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School of Applied Social Sciences

SASS Staff

Mr Peter Hart

Postgraduate Research Student in the School of Applied Social Sciences

(email at peter.hart@durham.ac.uk)

Biography

Having originally studied community and youth work with a church-based specialism at Durham University (graduating in 2004) I took up position as a full time youth worker for a church in Hartlepool. While working there I undertook an MA in Theology and Ministry, part time, at Cranmer Hall, the theological training college attached to Durham. Both of these courses, from different perspectives, drew out the challenges and opportunities presented by an interaction between faith-based and ‘secular’ youth work. As a full time youth worker much of my work related directly to church activities, or the Christian faith, however significant parts of the role also required an engagement with the wider community – for example, helping to set up a youth forum within the local authority, and working with the statutory youth service one evening per week. This interaction between the church and the local authority, and other statutory agencies, has therefore interested me for some time.

In 2010 I returned to full time education to study an MA in social research methods, and in 2011 moved onto an ESRC funded PhD. During this time I remained a practicing youth worker – working part time for the church and then, in 2012, working for Hartlepool’s Integrated Youth Support Services.

Field of Study

Where is the love? An investigation into the professionalising of youth work using an incarnational model.

Research interests

I have an interest in:

  • The relationship between faith based and 'secular' youth work.
  • The professionalization of youth work, and considering alternative models for framing the role of the youth worker.
  • The training and development of youth workers, and other professionals that work with young people.
  • The theology of youth work/ministry.

In particular, previous dissertations have focussed around the training of clergy in the Church of England regarding young people, and the different concepts of professional boundaries in church based, voluntary organisations', and statutory youth workers. My PhD is focussing on the norms and practices of youth workers in different context, and how these are influenced by policy and how they affect young people.

Teaching commitments

I currently lead seminars for first year undergraduate students taking the ‘Discovering Society’ module – a research methods course run by SASS. I am also a pastoral tutor to 12 undergraduate students at St John’s College.

Research Groups

  • Policy, Professions and Communities

Is supervised by