SASS Staff

Prof David S. Byrne, Director of Postgraduate Studies
Professor in the School of Applied Social Sciences
Biography
Attended University of Newcastle and LSE before teaching at Durham 1970-74. Research Director North Tyneside Community Development Project 1974-77. Reader in Sociology Ulster Polytechnic 1977-80. Since at University of Durham. National positions have included Treasurer Social Policy Association, Treasurer Joint Universities' Council for Social and Public Administration, Chief Examiner for Sociology studentships ESRC. Editor of Sociology. Member ESRC College of Assessors, Member ESRC Research Training Board, Academician - Academy of Learned Societies for the Social Sciences.
Selected Publications
Books: authored
- Byrne, D. 2005. Social Exclusion. Maidenhead: Open University Press. (Additional information)
- Byrne, D. 2002. Interpreting Quantitative Data. London: Sage. (Additional information) (View publication online)
- Byrne, D. 2001. Understanding the Urban. Palgrave (Macmillan). (Additional information)
- Byrne.D. 1998. Complexity Theory and the Social Sciences. Routledge.
- Byrne, D. 1989. Beyond the Inner City. Open University Press.
Books: edited
- Byrne, D. 2009. Sage Handbooks of Case based methods. London: Sage. (Additional information) (View publication online)
- Byrne, D. 2008. Social Exclusion - Critical Concepts in Sociology Four Volumes. London: Routledge. (Additional information) (View publication online)
Books: sections
- Byrne, D. 2004. Complex and Contingent Causation - The Implications of Complex Realism for Quantitive Modelling The Case of Housing and Health. In Making Realism Work: Realist Social Theory and Empirical Research. Carter, B. & New, C. London: Routledge. 50-66. (Additional information) (View publication online)
- Byrne, D. 2004. Evidence based? What constitutes valid evidence? In Governing medicine: theory and practice. Gray, A. & Harrison, S. Buckingham: Open University Press. 81-92. (Additional information) (View publication online)
- Byrne, D. 1995. Complex and Contingent Causation - the implications of complex realism for quantitative modelling - the case of housing and health. In Doing Research. Carter, B. & New, C. Routledge.
Journal papers: academic
- Byrne, D. & Yang, K. 2008. Conceptual and statistical problems in exploring the relationship among volume, outcome and context in relation to the orgranisation of secondary and tertiary health provision: An issue of causal inference in non-experimental research. Radical Statistics 92. (Additional information) (View publication online)
- Byrne, D., Uprichard, E. & Burrows, 2008. SPSS as an inscription device: From causality to description. Sociological Review 56(4): 606-622.
- Byrne, D. 2008. The oversubsidized periphery - who benefits? Radical Statistics 97(2).
- Byrne, D. 2006. Class, Culture and Identity: A reflection on absences against presences. Sociology 39: 807-816.
- Uprichard, E. & Byrne, D. 2006. Representing Complex Places: A Narrative Approach. Environment and Planning A 38(4): 665-676. (Additional information) (View publication online)
- Byrne, D. 2006. Theory, Role of (in measurement). Encyclopedia of Social Measurement III.
- Byrne, D.S. 2005. Complexity, Configuration and Cases. Theory, Culture & Society 22(5): 95-111. (Additional information) (View publication online)
- Byrne, D., ed, Sykes R & et al 2002. Devolution in England - coping with postindustrial industrial regions - issues of territorial inquality. Social Policy Review 37-58. (Additional information)
- Byrne D 2002. Platonic Forehand versus Aristotelian Smash - the use of computers as macroscopes in knowing the social world. International Journal of Social Research Methodology 5(1): 61-69. (Additional information) (View publication online)
- Byrne, D. 2001. What is Complexity Science? Thinking as a realist about measurement and cities and arguing for natural history. Emergence (US) 3(1): 61-76. (Additional information)
Research Interests
- Case based methods
- Complexity theory
- Postindustrial social structures
- Privatization of welfare systems
- Quantitative methods
- Urban systems
Research Groups
Research Projects
- Comparative analysis of local strategies to tackle health inequalities.
- Understanding Chronic Illness
Teaching Areas
- Perspectives on Social Research MA
- Philosophy of Social Research MA
- Quantitative Methods MA
- Statistical Exploration and Reasoning MA
Supervises
- Mr David Banks
- Ms Katie Dunstan
- Ms Anne Jenkins
- Miss Lynn Anderson
- Mr John Carey
- Ms Kate Farley
- Mr Bivakar Roy
- Mr Andreas Giazitzoglu
- Mr John Holland
- Miss Janet Lawrence
- Luigi Minchella
- Mrs Rawan Nuseibeh
- Mr Jon Warren
- Mrs Kaka El-yakub
Grants Awarded and Grant Applications
- 2004: Focusing on the Case in Quantitative and Qualitative Research
Media Contacts
Available for media contact about:
- Health & welfare services: health & social class
- Health & welfare services: social change
- Health & welfare services: poverty
- Museums: regional heritage
- Social Policy: Family, youth, race & gender issues: family, youth, race & gender issues
- Social Policy: Employment & development issues: urban & regional development
- Social Policy: Employment & development issues: North-East region
- Social Policy: Employment & development issues: economic & social change
- Social Policy: Employment & development issues: urban regeneration
- Social Policy: Employment & development issues: single regeneration budget
- Social Policy: Employment & development issues: quangos
- Regional Economy: regional economy
- Regional Heritage: regional heritage
Related Links
- ‘Crossing levels: The potential for numerical taxonomy and fuzzy set approaches to study multi-level longitudinal change’ (with Uprichard) Methodological Innovations Online 2 1 2007
- David Byrne and Sally Ruane The Rich Pay Less : Compass Thinkpiece 22
- Sally Ruane and David Byrne: THe Case for Hospital Reconfiguration - NOT PROVEN
