Mariam Joseph has been announced as the winner of the 2021-22 BSA Young Sociologist of the Year Competition. Mariam attends GEMS Metropole School, Dubai and her application was supported by sociology teacher, Snuber Azam.

The winning essay responded to the competition question: “How can sociology help us understand the causes and/or consequences of the global pandemic?”. Mariam wins an iPad Mini for herself and £500 for her school’s sociology department.

The competition was judged by BSA Trustees; Dr Sarah Cant, Canterbury Christ Church University and Dr Richard Waller, University of the West of England. We are extremely grateful for the time and effort given to judging the competition entries. The judges commented that the essay was “an impressive essay that weaved theory and empirical data to produce an informed and careful discussion of the ways that inequality was reinforced during the pandemic. An exceptionally well-crafted piece of work”.

Second place is awarded to Emma Heagney from Harris Academy Merton. This was a very passionate and well-argued piece: very well researched treatise that showcased in-depth engagement with Marxist and Political Sociology and used contemporary examples. Joint third place went to Gabrielle Russell from Bexhill Sixth Form College for her thoughtful examination that impressively joined data and theory and Yaraslava Dudkina from IMS Private School Cyprus for a well-written, strong argument and good range of international examples.

Congratulations are also due to all 73 applicants who entered the competition this year and their teachers. Each applicant will receive a letter of thanks from the British Sociological Association.