Professor Liam Foster (he/him)

BA, MA, PhD

Department of Sociological Studies

Professor of Social Policy

Director of Education

l.foster@sheffield.ac.uk
+44 114 222 6434

The Wave

Full contact details

Professor Liam Foster
Department of Sociological Studies
The Wave
2 Whitham Road
Sheffield
S10 2AH

Profile

Liam joined the staff team in the department in January 2007 as a University Teacher in Social Policy and Research Methods having completed his PhD within the department in 2006 under the supervision of Professor Alan Walker.

In 2008, Liam was appointed as a Lecturer in Social Work within the Department and in 2015 he was appointed Senior Lecturer in Social Policy and Social Work. He had previously conducted his undergraduate and postgraduate MA degrees at the University of Leeds.

In 2006 Liam spent time teaching at Leeds Metropolitan University in the Health Sciences Department and was employed as a postgraduate teaching assistant within the Department of Sociological Studies at the University of Sheffield throughout his PhD (2002-06).

Liam's research interests are as follows: gender and pension provision, gender inequality in the workplace, funeral provision and poverty, extending working lives, ageing research, theories of ageing, and the sociology of sport.

Research interests

Liam's research largely focuses on inequalities in later life and policy implications, particularly in relation to funerals, pensions and pension planning. This has often included a gendered focus. He also has an interest in theories of ageing, including the application of active ageing and the political economy of ageing.

This has led to work on the comparative policy approaches to the implementation of active ageing measures. Liam's latest work is part of a large-scale project four country study funded by the Swedish Research Council for Health and Working Life (2019-22), focused on exclusion and inequality in late working life.

Liam has commented on retirement planning in the media, advised unions (TUC), been involved in projects with pension providers (AXA and Prudential), charities (The Fawcett Society) and been referenced by political parties (Labour’s Older Women’s Commission) in relation to pensions.

He has presented his research at a variety of national and international conferences and has been an invited speaker at the Department for Work and Pensions (x2), Department for Education, the European Parliament in Brussels, the House of Lords and the UN in New York as a world leading expert on ageing.

Liam is a member of the UK Social Policy Association Executive Committee. He is also the former Managing Editor of Social Policy and Society. He has authored over 50 publications in peer-reviewed journals and book chapters, and authored or edited five books.

Publications

Books
Edited books
Journal articles
Chapters
Book reviews
Conference proceedings papers

Books

Clark T, Foster L, Sloan L & Bryman A (2021) Social Research Methods 6E.
Clark T & Bryman A (2019) How to Do Your Social Research Project Or Dissertation. Oxford University Press, USA.
Foster L, Diamond I & Jefferies J (2014) Beginning Statistics: An Introduction for Social Scientists. London: SAGE Publications.

Edited books

Foster L & Woodthorpe K (Ed.) (2016) Death and Social Policy in Challenging Times. Palgrave Macmillan.
Foster L, Brunton A, Deeming C & Haux T (Eds.) (2015) In Defence of Welfare 2. Bristol: Policy Press.
Walker A & Foster L (Ed.) (2014) The Political Economy of Ageing and Later Life: Critical Perspectives. Edward Elgar Publishing.

