Western Sydney University Ranked 8th Nationally for Sociology
A global assessment of research performance in the university sector has ranked Western Sydney University as 8th in Australia and in the global top 100 in the field of sociology.
QS World University Rankings, who undertook the assessment, draw on academic reputation, employer reputation and research impact to inform the rankings.
Professor Paul James, Director of the Institute for Culture and Society where a substantial amount of Western Sydney University's sociology research is done, says the win is a collective effort.
"How good is sociology at Western Sydney University? At the Institute for Culture and Society we think of ourselves as contributing in a substantial way, with our local and global partners, to a broad sociological ethos — that is, seeking to understand cultural, political, economic, and ecological practices and meaning, both locally in Western Sydney and extending across this planet. In short, we seek understanding of the complexities of how people live. We research transformation in culture and society in the context of contemporary global change. That is the core of our sociological project," says Professor James.
"Western Sydney University has again been ranked in the top 100 universities in the world for sociology. Rankings are invidious processes. They can only be taken as only broad indications of quality. Keeping these considerations in mind, the Institute for Culture and Society is pleased that we contribute in a substantial way to Western Sydney University being ranked so high. The QS rankings emphasize academic reputation, citations and internationalization. And these are telling measures".
Posted: 8 March 2017
