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Dr David Griffiths

Senior Lecturer

Sociology, Social Policy & Criminology Colin Bell Building, Íæż½ã½ã, Íæż½ã½ã, FK9 4LA

Dr David Griffiths

Contact details

About me

My research focuses on the impact that people's social connections have on their behaviours, attitudes and outcomes. My primary research interests are around the relationships between social connections and social advantage. I'm particularly interested in the processes by which people become, and stay, advantaged, which raises issues of elites, social mobilities and social inequalities. Issues of occupational and educational attainment are central to this.

My main analytical tools are social network analysis and large-scale secondary survey analyses. I'm particularly interested in the way that existing large-scale social surveys can be operationalised as social network datasets.

I'm particularly interested in projects which apply network methods (particularly egonets) to new areas and like being the methodological expert and learning from colleagues in other areas and disciplines. I also love work around social stratification and elite theory.

Current PhD Students

Sophie Hughes - Blossoming from STEM: An evaluation of the Scottish Schools Education Research Centre¡¯s (SSERC) Young STEM Leader Programme initiative

Jacqueline Imrie - Libraries and Class Identity in Scotland, 1800-1842: The Significance of Libraries in an Industrialising Society

Mary Kent - The Utilisation of Social Media Communication to Determine Criminal Suspect Culpability and Biographical Information

Katharina Pruente - Kinship, bonds and friendship: the social network of Archibald Campbell, fifth earl of Argyll

Gaile Siusyte - Supporting the Key Influencers of Young People's Career Development

Claire Stuart - Charity Trustees, Governance and Accountability in Scottish Charites: Modelling Trustee Dynamics Using Linked Regulator Data

Igor Yegin - Optimising Social Network Connectivity and Opportunities Across a Socio-Environmental System: the case of the Forth Water Basin

Completed Doctorates

Nereide Alhena Curreri - A Social Network Analysis of Dementia Policies and Care Arrangements in Central America

Jennifer Ferguson - The Wellbeing and Organisational Ties of Older People Living in Care Homes

Richard Kjellgren - Connecting the dots: Mapping covert networks and identifying patterns of vulnerability and exploitation within the off-street sex market

Kane Needham - Social Networking and the Role of Career Management Skills - A Sociological Perspective

Daniel Sage -Working for Welfare? Modifying the Effects of Unemployment Through Active Labour Market Programmes

Trudi Tokarczyk - Understanding the experiences of 'Generation Rent': Examining inequalities within and across generations

Claire Toomey - How do Enterprises Emerge From the ¡®Gig Economy¡¯, Navigate Challenges and Opportunities, and Develop Cohesive Teams and Networks?

I'm always happy to find new research students and potential collaborators. My particular areas of interest are:

Social network analysis (especially inter-disciplinary work) Social advantage Social stratification Social mobility Social inequalities Social capital Social survey analysis Elite theory.

I'm particularly interested in combining longitudinal data analysis and social network analysis. For instance, I've used census data to generate networks of occupations which appear socially connected and operationalised the British Household Panel Survey to measure the strong and weak ties of sample members. I feel there is much potential for uncovering new research opportunities through adapting network methods to survey datasets and hope this in an area I'll work on much more in the future.

I'm also always happy to give presentations and workshops on social network analysis, including introductory talks on the use of the Pajek software package.

Projects I've been involved in include:

  • Looking at the composition of quango boards
  • Working with historical social surveys
  • Exploring social divisions in the UK
  • Analysis of census data
  • Gambling in schools
  • Egonet analyses

Research projects (3)

ESRC Centre in Community Participation and Connectedness
PI: Professor Peter Matthews
Funded by: Economic and Social Research Council and Local Trust
¨C

Help-seeking for substance use and mental health challenges among justice-involved people in Scottish community contexts: An analysis of the influence of social networks
PI: Dr Catriona Connell
Funded by: Economic and Social Research Council
¨C

Living Right Up To The End
PI: Professor Liz Forbat
Funded by: Strathcarron Hospice
¨C

Outputs (18)

Article

Preventing gambling-related harm in adolescents (PRoGRAM-A), a secondary school©\based social network intervention: Results from a pilot cluster randomised controlled trial

Dobbie F, Miller M, Niven A, Wardle H, Weir C, Ensor H, Stoddart A, Griffiths D, Noble L, Purves R & White J (2025) Preventing gambling-related harm in adolescents (PRoGRAM-A), a secondary school©\based social network intervention: Results from a pilot cluster randomised controlled trial. Addiction. https://doi.org/10.1111/add.70267

Article

Preventing gambling-related harm among adolescents (PRoGRAM-A): an embedded multi-modal process evaluation in a pilot cluster random control trial

Miller M, Howell F, White J, Griffiths D, Noble L, Weir CJ, Niven A, Stoddart A, Ensor H, Wardle H, Purves R & Dobbie F (2025) Preventing gambling-related harm among adolescents (PRoGRAM-A): an embedded multi-modal process evaluation in a pilot cluster random control trial. BMC Public Health, 25 (1). https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12889-025-23565-8; https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-23565-8

Other

Protocol for a pilot cluster randomised controlled trial of PRoGRAM-A (Preventing gambling related harm in adolescents): a secondary school based social network intervention

Dobbie F, Miller M, Wardle H, Dahlby L, Weir C, Niven A, Stoddart A, Griffiths D, Noble L & White J (2023) Protocol for a pilot cluster randomised controlled trial of PRoGRAM-A (Preventing gambling related harm in adolescents): a secondary school based social network intervention. Research Square. Durham, North Carolina: Research Square Platform LLC. https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-3388470/v1

Book Chapter

Social Capital and the Social Relations of Occupational Structure

Griffiths D & Lambert P (2015) Social Capital and the Social Relations of Occupational Structure. In: Li Y (ed.) Handbook of Research Methods and Applications in Social Capital. Handbooks of Research Methods and Applications series. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar, pp. 204-224. http://www.e-elgar.com/shop/handbook-of-research-methods-and-applications-in-social-capital

Research Report

Growing older in Scotland: health, housing and care

Griffiths D & McCall V (2015) Growing older in Scotland: health, housing and care. Equality and Human Rights Commission. https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/en/our-work-scotland/our-work-scotland/research-scotland

Article

The End of the English Cultural Elite?

Griffiths D, Miles A & Savage M (2008) The End of the English Cultural Elite?. Sociological Review, 56 (Supplement 1), pp. 187-209. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-954X.2008.00768.x

Research programmes

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