John Astley

Born in 1943, I grew up in Southampton, and was a grammar school boy there; all elbow patches and Gilbert & Sullivan! I briefly attended art college, but soon realised that was not the vocation for me, and worked in the civil service before starting a sociology and philosophy degree at Bristol University. I later moved to Oxford for even more education, and eventually entered the world of further and higher education as a long term career sociologist. I became increasingly interested in designing and delivering courses for professional practitioners, particularly those associated with public sector social welfare roles. The context for much of this work was seeing myself as a sociologist of culture, not the least of which culture groups like the professions. I have also devoted a good deal of time and effort bringing my social scientific skills to voluntary work in a variety of roles. In the mid 1990s I retired from my full time HE job in Oxford and moved to south east Devon. Since in Devon I have continued to work in a variety of roles for universities, and an extensive range of work for the voluntary sector. The work I do, the books I write, the research I do for a variety of organisations, and my engagement with the voluntary sector is all part of my commitment to helping to create the 'good society', one that is fair and socially just and creates the opportunity for all to realise their potential.