Dr Chris Q Smith

Department of Social Policy, Sociology and Criminology
Assistant Professor in Sociology & Social Policy

Contact details

Email
c.q.smith.1@bham.ac.uk
View my research portal
Address
School of Social Policy and Society
Muirhead Tower
University of Birmingham
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2TT
UK

Chris teaches on a range of undergraduate and postgraduate modules in the Department of Social Policy, Sociology and Criminology. His research largely focuses on the sociology of health systems and organisations. During his time at the University Chris has also held Research Fellow posts with the Centre on Household Assets and Savings Management (CHASM) and Health Services Management Centre (HSMC).

Feedback and office hours

His weekly office hours for semester 1 of 2023/24 academic year are:

  • Mondays: 10.15 - 11.45am
  • Friday:  2.15 - 3.45pm

Qualifications

  • PhD Sociology and Social Policy, University of Birmingham
  • MSc with Distinction in Leadership and Service Improvement, University of Manchester
  • MA with Distinction in Social Research, University of Warwick
  • BA in History and Sociology, University of Warwick

Biography

Chris came to the Department in 2016 as a PhD student. He has since held Research Fellow posts in the Centre on Household Assets and Savings Management (CHASM) and Health Services Management Centre (HSMC) respectively, before taking up his current role as Teaching Fellow in 2022. His primary interest is in using sociological theory to develop original insights into health systems and organisations. His areas of expertise include: sociological approaches to understanding healthcare systems, the sociology of morality, critical realism in empirical research, classical sociological theory, qualitative fieldwork, and UK health policy.

Prior to undertaking his PhD Chris held a number of policy roles in the third sector and is also a graduate of the NHS Management Training Scheme.

Teaching

Chris currently teaches on the following modules:

  • Contemporary Social Theory (UG)
  • Modern Sociological Theory (UG)
  • Poverty Wealth and Inequality (PG)
  • Transforming Identities (PG)

Postgraduate supervision

Chris is interested in supervising research students interested in the following areas:

  • Sociological approaches to understanding health and social care systems
  • The sociology of morality
  • Healthcare change and improvement
  • Critical realist social research

Doctoral research

PhD title
Moral Economy and the NHS: The Normative Dimension of Service Reconfiguration

Research

Chris worked as a Research Fellow on two research projects since completing his PhD, these being:

  • Pension Decision-Making in the New Retirement Landscape: Understanding and improving outcomes for consumers.
  • Commissioning, Co-commissioning and Being Commissioned: Researching how the NHS could work better with third sector organisations.

Publications

Recent publications

Article

Smith, CQ, Williams, I & Leggett, W 2024, 'A matter of (good) faith? Understanding the interplay of power and the moral agency of managers in healthcare service reconfiguration', Social Science and Medicine, vol. 342, 116553. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2023.116553

Sheaff, R, Ellis Paine, A, Exworthy, M, Hardwick, R & Smith, C 2024, 'Commodification and healthcare in the third sector in England: from gift to commodity—and back?', Public Money & Management, vol. 44, no. 4, pp. 298-307. https://doi.org/10.1080/09540962.2023.2244350

Smith, C & Williams, I 2023, 'The Pervasiveness of Power: Dilemmas for Researchers of Major System Change in Healthcare: Comment on ““Attending to History” in Major Systems Change in Healthcare in England: Specialist Cancer Surgery Service Reconfiguration”', International Journal of Health Policy and Management. https://doi.org/10.34172/ijhpm.2023.7639

View all publications in research portal