Sophia

Certified Tutor

I am a driven young lady who is aspiring a career in academia. I received my BSc Sociology degree at Cardiff University, and furthered my education to postgraduate level at University of South Wales where I studied a Criminology course: MSc Working with adult and young offenders. I specialise in a variety of areas both in Sociology and Criminology. Desirably I would like to tutor GCSE, A Level and undergraduate levels. Specifically I specialise in the following Sociological areas: Education, Family and households, Culture and identity, Sociological theory & methods, Crime and deviance, Stratification Differentiation, Feminism, Gender inequality, Racial inequality and Social interactionism. I also specialise in the following Criminological modules, Policing, Prisons and sanctions, Intimate partner violence, Criminological research methods and Feminist ideological ideas in relation to domestic violence and coercive control. I'd like to teach symbolic interactionism because I found various publications of Erving Goffman very insightful. Specifically In Erving Goffman's book The presentation of self in early life because I found it astonishing how Goffman likened social interaction as a drama performance. He maintained that all face to face interaction was acting which was absolutely mind blowing. At Cardiff University I completed a variety of assignments and interactive assessments which I really enjoyed and sourced exceptionally well. I'd like to teach racial inequality and education because I completed a research project into the underachievement of afro-caribbean boys in the educational system which I also sourced exceptionally well. I would very much like to teach gender inequality and feminist ideology because I have found myself profoundly interested in the works of Evan Stark and various feminist writings and publications. I found myself reading various online sources concerning coercive control. I remember when I first saw the offence become a reality back in 2015 and I always wanted to know more but one overarching question always resided in my head, why women suffer more than their male counterparts. In my Msc dissertation I had a broad amount of criminological areas to choose from however I was haunted by that same question, why are women suffering more than men. It became very apparent that there was scarce knowledge on the topic so I conducted a study into why men would feel the need to control their female partners in romantic relationships. Although I was entering uncharted territory in terms of a relatively new concept, I was delighted with the outcome.

While studying my A levels at sixth form college, I stumbled across Sociology, Criminology, and Health & Social care. This is where I became passionate about Sociological, Criminological and Psychological modules. I have always found Sociology very stimulating. In particular I enjoyed learning about symbolic interactionism and what activities we engage in, as members of society. Specifically I enjoyed learning about Goffman's theory of stigma and how people receive particular shame while maintaining a mental illness or simply receiving a benefit receipt. It was interesting to learn how the media and society created such stigmatisation. This furthered my understanding of people with certain characteristics that can be deemed discrediting. Throughout the duration of my studies I have developed more of an understanding of the people on the margins of society. This is one of the reasons why I have always been compassionate towards members of society who need the most support. For example, in my six form college I studied health and social care A level, where I was presented with my first teaching opportunity. During a placement at St Woolos primary school I was asked to teach children with special educational needs, helping them gain confidence with their reading and writing. I was really looking forward to working with these students because they are the children that need the most support. During this placement I was asked to engage in a participant observation to monitor their behaviour as part of the health and social care course. This was my first introduction to the world of teaching, and it was an overall great experience because I was given the opportunity to help children with special educational needs who are at most disadvantaged. In particular I taught children whose first language was not English, at first this was challenging but as time progressed, it was rewarding to see the children start to say their first words in English and receive rewards for their hard work. This was one of the reasons why I have gravitated to teaching others, mainly because of the gratification the student received after they achieve their educational aspirations.

In my undergraduate studies of Sociology at Cardiff University, I found myself especially interested in Criminology. My interest in Criminology was founded by the completion of my final year of Criminological modules. In my final year studying a variety of Criminological modules is where I found my passion. I became engrossed in domestic violence research and why women are disproportionately affected by intimate partner violence. I have always been concerned about women's experiences of violence, but I always wanted to know why women were suffering more than men.

In my MSc dissertation I conducted my first Criminological research project. In my dissertation, I wanted to delve into the motivations of men who control women. The reason was because there remained a gap in the literature explaining the motivations of men who abuse. I was particularly interested in Stark's (2007) book coercive control where he formally introduced the concept of coercive control. I found it interesting how women's unequal allocations in society resulted in women being more susceptible to intimate partner terrorism. In the future I intend to further my education to doctoral level. I'd like to conduct another extensive research exploring how unequal society has made women more susceptible to abusive relationships.
I would hope to become a lecturer and researcher specialising in Gender inequality and intimate partner violence.

In terms of my teaching experiences I have developed a range of experiences and skills during my studies at Cardiff University and the University of South Wales. During my Bachelors degree, I decided to tutor a group of struggling A level students to prepare for their sociology examination in the summer. This was a group of students known to myself at the school where I previously studied A level Sociology. One of the reasons I thought this was such a great idea is because I sourced exceptionally well for Sociology at six form, and I was very familiar with the course and thought I'd be an asset to these students. It was very rewarding because I could teach a subject that I was so passionate about, for example I was able to tutor the family and relations module which I very much enjoyed because I was able to help students understand societal role placed of women to be caretakers and the way society has placed patriarchal roles in society. For instance, the students found it interesting how each gender has to live by specific expectations in society. Although not all the students agreed with a patriarchal society, they were all able to grasp an understanding of how far we have progressed as a society as a whole. It was a rewarding experience to get the students in the discussion where they could brainstorm their ideas, evaluate current theories and give their opinions.

My teaching philosophy is that every student is unique. I believe that every student has a unique way of learning and I intend to provide a stimulating environment where my students are in a safe environment where they can grow mentally, emotionally and socially. Desirably, I would want to create an environment where my students feel comfortable to reach their full potential. I would like to create a safe space for my students to discuss their opinions and listen to others. For example, I'd like to help my students value different perspectives whilst at the same time being able to express their own viewpoints. I would like to help my students to be able to engage in discussions where they can confidently express their opinions and brainstorm ideas. My tutoring style falls into the discussion type of teaching. This means I would like to create an interactive environment where students can feel free to express themselves. I would hope this would encourage my students to start critically thinking and evaluate challenging questions. I would like to create a range of interactive tasks for my students, for example brainstorming sessions, peer review sessions, focused debates and presentations. I'd also like to offer my students time assessments, mock examination style sessions and examination preparation sessions.

My interests outside academia include painting, reading, film and television. I also enjoy socialising with family and friends on weekends. I look forward to meeting my new students and creating a supportive environment where everyone's opinion is valued.