Journal articles

Crossdale R, Foster L & Walker A (2023) THE PERSISTENCE OF AGE DISCRIMINATION IN SHAPING LATE WORKING LIVES. Innovation in Aging, 7(Supplement_1), 544-545.
Foster L, Yu SWK & Chau RCM (2022) Exploring the contributions of concepts of time to pension studies in Hong Kong and the United Kingdom. International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy.
Foster L (2022) Pensions and the extending working lives agenda in the UK: the impact on women. Journal of Population Ageing.
Foster L (2021) Aging Equally? Employing Active Aging Policy in the United Kingdom. Innovation in Aging, 5(Supplement_1), 428-428.
Foster L & Walker A (2021) Active ageing across the life course : towards a comprehensive approach to prevention. BioMed Research International, 2021, 1-11.
Yu SWK, Foster L & Chau RCM (2020) The missing group? Situating transnational contacts in defamilisation research. International Social Work, 002087282094002. View this article in WRRO
Foster L, Wijartne D & Mulligan E (2020) Gender and proposed auto-enrolment in the Republic of Ireland: Lessons from the UK. Social Policy and Administration. View this article in WRRO
Foster L (2019) Inequalities of aging: Paradoxes of independence in American home care Elana D. Buch, New York University Press, New York, 2018, 288 pp., pbk £22.99, ISBN 13: 9781479807178. Ageing and Society, 39(12), 2778-2780. View this article in WRRO
Foster L, Heneghan M & Wijeratne D (2019) Women millennials’ perceptions of pension savings through the use of Automatic Enrolment in the UK pension system. Journal of Women & Aging. View this article in WRRO
Holman DJ, Foster L & Hess M (2018) Inequalities in women's awareness of changes to the State Pension Age in England and the role of cognitive ability. Ageing & Society. View this article in WRRO
Foster L, Tomlinson M & Walker A (2018) Older people and Social Quality – what difference does income make?. Ageing & Society. View this article in WRRO
Foster L (2018) Active ageing, pensions and retirement in the UK. Journal of Population Ageing, 11(2), 117-132. View this article in WRRO
Foster L & Heneghan M (2018) Pensions planning in the UK: A gendered challenge. Critical Social Policy, 38(2), 345-366. View this article in WRRO
Foster L, Woodthorpe K & Walker A (2017) From cradle to grave?: policy responses to death in the UK. Mortality. View this article in WRRO
Foster L, Chau C & Yu S (2017) The impact of defamilisation measures on gender and pensions: a comparison between the UK and seven other European countries. Journal of Poverty and Social Justice, 25(3), 199-217. View this article in WRRO
Foster L & Gunn A (2017) Special issue on social science research methods education. Teaching Public Administration, 35(3), 237-240. View this article in WRRO
Yu S, Foster L, Chau C & Lee A (2017) An investigation of defamilization/familization measures to assist women to save pension income and strengthen the adult worker model — The case of Hong Kong. Asian Social Work and Policy Review. View this article in WRRO
Clark T & Foster L (2017) ‘I’m not a natural mathematician’: Inquiry-based learning, constructive alignment and introductory quantitative social science. Teaching Public Administration. View this article in WRRO
Chau C, Foster L & Yu S (2017) Defamilisation and leave policies – a comparative study of 14 East Asian and non-East Asian countries. Journal of Asian Public Policy. View this article in WRRO
Chau C, Foster L, Yu SWK & Pun Yu Y (2017) Defamilization/familization measures and women's pension income - The case of Taiwan. Asian Social Work and Policy Review. View this article in WRRO
Chau C, Yu S, Foster L & Lau M (2017) Defamilisation measures and women's labour force participation – a comparative study of twelve countries. Journal of International and Comparative Social Policy, 33(1), 73-86. View this article in WRRO
Chau CM, Foster L & Yu S (2017) The effects of defamilization and familization measures on the accumulation of retirement income for women in the UK. Journal of Women and Aging, 29(6), 551-561. View this article in WRRO
Foster L (2017) Young people and attitudes towards pension planning. Social Policy and Society, 16(1), 65-80. View this article in WRRO
Chau C, Foster L & Yu S (2016) Defamilisation and familisation measures – can they reduce the adverse effects of pro-market pension reforms on women in Hong Kong and the UK?. Critical Social Policy, 36(2), 205-224. View this article in WRRO
Tomlinson M, Walker AC & Foster L (2016) Social Quality and Work: What Impact Does Low Pay Have on Social Quality?. Journal of Social Policy, 45(2), 345-371. View this article in WRRO
Foster L & Boxall K (2015) People with learning disabilities and ‘active ageing’. British Journal of Learning Disabilities, 43(4), 270-276. View this article in WRRO
Foster L (2015) Financial Planning and the Reality and Requirements of Retirees with Private Pensions. The Journal of Retirement, 3(1), 115-127. View this article in WRRO
Foster L & Walker A (2015) Active and Successful Aging: A European Policy Perspective.. Gerontologist, 55(1), 83-90. View this article in WRRO
Foster L (2014) Ageing. Practice, 26(1), 73-75.
Foster L (2014) Women's pensions in the European Union and the current economic crisis. Policy and politics, 42(4), 565-580. View this article in WRRO
Foster L & Woodthorpe K (2013) What cost the price of a good send off? The challenges for British state funeral policy. Journal of Poverty and Social Justice, 21(1), 77-89.
Foster L & Smetherham J (2013) Gender and pensions: an analysis of factors affecting women's private pension scheme membership in the United Kingdom.. J Aging Soc Policy, 25(3), 197-217.
Foster L & Walker A (2013) Gender and active ageing in Europe. European Journal of Ageing, 10(1), 3-10.
Foster L (2012) 'I might not live that long!' a study of young women's pension planning in the UK. Social Policy and Administration, 46(7), 769-787.
Foster L (2012) Using a Political Economy and Life Course Approach to Understand Gendered Pension Provision in the UK. Sociology Compass, 6(11), 883-896.
Foster L (2012) Active ageing and pensions in the European Union. Journal of Comparative Social Welfare, 28(3), 223-234.
Foster L (2011) Privatisation and pensions: What does this mean for women?. Journal of Poverty and Social Justice, 19(2), 103-115.
Foster L (2011) Older people, pensions and poverty: An issue for social workers?. INT SOC WORK, 54(3), 344-360.
Foster L (2010) Towards a new political economy of pensions? The implications for women. Critical Social Policy, 30(1), 27-47.
Foster L (2008) Do women teachers get a fairer deal? An assessment of the gendered nature of the teachers' pension. Social Policy and Society, 7(1), 41-52.
Walker A & Foster L (2006) Caught between virtue and ideological necessity. A century of pension policies in the UK. Review of Political Economy, 18(3), 427-448.
Foster L () Understanding millennial women's attitudes towards the state pension in the United Kingdom. Ageing and Society, 1-24.
Ginn J & Foster L () The Gender Gap in Pensions: How Policies Continue to Fail Women. Journal of the British Academy, 11s2, 223-242.
Yu SWK, Foster L, Chau RCM & Yu YP () Defamilisation/familisation measures and pensions in Hong Kong and Taiwan. Journal of Aging & Social Policy, 1-16.
Foster L & Woodthorpe K () A golden silence? Acts of remembrance and commemoration at UK football games. Journal of Sport and Social Issues.

