Dr Anja Finger

Following on from completing my PhD in Sociology in 2009, I have been teaching widely in the social sciences, with an emphasis on sociology, at a range of UK institutions of higher education. I have worked as a Teaching Fellow at the University of Aberdeen, the University of Leeds and Durham University and for a period of time as a Senior Lecturer in Sociology at Nottingham Trent University.

At this level, I then developed my professional practice as educator further: I served as teaching lead in Health and Social Care at the University of Bedfordshire’s Birmingham study centre for a couple of years, before joining De Montfort University as senior lecturer in June 2023. In February 2024, I was appointed to the role of Subject Lead in which I have oversight of our undergraduate programme Health and Wellbeing in Society as well as the postgraduate programme in Global Health.

I strive to be working with colleagues and students in a collaborative spirit. I am committed to co-creating inclusive classrooms with students which allow for learning as critical consciousness-raising at all stages.

• Finger, A. (2020), Wake-Up Calls: Sleep Discipline and Its Subject/s.: A Study in Ideology Critique, the Critique of Religion and Cultural Criticism, pdf, 224 pp
  Published electronically at: www.db-thueringen.de/receive/dbt_mods_00046254
• Finger, A. (2017), ‘Four Horsemen (and a Horsewoman): What Gender is New Atheism?’, chapter 9 in: Cotter, Christopher R./Quadrio, Philip A./Tuckett, Jonathan (eds.), New Atheism: Critical Perspectives and Contemporary Debates, Dordrecht et al.: Springer; 155-170
• Finger, A. (2016), ‘Homosexualität/en und Religion/en’ [‘Homosexualities and Religion/s’], in: Unterrichts-Konzepte Ethik [Lesson Plans Ethics], Munich: Stark Verlag, 82-3; longer version previously published as part of Online Special, Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung (German Federal Agency for Civic Education), www.bpb.de/gesellschaft/gender/homosexualitaet/38892/homosexualitaet-und-religion-en?p=all
• Finger, A. (2011), ‘Learning through Research: Students as Participant Observers of Religion/s‘, Discourse, vol. 10, no. 3
• Finger, A. (2011), ‘Todes Bruder: Schlaf-Bett-Bezüge’ (~‘Brother of Death: Sleep-Bed-Covers’), Polar: Endlich. Tod und Gesellschaft, vol. 10; 117-9
• Finger, A. /Ullmann, P. (2010), ‘Auf Schulinspektion mit Althusser: Ideologietheoretische Reflexionen’ (‘School Inspection with Althusser: Reflections on the Theory of Ideology’), in: Krüger, Katja/Ullmann, Philipp (eds.), Von Geometrie und Geschichte in der Mathematikdidaktik: Festschrift zum 65. Geburtstag von Lutz Führer ('Of Geometry and History in Maths Teacher Training: Festschrift for Lutz Führer's 65th Birthday'), Eichstätt: Polygon-Verlag; 195-210
• Finger, A. (2009) [2007], ‘Ambivalence – The Pains and Pleasures of Opium, Religion, and Modernity: A new view of Robert Owen’, Chapter 5 in: Michael R. Ott (ed.), The Future of Religion: Toward a Reconciled Society (= Studies in Critical Social Studies 9), Chicago, IL: Haymarket Books; 147-164 [Republication of 2007, Studies in Critical Social Studies 9, Leiden/Boston: Brill].

• Sociology of health and illness, especially health inequalities
• Social determinants of health
• Social exclusion
• Social and sociological theories; gender and sexualities; non/religion; qualitative social-research methods; critical pedagogy

• Skills
• Theories
• Research methods: Dissertation

• PhD in Sociology, University of Erfurt, Max Weber Centre for Advanced Cultural and Social Studies, Erfurt (2009)
• MA (Magistra Artium) in Sociology and Catholic Theology, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main (2000)

• HEST1701: Introduction to Health, Wellbeing and Society
• HEST1703: Psychological and Sociological Theories of Health and Illness
• HEST3220: Health and Wellbeing in Society: Dissertation

Patient and Public Involvement & Engagement Group, School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition, University of Aberdeen (Aberdeen, 2021- )

British Sociological Association (BSA), BSA Sociology of Religion Study Group; Fellow (FHEA/Advance HE)

Senior Fellow SFHEA (Advance HE, 2024)

Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education Learning & Teaching, University of Aberdeen (2012)

