Skip to content The Open University

Dr Sarah Earle

Senior Lecturer

The Open University Faculty of Health & Social Care Health & Social Care Programme

+44(0)1908 654260
x 54260

Profile

Dr Sarah Earle is Associate Dean for Research & Enterprise in The Faculty of Health and Social Care at the Open University, UK. Sarah joined the Open University in January 2005.

She is a medical sociologist with an interest in reproduction, sex and health and leads the Faculty's reproductive and sexual heatlh research theme. Sarah is especially interested in the politics of infant feeding, reproductive loss, and the reproductive and sexual rights of disabled people.

Follow her on Twitter on @drsarahearle.

Qualifications

Sarah Earle has a first degree (BA Hons) in Applied Social Sciences (1993) and a PhD in Sociology (1998), both awarded by Coventry University. Her doctoral work examined women's embodiment during pregnancy, childbirth and early motherhood.

Teaching Interests

Sarah Earle has considerable experience of teaching in higher education and is interested in how sociology can contribute to improving health and social care practice and education. Before joining the Open University in 2005, Sarah worked at the University of Northampton (2001-2004), Birmingham City University (1999-2000) and Coventry University (1993-1999).

At the Open University, Sarah has contributed to the production of teaching materials on the following modules:


K311: Promoting Public Health: Skills, perspectives and practice, to include:

S Earle, C E Lloyd, M Sidell and S Spurr (eds) (2007) Theory and Research in Promoting Public Health, Sage/Open University, 408pp, ISBN: 978-1-4129-3071-0.

C E Lloyd, S Handsley, J Douglas, S Earle and S Spurr (eds) (2007) Policy and Practice in Promoting Public Health, Sage/Open University, 384pp, ISBN: 978-1-4129-3073-4.

J Douglas, S Earle, S Handsley, C E Lloyd and S Spurr (eds) (2007) A Reader in Promoting Public Health: Challenge and Controversy, Sage/Open University, 287pp, ISBN: 1-4129-3075-8.



K260: Death and Dying, see:

S Earle, C Komaromy and C Bartholomew (eds) (2008) Death and Dying: A Reader, Sage/Open University.

S Earle, C Bartholomew and C Komaromy (eds) (2008) Making Sense of Death, Dying and Bereavement: An Anthology, Sage/Open University.

To explore freely available course materials on death and dying click here.

Research Interests

Sarah is particularly interested in reproductive and sexual health and Convened the British Sociological Association’s Human Reproduction Study Group for over 10 years.

Selected publications on the sociology of reproduction and reproductive health:

Earle S, Foley P, Komaromy C and Lloyd C E (2008) 'Conceptualising reproductive loss: A social sciences perspective', Human Fertility, Vol. 11(4), pp. 259-262, ISSN: 1464-7273.

Earle S and Letherby G (2007), ‘Conceiving Time? Experiences of women who do or do not conceive’, Sociology of Health & Illness, Vol. 29(2), pp. 233-250, ISSN: 0141-9889.

Komaromy C, Earle S, Foley P and Lloyd C (2007), ‘Reproductive loss and the moment of death’, The Practising Midwife, ISSN: 1461-3123.

Komaromy C, Earle S, Lloyd C and Foley P (2007), ‘A social insight into bereavement and reproductive loss, The Practising Midwife, ISSN: 1461-3123.

Earle S, Komaromy C, Foley P and Lloyd C (2007) ‘The social dimensions of reproductive loss’, The Practising Midwife, June, ISSN: 1461-3123.

Horne J, Corr S and Earle S (2005), ‘Becoming a Mother: A Study Exploring Occupational Change in First Time Motherhood’, Journal of Occupational Science, Vol. 12(3), pp. 176-83, ISSN: 1442-7591.

Earle S (2005), ‘A Medical Procedure?’ [Desperate Midwives BBC3]

Earle S (2004), ‘“Planned” and “Unplanned” Pregnancy: deconstructing experiences of conception’, Human Fertility, Vol. 7(1), pp. 39-42, ISSN: 1464-7273.

Earle S (2003), ‘“Bumps and Boobs”: Fatness and women’s experiences of pregnancy’, Women’s Studies International Forum, Vol. 26(3), pp. 245-52, ISSN: 0277-5395.

Earle S (2003), ‘Is breast best? Breastfeeding, motherhood and identity’, in S Earle and G Letherby (eds), Gender, Identity & Reproduction: social perspectives, Palgrave, pp. 135-50, ISBN: 1-4039-0281-X.

