Staff profiles
Dr Julia Hirst
Senior lecturer in sociology
Phone 0114 225 2469
E-mail j.hirst@shu.ac.uk
Julia Hirst is a senior lecturer in sociology in the Faculty of Development and Society and leads the centre's sexualities, health and youth research sub-group. She is also Faculty lead for the University's Public Health Hub and a visiting international research fellow at the University of Auckland, New Zealand.
Julia is actively involved in various research projects on young people's sexuality, teenage pregnancy and parenthood and evaluations of projects to support young parents, for example Sheffield Sure Start Plus and the Father Figures Project. She has a particular interest in researching the experiences of marginalised or 'hard to access' individuals and groups. For further information see research specialisms
Julia's teaching and research lies in the following areas
- sexualities
- gender
- health
- sexual health
- social ex/inclusion
- sex and relationship education in schools
Julia's methodological expertise lies in qualitative (feminist) methodologies with a commitment to innovative data collection and dissemination strategies (e.g. peer research, drama, art, photography techniques).
Julia attended a four day meeting of experts held in Lisbon in Nov 2007 after which an UP2Youth Newsletter was published. The newsletter topic is 'Doing it differently: agency in transitions to parenthood, employment and citizenship' and includes a keynote speech from Ann Phoenix: 'Identities and agency: young people difference and social cohesion'. This newsletter would be of interest to anyone involved in the children, young people and education fields. For more details please see following links
> Download newsletter (from the UP2Youth website)
> Sign up to receive the newsletter regularly
Selected publications
Hirst J. (under review) A Case for Pleasure and Sex-positive Sex and Relationships Education: 'It's gotta be about enjoying yourself'.
Bowman, C A., Slack, S., Bell, G., Ellam, H., Pryce, A., Bains,
A., Atkin, A., Harrison, M., Formby, E., Hirst, J., and Kudesia,
G. (2010) Outreach
HIV testing using home sampling kits in Men who have Sex with
Men (MSM) in Sheffield: 'The time 2 Test' pilot project. Time
to test for HIV: Expanded healthcare and community HIV testing
in England
Pryce, A., Bowman, C., Hirst, J., et al. (in press 2011). Time 2 Test: Outreach HIV testing using home sampling kits in Men who have Sex with Men, STI.
Ingham, R. and Hirst, J. (2010) Promoting Sexual Health in P. Aggleton, C. Dennison, and I. Warwick (eds.) Promoting Health and Wellbeing in Schools. London: Routledge.
Formby, E., Hirst, J., Owen, J., Hayter, M. and Stapleton, S. (2010) 'Selling it as a holistic health provision and not just about condoms …'Sexual health services in school settings: current models and their relationship with SRE policy and provision. Special Issue, Sex Education, 10 (4):423–435.
Formby, E., Hirst, J. and Owen, J. (2010) 'Pathways to adulthood: Reflections from three generations of young mothers and fathers', in Duncan, S., Edwards, R. and Alexander, A. (eds) Teenage parenthood: What's the problem? London, Tufnell Press
Owen, J., Carroll, C., Cooke, J., Formby, E., Hayter, M., Hirst, J., Lloyd Jones, M., Stapleton, H., Stevenson, M. and Sutton, A. (2010) School-linked sexual health services for young people (SSHYP): a survey and systematic review concerning current models, effectiveness, cost-effectiveness and research opportunities. Southampton: National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), Health Technology Assessment (HTA) programme. ISSN 1366-5278. 255 pages. Also published in Health Technology Assessment,14 (30).
Formby, E., Hirst, J. and Cripps, C. (2010) Evaluation of Time 2 Test Pilot: Final Report (PDF 2.03MB). Sheffield: Sheffield Hallam University.
Formby E, Hirst J, Shipton L (2009) Leicester City Sex and Relationships Education Post 16 Review and Gap Analysis
Formby E, Hirst J, Wilis B (2009) Socialising and Sexual Health: An evaluation of the needs of gay and bisexual men and men who have sex with men in Sheffield, for Centre for HIV and Sexual Health
> Download executive summary (PDF 101KB)
> Download report (PDF 1.14MB)
Formby, E. and Hirst, J. (2009) Scoping the needs of 'hard to reach' groups in Sheffield in relation to HIV and social care. Sheffield: Sheffield City Council.
Formby E (2009) Lesbian, bisexual women and women who have sex with women: An evaluation of sexual health needs and experiences in Sheffield, for Centre for HIV and Sexual Health
> Download executive summary (PDF 100KB)
> Download report (PDF 1.47MB)
Hirst, J (2008) Developing sexual competence? Exploring strategies for the provision of effective sexualities and relationships education, in Sex Education: Sexuality, Society and Learning Volume 8 Issue 4, Pages 399 - 413
Hirst J, Formby E, Parr S, Nixon J, Hunter J, and Flint J (2007) An evaluation of two initiatives to reward young people (PDF from JRF website) for Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF)
Hirst, J., Formby, E. and Owen J (2006) Pathways into Parenthood: Reflections from three generations of teenage mothers and fathers, Sheffield: Sheffield Hallam University
Hirst, J. (2004) The Father Figures Project Evaluation (PDF 393KB). Sheffield: Sheffield Hallam University
Hirst, J. (2004) Researching young people's sexuality and learning about sex: experience, need, and sex and relationship education. Culture, Health and Sexuality, 6 (2), pp. 115-129
Hirst, J. (2004) Sexualities. In: Taylor, G. and Spencer, S. eds. Social Identity. London: Routledge
Hirst, J., Formby, E. and Burns, D. (2003) Evaluation of Sheffield Sure Start Plus 2002-3. Sheffield: Sheffield Hallam University
Hirst, J. (2003) Muslim and African Caribbean Teenagers' Insights on Pregnancy and Parenting. Sheffield: Sheffield Hallam University
> Download report (PDF 761KB)
> Download executive summary (PDF 121KB)
Rosie, A., Bufton, S., and Hirst, J. (2001) Sociology as a Moral Discourse: a case study of social theory teaching. British Journal of Sociology of Education, 22 (2) (217-226)
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