• (2023), ’Trans and Independence Panic/s: The Scottish Gender Recognition Reform Bill, a Manufactured Prisoner Problem and the State of the Union’, UCU LGBT+ Research Conference, University of Manchester/hybrid, 19 May
• (2021), ‘Non-Binary Theorising in the Sociology of Religion: Critical and Queer Approaches in Conversation’, Sociology of Religion Annual Conference 2021: Beyond Binaries in the Sociology of Religion, 13-15 July
• (2021), ‘Pandemic Non/Religion and Prayer for the Nation: Fantastic or “phantasmagorical”?’, Nonreligion and Secularity Research Network Conference (online), 16-18 June
• (2021), ‘On Not Building a New Jerusalem: Perspectives on Risky, Critical and Queer Futures’, BSA Annual Conference 2021: Remaking the Future (online), Theory stream, 13 April
• (2018), ‘How Inclusive is Contemporary Masculinity?’, invited talk to the HeforShe Durham University student society, Durham, 19 January
• (2014), ‘ “Postsecular” Cultural Policies? Revisiting Religion and the Public Sphere in the UK and Germany’, International Conference on Cultural Policy Research (ICCPR) 2014, Hildesheim/Berlin, Germany, 9-14 September
• (2014), ‘ “We Have Books in the Library on the Subject”: Why Queering the HE Classroom is Even Better’, Attainment for All: Inclusivity, Diversity and Success in LTHE’, HEA Conference, Glasgow, 11 April
• (2013), ‘Myth, Enlightenment, and Critical Theory: Frankfurt-School Variations’, invited talk at the Centre for the Study of Myth, Aberdeen, 8 May
• (2012), Invited contribution to roundtable: ‘Secularism, Nonreligion and Atheism in the Classroom’, Nonreligion and Secularity Research Network Conference: ‘Nonreligion and the Secular: New Horizons for Multidisciplinary Research,’ London, 4-6 July
• (2012), ‘Homophobia, Heteronormativity, and Religion: Sexual and Religious Inequalities among Students. A Small-Scale Study’, British Sociological Association Sociology of Religion Study Group Conference: ‘Religion and (In)Equalities’, Chester, 28-30 March
• (2011), ‘Learning through Research: Students as Participant Observers of Religion/s’, HEA Learning/Teaching Conference ‘Foundations for the Future’, London, 13-14 July
• (2010), ‘Secular Challenges to Religious Identities: Investigating the New Atheism Debates’, Conference ‘Contesting Religious Identities’, Utrecht, 13-15 October
• (2009), ‘The Presentation of Queer in Lesbian Life: Between Vanguard and Elite’, 22nd Feminist and Women’s Studies Association Conference, Liverpool, 19-21 June
• (2009), ‘ “The Prerequisite of All Criticism”: Reclaiming the critique of religion for the sociology of religion’, British Sociological Association (BSA) Annual Conference: ‘The Challenge of Global Social Inquiry’, Religion Stream, Cardiff, 16-18 April
• (2008), ‘Positively Powerful? The Queer Puppet and its Dwarf’, ‘Power: Forms, Dynamics and Consequences’, Tampere, 22-24 September
• (2007), ‘Reification: Renaissance of a Concept?’, Sociological Association of Ireland (SAI), 34th Annual Conference, University of Limerick, Limerick, 11-13 May
• (2007), Presentation on PhD Work-in-progress: ‘Wake-Up Calls’, British Sociological Association Religion Study Group, 10th Postgraduate Conference, Bristol, 22-24 February
• (2006), ‘Secularisation: There is life in the old dog yet’, 7th Postgraduate Conference, ‘Challenging the Boundaries’, Centre for Research in the Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities, Cambridge, UK, 20 May
• (2006), ‘Slumber Suppressed: Towards problematising Christian sleep discipline’, British Sociological Association Religion Study Group, 2006 Annual Conference, ‘Religion and the Individual’, Manchester, 3-5 April
• (2006), ‘Disciplining the Dormant Body: Sleep, religion and work ethics’, 6th ESRC Seminar, ‘Sleep, Work Time and Work Ethics’, University of Warwick, 14 March
• (2005), ‘Sleep in the Synoptic Gospels and More Contemporary Fiction: The Journey of Semantic Materials from the Religious to the Secular Sphere’, Course on ‘The Future of Religion’, Inter-University Centre, Dubrovnik, 25-30 April
• (With Maya Becker) (2004), ‘The Christian Saints’ Zoo: How animal symbolism in legends fosters religious moods and motivations’, American Sociological Association (ASA), 99th Annual Meeting, Animals and Society Section Session 2: ‘Animals and People Sharing the World’, San Francisco, 14-17 August
• (2001), ‘Ambivalence: The Pains and Pleasures of Opium, Religion and Modernity’, Course on ‘The Future of Religion’, Inter-University Centre, Dubrovnik, 23-27 April.