S Earle and G Letherby (eds) (2003), Gender, Identity & Reproduction: social perspectives, Palgrave, 236pp, ISBN: 1-4039-0281-X.

Sharp K and Earle S (2002), ’Feminism, Disability and Abortion: Irreconcilable Differences?’, Disability & Society, Vol. 17(2), March, pp. 137-45, ISSN: 0968-7599.

Earle S (2002), ‘Factors affecting the initiation of breastfeeding: implications for breast promotion’, Health Promotion International, Vol. 17(3), pp. 205-14, ISSN: 0957-4824.

Earle S and Letherby G (2002), ‘Whose choice is it anyway? Decision making, control and conception’, Human Fertility, Vol. 5(2), pp. 39-41, ISSN: 1464-7273.

Earle S (2000), ‘Why Some Women Do Not Breast Feed: bottle feeding and fathers' role’, Midwifery, Vol. 16, pp. 323-30, ISSN: 0266-6138.

Earle S (2000), ‘Pregnancy and the Maintenance of Self-Identity: Implications for Antenatal Care in the Community’, Health & Social Care in the Community, Vol. 8(4), pp. 235-41, ISSN: 0966-0410.

 

Selected publications on sexuality and sexual health:

Earle S and Sharp K (2008), ‘Sex on the Net: Online relations between men who pay for sex’ in S Holland (ed.), Remote Relationships in a Small World, Peter Lang, pp. 262-71, ISBN 978-0-8204-8630-7 (hardcover); ISBN 978-0-8204-8629-1 (paperback).

Earle S and Sharp K (2007), Sex in Cyberspace: men who pay for sex, Ashgate, 135pp, ISBN: 0-7546-3669-0.

Sharp K and Earle S (2003), ‘Cyberpunters & Cyberwhores: Prostitution on the Internet’, in Y Jewkes (ed.), Dot.cons: The Construction of Criminal & Deviant Identities on the Internet, Willan, pp. 36-52, 184392000X.

Earle S (2001), ‘Disability, Facilitated Sex and the Role of the Nurse’, Journal of Advanced Nursing, Vol. 36(3), pp. 433-440, ISSN: 0309-2402.

Earle S (1999), ‘Facilitated Sex and the Concept of Sexual Need: disabled students and their personal assistants’, Disability & Society, Vol. 14(3), pp. 309-23, ISSN: 1360-0508.

 

Selected publications on sociology as applied to health care education and practice:

Denny E and Earle S (eds), (2009), The Sociology of Long Term Conditions, Palgrave.

Earle S and Letherby G (eds) (2008) The Sociology of Healthcare: A Reader for Health Professionals, Palgrave, 344pp, ISBN: 1403940797 (hardback), 1403940800 (paperback).

Church S and Earle S (2006), ‘Approaches to sociology within midwifery education’, British Journal of Midwifery, Vol. 14(6), 01 June, pp. 342-5, ISSN 0969-4900.

Denny E and Earle S (eds) (2005), Sociology for Nurses, Polity, 310pp, ISBN: 0-7456-3101-0.

Earle S (2001), ‘Teaching Sociology Within the Speech and Language Therapy Curriculum’, Education for Health: Change in Training & Practice, Vol. 14(3), November, pp. 383-91, ISSN: 1357-6283.

Current Research Projects


 

