Laurie Taylor (sociologist)

Laurence "Laurie" Taylor (born August 1, 1936) is a British sociologist and radio presenter from Liverpool.

Early life

After attending Catholic schools including the independent St Mary's College in Crosby, Taylor first trained as an actor at Rose Bruford College, being associated with Joan Littlewood's Theatre Workshop in Stratford East and also worked as a teacher at a comprehensive school.

Academic career

After earning degrees in sociology and psychology, as a mature student, at Birkbeck College and the University of Leicester, he joined the department of sociology at York University, becoming a professor at that institution. He has now retired from this position.

He has a particular interest in criminology and was one of the founder members of the National Deviancy Conference. [van Swaaningen, R. (1997) "Critical Criminology: Visions from Europe", London: SAGE pg.78 ] Perhaps his best known early work was the book co-written with Stanley Cohen: "Escape Attempts: The Theory and Practice of Resistance to Everyday Life". The book arose from research into the wellbeing of long term prisoners. He has also collaborated on research with the bank robber John McVicar.

In 1991 Taylor, along with McVicar, participated in "Flesh and Blood", a documentary about London ganglords Ron and Reggie Kray.

In it, his scholarship on criminal history was called into doubt when he erroneously listed Burke and Hare among notorious East End villains such as Jack Spot, Billy Hill, and Jack the Ripper; referring to Burke and Hare as 'those other notorious East End villains' (Burke and Hare's murders took place in 1820s Edinburgh)

Taylor is still sometimes thought to be the model for Howard Kirk in Malcolm Bradbury's novel "The History Man" [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/1044800.stm BBC NEWS | UK | The 'History Man' on Sir Malcolm Bradbury ] ] although Bradbury and Taylor had not met at the time the book was written. Taylor was a member of the Trotskyist International Socialists [ [http://www.rationalist.org.uk/newhumanist/issue01summer/sparring.shtml New Humanist Magazine (Rationalist Association) ] ] , the kind of group that Kirk might have supported.

Media

Taylor has had an extensive broadcasting career on BBC Radio 4. For many years he was a regular participant on Robert Robinson's fiercely competitive talking programme "Stop the Week", later presented "The Radio Programme" and took on "The Afternoon Shift", a re-branding of the ill-fated programme presented by Gerry Anderson.

His media associates have included Tom Baker [ [http://www.screenonline.org.uk/people/id/462127/index.html screenonline: Baker, Tom (1936-) Biography ] ] and Victor Lewis-Smith.

Today, he regularly presents the sociological discussion programme "Thinking Allowed" on BBC Radio 4. In addition, he is well known in academic circles for his long-running column in the "Times Higher Education" as well as for "New Humanist" magazine and being a Distinguished Supporter of the British Humanist Association.

He was awarded [ [http://www2.le.ac.uk/ebulletin/news/2000-2009/2006/07/graduation/laurietaylorresponse/?searchterm=conferment University of Leicester - Doctor of Letters: Professor Laurie Taylor’s Response ] ] an honorary DLitt by the University of Leicester on July 14 2007.

Private life

Taylor's current wife (his third whom he married in December 1988 in Camden) is the radio producer Cathie Mahoney who works on "Loose Ends" on BBC Radio Four. He was previously married to the "Guardian" journalist Anna Coote [ [http://www.sd-commission.org.uk/pages/coote.html Sustainable Development Commission UK (SDC): Anna Coote ] ] , who has also been associated with various public organisations. He is the father of Matthew Taylor, Chief Executive of Royal Society of Arts. Both his son and his second wife have had directorships of the left-leaning Institute for Public Policy Research.

Publications and articles

* Citation
last= Taylor | first= Laurie
author-link= Laurie Taylor
last2= Taylor | first2= Matthew
author2-link= Matthew Taylor (Labour politician)
year= 2001
contribution= What Are Children For?
publication-place= London
publisher= Trafalgar Square
isbn = 9781904095255
unused_data = |Matthew Taylor
* Citation
last= Taylor | first= Laurie
author-link= Laurie Taylor
last2= Walton | first2= P.
author2-link= P. Walton
year= 1971
contribution= Industrial Sabotage: Motives and Meanings
editor-last= Cohen | editor-first= Stanley
editor-link= Stanley_Cohen_(sociologist)
title= Images Of Deviance
publication-place=Harmondsworth
publisher= Penguin
unused_data= |Stanley Cohen
* cite journal
last = Taylor | first = Laurie
authorlink = Laurie Taylor
title = The Significance And Interpretations Of Replies To Motivational Questions: The Case Of Sex Offenders
journal = Sociology
volume = 6
issue = 1
pages = 23–40
date = 1972
doi = 10.1177/003803857200600102
* Citation
last = Taylor | first = Laurie
author-link = Laurie Taylor
last2 = Cohen | first2 = Stanley
author2-link = Stanley Cohen (sociologist)
title = Psychological Survival: the Experience of Long Term Imprisonment
publisher = Penguin
year = 1972
location = Harmondworth
unused_data = |Stan Cohen
* Citation
last = Taylor | first = Laurie
author-link = Laurie Taylor
last2 = Taylor | first2 = I.
author2-link = Ian Taylor (sociologist)
title =Politics And Deviance (Eds)
place=
publisher = Penguin
year = 1972
location = Harmondsworth
unused_data =|Ian Taylor
* Citation
last = Taylor | first = Laurie
author-link = Laurie Taylor
title = In the Underworld
publisher = Blackwell
year = 1984
location = Oxford

References

External links

* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/presenters/laurie_taylor.shtml Laurie Taylor biography] at Radio 4's website
* [http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/search_results.asp?qkeyword=laurie+taylor Laurie Taylor's weekly "Poppletonian" column] published in the "Times Higher Education"
*
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/factual/thinkingallowed.shtml "Thinking Allowed"]
* [http://www.cmmol.net/laurie_taylor.htm Celebrity Model Management (agents page)]
* [http://www.ohpurleese.com/interview.htm#LT A short interview with LT at "Really Magazine" (2006)]