A “compelling” study of Somali migrants to the UK has won a major sociology book prize.

Marriage, Gender and Refugee Migration: Spousal Relationships among Somali Muslims in the United Kingdom shows the upheavals to gender roles and marital relationships brought about by migration.

Its author, Dr Natasha Carver, wins the 2022 Philip Abrams Memorial prize, given by the British Sociological Association at its annual conference today [Wednesday, 20 April].

Dr Carver, a lecturer in international criminology at the University of Bristol, wins £1,000 as part of the prize, given for the best first and sole-authored sociology book published the previous year.

The BSA judges said: “This is a compelling study of Somali migrants in the UK and their views on marriage and gender, combining observation and interviews with a community in Bristol that may be regarded as ‘difficult to engage in research’.

“The work is deeply reflexive and reveals that Carver is a sensitive and skilled researcher. She demonstrates methodological innovation with narrative analysis.

“Carver offers keen sociological insights, conveyed beautifully, making an excellent contribution to family studies.”

• The judges were BSA President Professor Gurminder Bhambra, and trustees Professor Catherine Pope and Professor Stevi Jackson. The prize was established in honour of the memory of Professor Philip Abrams, who died young and whose work contributed substantially to sociology and social policy research in Britain. The book is published by Rutgers University Press.

The two other shortlisted books were Running the Family Firm: How the Monarchy Manages its Image and our Money, by Laura Clancy, and Communist Ghosts: Post-Communist Thresholds, Critical Aesthetics and the Undoing of Modern Europe, by Magda Schmukalla.

Notes:

The British Sociological Association’s annual conference takes place online from 20 to 22 April 2022. Around 500 research papers are presented. The British Sociological Association’s charitable aim is to promote sociology. It is a company limited by guarantee, registered in England and Wales. Company Number: 3890729. Registered Charity Number 1080235 www.britsoc.co.uk

For more information, please contact:
Tony Trueman
British Sociological Association
Tel: 07964 023392
tony.trueman@britsoc.org.uk