Publications

Authored Book
Earle, Sarah and Sharp, Keith (2007). Sex in Cyberspace: Men who pay for sex. Aldershot, UK: Ashgate.
Book Chapter
Lloyd, Cathy and Earle, Sarah (2011). Diabetes and pregnancy: service-users' perspectives on services and on research. In: Lloyd, Cathy and Heller, Tom eds. Long Term Conditions: Challenges in Health and Social Care Practice. London: SAGE.
Denny, Elaine and Earle, Sarah (2009). Chronic illness, disability and the politics of health. In: Denny, Elaine and Earle, Sarah eds. The Sociology of Long Term Conditions and Nursing Practice. Sociology and nursing practice series. UK: Palgrave, pp. 7–28.
Mitchell, Ann; Denny, Elaine and Earle, Sarah (2009). Social perspectives on depression. In: Denny, Elaine and Earle, Sarah eds. The Sociology of Long Term Conditions and Nursing Practice. Sociology and nursing practice series. UK: Palgrave, pp. 209–227.
Earle, Sarah (2009). Obesity: a long term condition? In: Denny, Elaine and Earle, Sarah eds. The Sociology of Long Term Conditions and Nursing Practice. Sociology and nursing practice series. UK: Palgrave, pp. 228–245.
Earle, Sarah and Sharp, Keith (2008). Intimacy, pleasure and the men who pay for sex. In: Letherby, Gayle; Williams, Kate; Birch, Philip and Cain, Maureen eds. Sex as Crime? Willan.
Earle, Sarah and Sharp, Keith (2008). Sex on the net: online relations between men who pay for sex. In: Holland, Samantha ed. Remote Relationships in a Small World. Digital Formations (41). Oxford, UK: Peter Lang Publishing.
Earle, Sarah and Letherby, Gayle (2008). Thinking sociologically about health and health care. In: Earle, Sarah and Letherby, Gayle eds. The sociology of healthcare: A reader for health professionals. UK: Palgrave.
Dorrell, Judith; Earle, Sarah; Katz, Jeanne and Reveley, Shirley (2008). Growing up with HIV: The experiences of young people living with HIV since birth in the UK. In: Earle, Sarah; Komaromy, Carol and Bartholomew, Caroline eds. Death and Dying: A Reader. Published in association with The Open University. UK: Sage, pp. 237–244.
Earle, Sarah; Komaromy, Carol; Foley, Pam and Lloyd, Cathy E. (2008). Understanding reproductive loss: The moment of death. In: Earle, Sarah; Komaromy, Carol and Bartholomew, Caroline eds. Death and Dying: A Reader. Published in association with The Open University. UK: Sage.
Earle, Sarah and Sharp, Keith (2007). In defence of a woman's right to choose: abortion, disability and feminist politics. In: Douglas, Jenny; Earle, Sarah; Handsley, Stephen; Lloyd, Cathy E. and Spurr, Sue eds. A Reader in Promoting Public Health: Challenge and Controversy. London: Sage, pp. 82–87.
Earle, Sarah and Sharp, Keith (2006). Dirty whores and invisible men: sex work and the public health. In: Douglas, Jenny; Earle, Sarah; Handsley, Stephen; Lloyd, Cathy E. and Spurr, Sue eds. A Reader in Promoting Public Health: Challenge and Controversy. UK: Sage, pp. 95–102.
Earle, Sarah (2005). What is health? In: Denny, Elaine and Earle, Sarah eds. Sociology for Nurses. Cambridge, UK: Polity.
Earle, Sarah (2003). Is breast best?: breastfeeding, motherhood and identity. In: Earle, Sarah and Letherby, Gayle eds. Gender, identity and reproduction: social perspectives. London: Palgrave, pp. 135–150.
Sharp, Keith and Earle, Sarah (2003). Cyberpunters and cyberwhores: prostitution on the internet. In: Jewkes, Yvonne ed. Dot.cons: Crime, deviance and identity on the internet. Cullompton, UK: Willan, pp. 36–52.
Conference Item
Earle, Sarah; Foley, Pam; Handsley, Stephen and Komaromy, Carol (2006). Making room for reproductive loss in medical sociology. In: BSA Medical Sociology Group Conference, September 2006, Edinburgh.
Journal Article
Tilley, Elizabeth; Earle, Sarah; Walmsley, Jan and Atkinson, Dorothy (2012). ‘The Silence is roaring’: sterilization, reproductive rights and women with intellectual disabilities. Disability and Society, 27(3),
Earle, Sarah; Foley, Pam; Komaromy, Carol and Lloyd, Cathy E. (2009). Editorial: Health, medicine and surveillance in the 21st Century. Surveillance and Society, 6(2), pp. 96–100.
Earle, Sarah; Foley, Pam; Komaromy, Carol and Lloyd, Cathy E. (2008). Conceptualizing reproductive loss: A social sciences perspective. Human Fertility, 11(4), pp. 259–262.
Earle, Sarah and Letherby, Gayle (2007). Conceiving time?: women who do or do not conceive. Sociology of Health and Illness, 29(2), pp. 233–250.
Komaromy, C.; Earle, S.; Foley, P. and Lloyd, C. (2007). Reproductive loss and the moment of death. Practising Midwife