Chapters

Clark T & Foster L (2023) Active learning, constructive alignment, and research methods: toward a programme level approach, Handbook of Teaching and Learning Social Research Methods (pp. 119-133). Edward Elgar Publishing
Foster L (2023) Who is going to provide for me when I am older? Attitudes towards pensions and responsibility among women born between 1981-1996 in the UK In Simó-Noguera CX, Fernández Artiach P & Romero-Crespo JA (Ed.), Brechas de género y pensiones Editorial Tirant lo Blanch
Foster L & Ginn J (2018) Transmitting inequality: Pensions policy and the gendered life course, Handbook on Gender and Social Policy (pp. 179-196).
Foster L & Woodthorpe K (2016) Conclusion - Where do we go from here?, Death and Social Policy in Challenging Times (pp. 184-189).
Foster L & Woodthorpe K (2016) Funeral welfare to the grave, Death and Social Policy in Challenging Times (pp. 73-90).
Foster L & et al (2016) Introduction — Why Death Matters to Policy In Foster L & Woodthorpe K (Ed.), Death and Social Policy in Challenging Times (pp. 1-14). Springer
Walker AC (2016) Forward: A Good Death for All? In Foster L & Woodthorpe K (Ed.), Death and Social Policy in Challenging Times Springer
Ellis J, Winslow M & Noble B (2016) Social policy and care of older people at the end of life, Death and Social Policy in Challenging Times (pp. 17-34).
Kilkey M (2015) Getting tough on the family-migration route: a blurring of the 'them' and 'us' in anti-immigration rhetoric In Foster L (Ed.), In Defence of Welfare 2 Policy Press
Foster L (2014) Towards a fairer pension system for women? assessing the impact of recent pension changes on women, Social Policy Review 26: Analysis and Debate in Social Policy, 2014 (pp. 29-46).
Walker A & Foster L (2013) Chapter 2: Active ageing: rhetoric, theory and practice, The Making of Ageing Policy (pp. 27-52).
Walker A & Foster L (2006) Ageing and Social Class: An Enduring Relationship, The Futures of Old Age (pp. 44-53).

