Author: Andrew Wright

Andrew Wright is a higher education (HE) professional and PhD researcher specialising in the sociology of education. His doctoral work examines the reproduction of inequality in post-18 transitions, while his broader interests centre on how structural contexts shape life chances. He is committed to bringing sociological perspectives and research-led insight to public audiences.

Editorial illustration showing families, schools, workplaces, transport and community institutions connected through everyday social life, representing the functionalist view of society as an interdependent system.

What Is Functionalism?

Posted on 27 October 202627 October 2026 by Andrew Wright

What is functionalism? This article explains how functionalists understand social order, institutions, shared values and the way different parts of society work together.

Editorial illustration showing a small public incident becoming amplified through news coverage, smartphones, social media and growing public reaction, representing the development of a moral panic.

What Is a Moral Panic?

Posted on 24 October 202624 October 2026 by Andrew Wright

What is a moral panic, and why do some social problems become symbols of a much wider threat? This article explores Stanley Cohen, folk devils, deviancy amplification, media reactions and how social media algorithms have changed the process.

Editorial illustration of two students working towards the same educational goal in different home circumstances, showing how unequal resources can shape opportunity despite similar effort.

Is Education Really a Meritocracy?

Posted on 21 October 202621 October 2026 by Andrew Wright

Is education really a meritocracy? This article explores how class, cultural capital, teacher expectations and unequal opportunities shape educational achievement.

Editorial illustration showing one person moving through family, school, friendship, work and digital settings while learning different social expectations and ways of behaving.

How Do We Learn How to Behave?

Posted on 17 October 202616 October 2026 by Andrew Wright

How do we learn the unwritten rules of social life? This article explores socialisation, identity, family, education, peers, media and the ways society shapes how we behave.

Editorial illustration showing people in different neighbourhood and rural settings with unequal access to transport, housing, education and work opportunities.

Why Does Where You Live Affect Your Opportunities?

Posted on 16 October 202616 October 2026 by Andrew Wright

Where you live can shape access to education, work, housing, transport and public services. This article explores how place becomes part of social inequality and why opportunity is unevenly distributed across different areas.

Editorial illustration showing one person being subtly judged by others in an everyday social setting, representing how deviance is shaped by social reactions and expectations.

What Makes Something Deviant?

Posted on 13 October 202613 October 2026 by Andrew Wright

What makes behaviour deviant, and who gets to decide? This article explores social norms, labelling, stigma, power and why definitions of deviance change across time, place and social groups.

Editorial illustration of people following unwritten social rules in a public setting, with subtle reactions to someone behaving outside the expected norm.

Why Do People Obey Rules Nobody Actually Enforces?

Posted on 13 October 202613 October 2026 by Andrew Wright

Why do people follow unwritten rules even when nobody is watching? This article explores social norms, sanctions, socialisation, embarrassment, belonging and the everyday processes that keep social life orderly.

Editorial illustration showing several different contemporary family arrangements connected through everyday scenes of care, home life and relationships.

What Counts as a Family?

Posted on 13 October 202613 October 2026 by Andrew Wright

Families can take many forms, and what counts as a family has changed across time and place. This article explores family diversity, socialisation, gender, domestic labour and the social forces that shape family life.

Illustration of professionals leaving an office, a student studying outdoors and a manual worker sharing a town streetscape, with varied housing and connected pathways in the background.

What Do Sociologists Mean by Social Class?

Posted on 13 October 202613 October 2026 by Andrew Wright

Social class is about more than income. This article explores how Marx, Weber and Bourdieu help us understand class, life chances, cultural capital, social mobility and the unequal distribution of opportunity.

Editorial illustration showing everyday social norms across a classroom, workplace, café queue, public transport and family home, with people behaving differently according to the expectations of each setting.

Where Do Our Ideas About ‘Normal’ Come From?

Posted on 8 October 202613 October 2026 by Andrew Wright

What feels normal is often something we have learned. This article explores how norms, values, socialisation and power shape our ideas about acceptable behaviour, and why ‘normal’ changes across time and place.

Author: Andrew Wright

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