Social Science NewsletterWinter 2017

On the 28th November, a group of Sociology students visited Lancaster Castle and Prison to support their learning of Crime and Deviance topic. The group enjoyed a guided tour of the castle and a commentary on the history of crime and punishment in Lancashire. Here is one of the students take on the day.

Lancaster Castle & Prison

“We recently went on a Sociology trip to Lancaster Castle which was used as a prison from Norman times to 2011. After arriving we all marvelled at how pretty the castle was. Our tour guide was so passionate and excited to tell us everything he could about the castle, from the dates the different parts were built, to even re-enacting some of the trials. He told us about how lots of sayings come from historical punishment like ‘hanger-oners’ who pulled down on the bodies of people hung by the short drop method (strangulation) to speed up the death which is where the phrase “pull your leg” comes from or being physically branded with a hot rod in the dock to become a “marked man” before being physically “sent down” by going through a trap door to prison. We learnt about the ‘crimes’ of the Pendle witches who were charged for holding secret meetings and blamed for what we now identify as strokes and how the most important evidence came from the nine-year-old sister and daughter of some of the accused. We found out about how punishment and prisons changed over time, from when most people imprisoned were those deemed innocent but thrown in debtors’ prison for not being able to afford the cost of staying in prison (food etc.) before their trial; to deportation to America then Australia; and forms of torture for things as petty as gossiping or stealing a loaf of bread. Though we couldn’t go into one of the courts as there was a real trial going on, we got to explore the civil court and all other parts of the prison such as a revolutionary idea in the 1800s called a Panopticon where the guards could watch all the prisoners at once from a tower but they were unaware they were being watched, which much later became the origins for CCTV cameras”.

Molly Wyatt – Sociology Student

Medical Detection DogsTuesday 17th October

Over 60 students attended a talk by the Medical Detection Dogs on Tuesday 17th October. The guest speaker, Pauline explained the work that these dogs do in detecting cancer and supporting people with uncontrolled Type 1 diabetes, as examples. The students discovered the impact these dogs have for their human partners. They learnt about case studies, including that of Chris and Jade. Chris has Type 1 diabetes and Jade has saved Chris’ life on countless occasions since she has been paired with him. She can smell when his blood sugar levels have gone too high or too low! She is always working and will alert Chris day or night, preventing him from going into a coma. We also found out that the dogs are more reliable in detecting some forms of cancer than the blood tests commonly used. The work that these dogs complete change the lives of the people they support and are informing the scientific community of new ways to detect cancer, perhaps even more effectively than traditional methods.

Chris and his Medical Detection dog Jade

Penwortham Hustings 2017The hustings and mock election at Penwortham Priory proved exciting and controversial in equal measure on Monday 13th November 2017. Was it a defeat for serious politics or a victory for the great British tradition of satire? Either way there can be no disputing the facts: Lord Buckethead Junior (Ethan Yates – 33 votes) romped home by five votes from second placed Labour (Jas Norris – 28 votes) in which his costume and policies of free bicycles, nationalisation of Adele and a strong but

not entirely stable government proved popular amongst the Year 9s in Penwortham. In third place were the Greens (James Henderson – 24 votes) closely followed by the Lib Dems (Ed Unwin – 20 votes), Conservative (Charlotte Morris – 19 votes) and lastly, UKIP (Mathew Holmes – 16 votes). A spectacular victory for Lord Buckethead Junior in which Buckethead senior himself tweeted his approval. All hail our new black clad, bucket headed overlord!

Hustings 2017 winner Lord Buckethead Jnr.

On Monday 27th November 2017, students attended the Psychology Conference organised by the Runshaw Psychology team in conjunction with the Lancaster University. The conference was officially opened by our Principal Simon Partington, followed by a series of lectures about a variety of current topics in psychology, including: the psychological toll of the smart-phone, the

impact of Autism Spectrum Disorder, social cognition and knowledge transmission in early childhood, the impact of emotions and sleep on our memory and the forensic profiling. The students very much enjoyed meeting Lancaster lecturers and PhD students and learning about the latest research in a variety of fields in psychology.

Psychology Conference 2017

Guest Speakers

Smart-phone challange

Criminology Conference 2017In October 2017, we attended the Criminology Conference on “Substance Misuse”, organised by the School of Public Services. The event offered a unique insight into the lives of individuals who had been affected by this issue and the charities and support groups who aim to help and inform others on the effects of substance abuse. Karen Wallis, a former drug user, gave a truly inspiring speech about her journey from being

homeless and in an abusive relationship to now being a charity worker herself. Also, hearing from Sergeant John Jennings Wharton gave a unique look at the effects of drink-driving and the law surrounding these issues. After being present at the conference I now know a lot more about substance abuse and would recommend attending next year.

Hustings 2017 winner Lord Buckethead Jnr.

Social Science students went on an amazing 3-day trip to Edinburgh at the beginning of December. The trip stated off with Psychology Conference led by the world renowned Professor Richard Wiseman, with a series of lectures focusing on magic, luck, hypnosis and bad science. The second day was spent on a visit to Optical Illusions Museum and the Murder Mystery Walking Tour, where students displayed advanced observation and analytical skills. The trip was rounded off with the trip to Edinburgh Zoo and ice-skating experiences. Everyone had a wonderful time and our students were a shining example of the Runshaw’s finest.

Well done everyone!

Edinburgh Trip 2017

Halloween Fancy Dress Day 2017Social Science students and staff celebrated the end of October half-term with a fancy dress day. Tremendously lavished make up and costumes were worn on the day and collectively we raise a whopping £377 in support

of the college charity Water Aid. We also collected 99 food items which were donated to the food bank. Huge thanks and well done to everyone for continuing to support everyone in need!

Year 1 Psychology students learned about the effects of recreational drugs on the neurotransmission and human behaviour in the good old fashioned way – by making plasticine models of the brain and the neurons! Studying biopsychology has never been this much fun!

Neurology Day of Fun

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Social Science Newsletter • Winter 2017

Psychology and Sociology students went to Chester Zoo on Tuesday, 7th November 2017 to observe and learn about different animal behaviours and social structures. The students attended the lecture with animal behaviourist and found how principles of classical and operant conditioning could explain learning of all animal behaviours, including humans. Spending the afternoon

around animal enclosures, the students particularly enjoyed spending time with the zoo’s elephants and were delighted to meet Boris, a recently retired leader of a gorilla troop. The trip was very enjoyable for all and our students were excellent ambassadors for the college.

Chester Zoo Trip

Upcoming Events

Trip to London

March 2018

Chorley Council Question Time

February 2018

Trip to Krakow

February 2018