Komaromy, Carol; Earle, Sarah; Lloyd, Cathy and Foley, Pam (2007). A social insight into bereavement and reproductive loss. Practising Midwife
Earle, Sarah; Komaromy, Carol; Foley, Pam and Lloyd, Cathy (2007). The social dimensions of reproductive loss. Practising Midwife, 10(6), pp. 28–34.
Earle, Sarah; Komaromy, Carol; Foley, Pam and Lloyd, Cathy (2007). Understanding reproductive loss: Part 1: Social Dimensions. The Practising Midwife, 10(6), pp. 28–34.
Komaromy, Carol; Earle, Sarah; Lloyd, Cathy and Foley, Pam (2007). Understanding reproductive loss. Part 3: Bereavement. The Practising Midwife, 10(8), pp. 32–35.
Church, Sarah and Earle, Sarah (2006). Approaches to sociology within midwifery education. British Journal of Midwifery, 14(6), pp. 342–345.
Horne, Jane; Corr, Susan and Earle, Sarah (2005). Becoming a mother: a study exploring occupational change in first-time motherhood. Journal of Occupational Science, 12(3), pp. 176–183.
Earle, Sarah (2004). 'Planned' and 'unplanned' pregnancy: deconstructing experiences of conception. Human Fertility, 17(1), pp. 39–42.
Earle, Sarah and Church, Sarah (2004). Disability and Reproduction. Practising Midwife, 7(8), pp. 32–34.
Earle, Sarah and Church, Sarah (2004). Ethnicity and Reproduction. Practising Midwife, 7(6), pp. 34–37.
Earle, Sarah and Church, Sarah (2004). Sexuality and Reproduction. Practising Midwife, 7(4), pp. 28–30.
Earle, Sarah and Church, Sarah (2004). Reproduction and Social Class. Practising Midwife, 7(2), pp. 24–26.
Earle, Sarah (2003). Disability and stigma: an unequal life. Speech & Language Therapy in Practice pp. 21–22.
Earle, Sarah (2003). 'Bumps and boobs': fatness and women's experiences of pregnancy. Women's Studies International Forum, 26(3), pp. 245–252.
Earle, S. (2002). Factors affecting the initiation of breastfeeding: implications for breastfeeding promotion. Health Promotion International, 17(3), pp. 205–214.
Sharp, Keith and Earle, Sarah (2002). Feminism, Abortion and Disability: irreconcilable differences? Disability and Society, 17(2), pp. 137–145.
Earle, Sarah and Letherby, Gayle (2002). Whose choice is it anyway?: Decision making, control and conception. Human Fertility, 5(2), pp. 39–41.
Earle, S. (2001). Disability, facilitated sex and the role of the nurse. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 36(3), pp. 433–440.
Earle, Sarah (2001). Teaching Sociology within the Speech and Language Therapy Curriculum. Education for Health: Change in Training and Practice, 14(3), pp. 383–391.
Sharp, Keith and Earle, Sarah (2000). Disability and assessment in the UK: Should we compensate disabled students? Teaching in Higher Education, 5(4), pp. 541–545.
Earle, Sarah; Williams, Sarah and Adams, Mike (2000). Making higher education more accessible: The development of a dyslexia information pack. Journal of Access and Credit Studies, 2(1), pp. 45–57.
Earle, Sarah (2000). Why some women do not breast feed: bottle feeding and fathers' role. Midwifery, 16(4), pp. 323–330.
Earle, Sarah (2000). Pregnancy and the maintenance of self-identity: implications for antenatal care in the community. Health and Social Care in the Community, 8(4), pp. 235–241.
Earle, Sarah and Sharp, Keith (2000). Assessment, disability and the problem of compensation. Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, 25(2), pp. 191–199.
Earle, Sarah (1999). Facilitated Sex and the Concept of Sexual Need: disabled students and their personal assistants. Disability and Society, 14(3), pp. 309–323.

Other Interests

Sarah Earle is interested in supervising full and part-time postgraduate students in any area of reproductive and/or sexual health. She currently supervises the following two PhD students:

Jonathan Harvey (full-time) Neurological rehabilitation: What next?

Brian Kavanagh (full-time) The role of club drugs in negotiating safe sex in MSM

These students have completed their doctoral studies with Sarah:

Sarah Church (part-time) Midwives and Reproduction: A phenomenological study of midwives’ personal reproductive experiences (co-supervisors, Professor Gayle Letherby, University of Plymouth and Professor Kath Woodward, Open University).

Judith Dorrell (full-time) A Study of Young People Living with HIV (co-supervisors, Professor Shirley Reveley and Dr Jeanne Katz, both at the Open University).

If you would like to discuss your idea for a research project get in touch with Sarah at s.earle@open.ac.uk.

last updated 06-May-2012