focus on understanding how governance of the family as an institution intersects with immigration policy, and whether and in what ways this impacts of the everyday lives of migrant families and social care practitioners. Julie also has a long-standing interest in collaborative approaches to working with communities, and employing innovative qualitative methods to do so.

Julie also has a broader interest in social constructions of 'family', relatedness, belonging and personal life. Her other roles include Co-convenor of the BSA Families and Relationships Study Group, and Associate Editor for the journal, Families, Relationships and Societies.