Professor Sue White

BSc, CQSW, ,MA, PhD, FAcSS

School of Sociological Studies, Politics and International Relations

Emeritus Professor of Social Work

Professor Sue White
Profile picture of Professor Sue White
sue.white@sheffield.ac.uk
+44 114 222 6441
Room G32, The Wave

Full contact details

Professor Sue White
School of Sociological Studies, Politics and International Relations
Room G32
The Wave
2 Whitham Road
Sheffield
S10 2AH
Profile

Sue joined the Department in October 2016, having previously been Professor of Social Work at the Universities of Birmingham and Lancaster.

She is a registered social worker with an academic background in sociology. Her research is interdisciplinary and currently covers three main areas. She has undertaken a number of detailed ethnographic studies of everyday institutional practices and professional decision-making, principally in child and family health and welfare.

She is also researching the uses of neuroscience and epigenetics in child and family welfare policy. A further strand of research focuses on socio-technical systems design, with attention to human, social and interactional factors in enhancing safety, particularly in children’s safeguarding.

Research interests

Sue's primary research interest is in the sociological analysis of professional judgement and decision-making with an emphasis on understanding how science, formal knowledge, rhetoric, moral judgement, emotion and subjectivity interact in professional practice, particularly in child health and welfare.

Her research has focused principally on the analysis of professional talk in a range of health and welfare settings. However, she has also undertaken evaluative and applied research for central and local government, NHS and non-statutory organisations.

Publications

Books

  • Walsh T, White S, Gibson M & Wastell D (2019) Reassessing Attachment Theory in Child Welfare. Policy Press.
  • Featherstone B, Gupta A, Morris K & White S (2018) Protecting Children: A Social Model. Policy Press.
  • Wastell D & White S (2017) Blinded by Science: The Social Implications of Epigenetics and Neuroscience. Bristol: Policy Press.
  • Featherstone B, White S & Morris KM (2014) Re-imagining child protection: Towards humane social work with families. Bristol: Policy Press.

Journal articles

  • White S, Gibson M & Wastell D (2019) . Children and Youth Services Review, 105, 104415-104415.
  • Edwards R, Gillies V & White S (2019) . Social Policy and Society, 18(3), 411-414.
  • Nygren L, White S & Ellingsen IT (2018) . Social Policy and Society, 17(4), 1-13.
  • Walsh JC, White S, Morris K & Doherty P (2018) . European Journal of Social Work.
  • White SJ & Wastell D (2017) . British Journal of Social Work, 47(8), 2256-2272.
  • White S & Wastell D (2017) . Families, Relationships and Societies, 6(3), 427-445.
  • Morris KM, White S, Doherty P & Warwick L (2017) . Child and Family Social Work, 22(S3), 51-60.
  • Miller R, Glasby J & White S (2016) . Journal of Integrated Care, 24(5/6), 234-236.
  • Jolly L & White S (2016) . New Review of Academic Librarianship, 22(2-3), 176-191.
  • Gupta A, Featherstone B & White S (2016) . British Journal of Social Work, 46(2), 339-354.
  • Featherstone B, Morris K & White S (2014) . British Journal of Social Work, 44(7), 1735-1749.
  • White S (2014) . Journal of Social Work Practice, 28(3), 267-269.
  • Featherstone B, White S & Morris K (2014) .
  • Wastell D & White S (2014) . Applied Ergonomics, 45(2), 143-149.
  • Wastell D & White S (2014) . Health Informatics Journal, 20(3), 213-219.
  • Morris K, White S & Featherstone B (2013) . Families, Relationships and Societies, 2(3), 457-458.
  • Wastell D & White S (2012) . Families, Relationships and Societies, 1(3), 397-414.
  • Pithouse A, Broadhurst K, Hall C, Peckover S, Wastell D & White S (2012) . Journal of Social Work, 12(2), 158-178.
  • Featherstone B, White SJ & Wastell D (2012) Ireland’s opportunity to learn from England’s difficulties? Auditing uncertainty in child protection. Irish Journal of Applied Social Studies, 12(1), 28-42.
  • McDonald L, Bernard C, Forrester D, White S & Shemmings D (2011) . Social Work and Social Sciences Review, 15(3), 7-25.
  • Wastell D, Peckover S, White S, Broadhurst K, Hall C & Pithouse A (2011) . British Journal of Social Work, 41(4), 744-760.
  • Wastell D & White S (2010) . The Journal of Strategic Information Systems, 19(4), 307-318.
  • White S, Wastell D, Broadhurst K & Hall C (2010) . Critical Social Policy, 30(3), 405-429.
  • Wastell D, White S, Broadhurst K, Peckover S & Pithouse A (2010) . International Journal of Social Welfare, 19(3), 310-320.
  • Hall C, Parton N, Peckover S & White S (2010) . Journal of Social Policy, 39(03), 393-413.
  • Broadhurst K, Hall C, Wastell D, White S & Pithouse A (2010) . British Journal of Social Work, 40(4), 1046-1064.
  • Blyth E, Shardlow SM, Masson H, Lyons K, Shaw I & White S (2010) . Social Work Education, 29(2), 120-136.
  • Broadhurst K, Wastell D, White S, Hall C, Peckover S, Thompson K, Pithouse A & Davey D (2010) . British Journal of Social Work, 40(2), 352-370.
  • White S & Stone G (2010) . Serials: The Journal for the Serials Community, 23(2), 83-90.
  • White S, Broadhurst K, Wastell D, Peckover S, Hall C & Pithouse A (2009) . Journal of Social Work Practice, 23(4), 401-411.
  • White S, Hall C & Peckover S (2009) . British Journal of Social Work, 39(7), 1197-1217.
  • Pithouse A, Hall C, Peckover S & White S (2009) . British Journal of Social Work, 39(4), 599-612.
  • White S (2009) . Journal of Social Work, 9(2), 222-235.
  • Peckover S, Hall C & White S (2009) . Children & Society, 23(2), 136-148.
  • Peckover S, White S & Hall C (2008) . Information, Communication & Society, 11(3), 375-394.
  • Balen R & White S (2007) . Social Work Education, 26(2), 200-206.
  • Stancombe J & White S (2005) . Journal of Family Therapy, 27(4), 330-351.
  • White S & Featherstone B (2005) . Child Family Social Work, 10(3), 207-216.
  • Bilson A & White S (2005) . Child Abuse Review, 14(4), 220-239.
  • Hall C & White S (2005) . Qualitative Social Work: Research and Practice, 4(4), 379-390.
  • Hearn J, Pösö T, Smith C, White S & Korpinen J (2004) . International Journal of Social Welfare, 13(1), 28-41.
  • White S (2002) . Sociology of Health & Illness, 24(4), 409-435.
  • Taylor C & White S (2001) . Journal of Social Work, 1(1), 37-59.
  • White S (1998) . Time & Society, 7(1), 55-74.
  • White S (1998) . The Sociological Review, 46(2), 264-292.
  • Stancombe J & White S (1998) . Theory & Psychology, 8(5), 579-599.
  • WHITE S (1997) . British Journal of Social Work, 27(5), 739-753.
  • Stancombe J & White S (1997) . Journal of Family Therapy, 19(1), 21-41.
  • White S (1997) . BMJ, 314(7083), 816-816.
  • SMITH C & WHITE S (1997) . British Journal of Social Work, 27(2), 275-295.
  • White S (1997) . Sociology, 31(2), 347-351.
  • White S (1996) . Critical Social Policy, 16(46), 67-94.
  • Varley M & White S (1995) . Journal of Social Work Practice, 9(2), 141-154.
  • Perlmutter S, Muller RA, Pennypacker CR, Smith CK, Wang LP, White S & Yang HS (1990) , 87-92.
  • Taylor C () . British Journal of Social Work, 36(6), 937-954.
  • White S, Edwards R, Gillies V & Wastell D () . Social Policy and Society.
  • White S, Wastell D, Smith S, Hall C, Whitaker E, Debelle G, Mannion R & Waring J () . Health Services and Delivery Research, 3(4), 1-164.

