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. (2011). Applying Social Science: The role of Social research in politics, policy and practice. The Policy Press.
Byrne, D. (2005). Social Exclusion. Maidenhead: Open University Press.
Byrne, D. (2002). Interpreting Quantitative Data. London: Sage.
Byrne, D. (2001). Understanding the Urban. Palgrave (Macmillan).
Byrne.D. (1998). Complexity Theory and the Social Sciences. Routledge.
Byrne, D. (1989). Beyond the Inner City. Open University Press.

Books: edited

Byrne, D, & Uprichard, E. (2012). Cluster Analysis. Four-Volume Set. Sage.
Byrne, D. & Ragin, Charles C. (2009). The SAGE handbook of case-based methods. London: Sage.
Byrne, D. (2008). Social Exclusion - Critical Concepts in Sociology. Four-Volume Set. London: Routledge.

Books: sections

Byrne, D. (2011). What is an effect? Coming at Causality Backwards. In The SAGE Handbook of Innovation in Social Research Methods. Williams, M., & Vogt, W.P. London: Sage. 80-94.
Byrne, D. (2010). Comparison, Diversity and Complexity. In Complexity, Difference and Identity. Cilliers, P. & Preiser, R. Springer. 61-78.
Byrne, D. (2009). Complex Realist and Configurational Approaches to Cases: A Radical Synthesis. In The SAGE Handbook of Case-Based Methods. Byrne, D. & Ragin, C. Sage.
Byrne, D. (2009). INTRODUCTION: Case-Based Methods: Why We Need Them; What They Are; How to Do Them. In The SAGE Handbook of Case-Based Methods. Byrne, D. & Ragin, C. Sage. 1-10.
Byrne, D. (2009). Using Cluster Analysis, Qualitative Comparative Analysis and NVivo in Relation to the Establishment of Causal Configurations with Pre-existing Large N Datasets: Machining Hermeneutics. In The SAGE Handbook of Case-Based Methods. Byrne, D. & Ragin, C. Sage. 260-268.
Byrne, D. (2006). Exploring Organizational Effectiveness: The Value of Complex Realism as a Frame of Reference and Systematic Comparison as a Method. In Complexity and Management. Maguire, S., Allen, P., & McKelvey, B. Sage Publication Ltd. London.
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.
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.
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. (2012). Getting up - Staying Up? - Exploring Trajectories in Household Incomes Between 1992 and 2006. Sociological Research Online 17(2): 8.
Byrne, D. (2012). UK Sociology and Quantitative Methods: Are We as Weak as They Think? Or Are They Barking up the Wrong Tree?. Sociology 46(1): 13-24.
Blackman, T., Wistow, J. & Byrne, D. (2011). A Qualitative Comparative Analysis of Factors Associated with Narrowing Health Inequalities in England. Social Science & Medicine 72(12): 1965–1974.
Griffiths, F., Borkan, J., Byrne, D., Crabtree, B.F., Dowrick, C., Gunn, J., Kokanovic, R., Lamb, S., Lindenmeyer, A., Parchman, M., Reis, S. & Sturt, J. (2010). Developing Evidence for How to Tailor Medical Interventions for the Individual Patient. Qualitative Health Research 20(12): 1629-1641.
Byrne, D. & Yang, K. (2008). Conceptual & statistical problems in exploring the relationship among volume, outcome & context in relation to the organisation of secondary & tertiary health provision: An issue of causal inference in non-experimental research. Radical Statistics 96.
Uprichard, E., Burrows, R. & Byrne, D. (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): 1-11.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.

Reports: technical

Blackman, T., Wistow, J. & Byrne, D. (2011). Towards a new understanding of how local action can effectively address health inequalities. National Institute for Health Research.
Blackman, T., Byrne, D. & Wistow, J (2010). Variations between Spearhead areas in progress with tackling health inequalities in England. Durham University, Wolfson Research Institute.

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Indicators of Esteem

2009: Academician - Academy of Learned Societies for the Social Sciences: Nominated by Social Policy Association
2009: International Presentation: Presentation to Institute for Advanced Studies - University of Stellenbosch on Complexity.
2009: International Presentation: Participation in and plenary presentation to International Symposium on Complexity and Transformation Netherlands
2009: Journal Editorships: Editor Sociology, AcSS, SPA nominee for RAE panel, participant in international Gulbenkian review of future of science in general, various international and prestigious UK plenary presentations in areas of complexity and socila exclusion.
International Presentation: Presentation to staff Cleveland Western Reserve and Cleveland State University - Comparison of post-industrial industrial cities.
International Presentation: Presentation to staff and postgraduates Erasmus University Rotterdam - Research the trajectories of complex cities.
International Presentation: Presentation to staff group Technical University of Delft - Researching the trajectories of complex cities.
International Presentation: Presentation to staff and postgraduates University of Arizona - Exploring causality in the trajectories of complex systems.

Research Interests

Case based methods
Complexity theory
Postindustrial social structures
Privatization of welfare systems
Quantitative methods
Urban systems

Research Groups

Sociology and Social Policy

Research Projects

Comparative analysis of local strategies to tackle health inequalities.

Teaching Areas

Perspectives on Social Research MA
Philosophy of Social Research MA
Quantitative Methods MA
Statistical Exploration and Reasoning MA

Supervises

Grants Awarded

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