Dr Alex Fry
- 01202 968732
- afry@bournemouth.ac.uk
- Senior Lecturer in the Sociology of Health and Illness
Biography
I am an impact-oriented social scientist with interdisciplinary research interests in (non)religious beliefs and practices relating to health and wellbeing, gender, and AI.
My PhD explored the social factors that shape the beliefs about gender held by male clergy in the Church of England. It utilised work on prejudice, intersectionality and social capital to explore the role that self-esteem and the historical development of different religious traditions play in shaping their attitudes towards gender roles in church, family and wider society. In doing so, it identified social factors that have led to gender inequality within the Church of England and provided a series of recommendations to address them.
I secured a grant from the William Leech Research Fund for my first postdoctoral project. It examined how religiosity shapes experiences of wellbeing in socioeconomically deprived ex-mining communities. It demonstrated that local churches offer a unique psychological and social resource pool for fostering wellbeing... A report outlining the main findings of this study, including its implications for the professional practice of clergy, was produced in 2020 and suggestions were adopted by clergy working in such areas. From 2022-22, I was a postdoctoral researcher on the Templeton-funded ECLAS project. I explored how the CofE engaged with scientific knowledge to inform its public policy responses to the social and ethical implications of AI (particularly in health and social care settings) and COVID-19.
I was Co-PI on a project (funded by the CofE) that explores the lived experiences of working-class clergy. This work is feeding into national Church policy on clergy wellbeing and I am co-producing resources for clergy and Church training institutions to use in the pursuit of greater clergy wellbeing. I am currently leading a similar project on the wellbeing of disabled clergy, also funded by the Church.
I am PI on another project, funded by the Explaining Atheism initiative, that explores the causes of atheism(s) of those who have had a near-death experience.
I am experienced in interdisciplinary teaching in the social sciences. I particularly value how deep learning and research-led teaching enable students to appreciate the relevance of their studies to the world around them and better understand the subject. I encourage them to apply theories and concepts from emerging research to different social phenomena by designing teaching activities that require the application of existing theories to different social contexts. My approach to teaching thus affords students vital graduate attributes that equip them for further study and life beyond university.
moreExpertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person's work contributes towards the following SDGs:
Good health and well-being
"Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages"