Book chapters

  • White S (2018) , Constructing Social Work Practices (pp. 87-102). Routledge
  • White S, Morris K, Featherstone B, Brandon M & Thoburn J (2014) Re-imagining early help: Looking forward, looking back, Moving on from Munro: Improving Children's Services (pp. 73-88).
  • Doherty P & White S (2012) , The SAGE Handbook of Social Work (pp. 207-223).
  • White S (2011) Fabled uncertainty in social work, Towards Professional Wisdom: Practical Deliberation in the People Professions (pp. 171-185).
  • White S & Wastell D (2011) Theoretical vocabularies and moral negotiation in child welfare: The saga of Evie and Seb, Handbook of Communication in Organisations and Professions (pp. 259-276).
  • Vandenbroeck M, De Vos J, Fias W, Olsson LM, Penn H, Wastell D & White S () Routledge

Book reviews

  • White S (2018) . Critical Social Policy, 38(1), 170-172.

Conference proceedings

  • Wastell D & White S (2011) (pp 105-118)
  • Wastell D, White S, Broadhurst K, Hall C & Peckover S (2009) The chiasmus of design: Paradoxical outcomes in the E-government reform of UK children's services. 17th European Conference on Information Systems, ECIS 2009
  • Wastell D, White S & Broadhurst K (2009) (pp 257-272)
Research group

Sue is currently supervising students undertaking ethnographic research in children’s services and on professional practice in child welfare settings. She would welcome applications for postgraduate study in the area of child and family social work, professional practice, ethnography, the social implications of technological biologies, or the design of systems.

Grants
  • 2015 - 2016 DfE Innovations Fund, Information Management Strand – DfE Innovations Fund, Signs of Safety project (value £60k).
  • 2015 The Leverhulme Trust, Epigenetics and Society (Co I, PI Paul Martin).
  • 2015 - 2018 NORFACE, Family complexity and social work. A comparative study of family-based welfare work in different welfare regimes (UK lead) (total UK grant value to £230,00).
  • 2014 - 2016, ESRC, Family inclusive policy and practice (Co-I) £100,000.
  • 2013 - 2016 Marie Curie Fellowship, Lead Scientist, Marie Curie Fellowship (Dr Nathan Hughes), NeurosciSocPol— Applying neuroscience to social policy and the law: neuromaturation and young adult offending; £303,000.
  • 2012 - 2014 NIHR, HSR Programme, Making the Case in Safeguarding: Enhancing Safe Practice at the Interface between Hospital Services and Children’s Social Care (Principal Investigator £202,790).
  • 2009 - 2010 ESRC, Researcher Development Initiative, £90,000 (Co-investigator).
  • 2006 - 2008 ESRC Public Services Programme, Error Blame and Responsibility: The Problematics of Governance in an Invisible Trade, £330,000 Grade: Outstanding (Principal investigator).
  • 2004 - 2006 ESRC e-Society Programme, Tracking Children and Accomplishing Risk: e-Assessment Systems in Child Welfare £120,000 – Grade: Outstanding (Co-investigator).
Teaching activities

Sue contributes to teaching mainly on postqualifying/postgraduate courses in social work. She has been a representative for the social work academy on major national bodies responsible for delivery, development and innovation in social work education.

Her teaching is informed by her ethnographic and discourse analytic research into professional sense-making and her practice and research experience at the interface with medicine.