Book reviews

FOSTER L (2016) Martin Formosa and Paul Higgs (eds.) Social Class in Later Life: Power, Identity and Lifestyle. Bristol: Policy Press, £70.00, 208 pp., hdk.. Journal of Social Policy, 45(1), 167-168.
Foster L (2015) Active Ageing: Voluntary Work by Older People in Europe, Andrea Principi, Per H. Jensen, and Giovanni Lamura, eds.. J Aging Soc Policy, 27(2), 192-194.
Foster L (2013) Qualitative Methods for Practice Research, Pocket Guides to Research. BRITISH JOURNAL OF SOCIAL WORK, 43(2), 417-418.
Foster L (2013) Qualitative Research Skills for Social Work. BRITISH JOURNAL OF SOCIAL WORK, 43(1), 191-192.
Foster L (2012) Working with Disabled People in Policy and Practice. BRITISH JOURNAL OF SOCIAL WORK, 42(2), 388-389.
Foster L (2009) Miriam Bernard and Thomas Scharf (eds.) (2007). Critical Perspectives on Ageing Societies. Bristol: The Policy Press, Ageing and the Lifecourse Series, 200 pp. ISBN 978-1-86134-890-6 (paperback). International Journal of Ageing and Later Life, 4(2), i-iv.

Conference proceedings papers

Foster L & Heneghan M (2017) Women’s attitudes and expectations towards pension saving for retirement in the UK. Innovation in Aging, Vol. 1(suppl_1) (pp 185-185). San Francisco, CA, USA, 23 July 2017 - 27 July 2017. View this article in WRRO

Grants

Date	Sponsor	Details
July 2019 - December 2025	Swedish Research Council for Health and Working Life	'Exclusion and Inequality in Late Working Life (EIWO)', (CI)
2016	The Fawcett Society	Women’s pensions decision making (PI)
2015-16	The British Academy	Staying part of the family: transnational defamilisation/familisation measures of Chinese older people in Britain (with Dr Ruby Chau)
2013-14	Higher Education Academy	Using secondary data in teaching. £9,280 (PI)
2013-14	The University of Sheffield	Transforming social Work research: contexts, environments and structures. £14,000 (CI)
2012-14	AHRC	Home improvements: improving quality and value in the provision of volume house building through architectural knowledge exchange (CI)
2012	The University of Sheffield, Research Stimulation Fund	‘I might not live that long!’ A study of young people’s pension planning in the UK
2009-10	University Devolved Fund	Young women's pension planning (PI)

Teaching interests

Liam teaches and supervises students at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Much of his teaching is driven by his research interests, skills and experience which incorporate quantitative and qualitative approaches.

At all levels Liam encourages learning through inquiry and seek to expose students to the most up-to-date research and techniques. In Liam's methods teaching students are encouraged, both in lectures and seminars, to conduct and analyse research, learning first-hand the vital contribution of empirical and grounded knowledge.

For instance, in order to enhance student’s quantitative skills workbooks including student activities are employed. These were developed jointly with Dr Tom Clark initially with the assistance of a CILASS grant award and then with a HEA Grant Award. These are used as a teaching resource by the HEA.

Liam was awarded the first University of Sheffield Teaching Excellence in the Social Sciences Award in 2013/14. He was also the winner of the 2021 Social Policy Association - Policy Press Outing Teaching Award.

Liam has written popular methods books which are used in teaching. These include: 'Beginning statistics for social scientists' (with Sir Ian Diamond and Dr Julie Jefferies), 'How to do your social research project or dissertation' (with Dr Tom Clark and Prof Alan Bryman) and the 6th edition of the best-selling methods book 'Social research methods' (with Prof Alan Bryman, Dr Tom Clark and Dr Luke Sloan).

Teaching activities

Liam currently convenes the following undergraduate modules:

SCS2003 Doing Quantitative Social Research
SCS2023 Social Problems, Policy and Practice

He is also involved in the supervision of students taking extended essays and dissertations at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, and undertakes teaching on other postgraduate modules in social work and sociology.

Postgraduate Supervision

Liam is currently involved in supervising (first, second or joint) four students working on topics which include:

Women and ageing in Thailand, disability and identity, gender and funeral planning, active ageing in China.

Liam is currently involved in supervising (first, second or joint) supervising four students working on topics which include: research on family care for older people in Trinidad and Tobago, perceptions of disability, workfare policy in Hong Kong and global pensions.

Liam welcomes applications to study full-time or part-time with him for MPhil or PhD research degrees that are related to his activities and experience.