Ray Pahl Papers

Professor Ray Pahl was one of Britain's foremost sociologists, and in his role as Visiting Professor of Sociology at Keele, he was a highly valued supporter of social research at the University. Professor Pahl's collection of published and unpublished papers, spanning five decades (1960-2008) and 38 box files, has been generously donated to the University.

The Pahl Papers draw upon some of the key questions of concern to sociologists during the latter half of the twentieth century and provide a unique resource for understanding some of the key questions facing social and economic institutions at the present time.

Professor Pahl was a major figure in the development of British Sociology, producing highly influential studies in areas such as urban sociology, the sociology of work, the impact of unemployment on households, and the nature of friendship and changing social ties. His work was uniquely interdisciplinary, combining approaches drawn from geography, social anthropology, political science, as well as different strands within sociology itself. Professor Pahl also played an important role in the development of a 'Public Sociology', serving on a range of official enquiries and contributing to important debates on questions relating to planning, work and employment.

The Pahl Papers complement our Foundations of British Sociology (FoBS) Archive, strengthening the University's holdings of records charting the development of British Sociology.

The material is chronologically arranged and listed. There are no restrictions on access.