Peter Saunders

Peter Saunders is a social researcher, sociologist, writer, consultant, and media commentator who is known for his libertarian views. Between 2001 and 2008 he was Social Research Director at the Centre for Independent Studies in Sydney. He is on the Academic Advisory Council of the right wing think tank Civitas.

The following is a biographical note current at September 2007:

Peter Saunders took up his current position as Social Research Director at the Centre for Independent Studies (CIS) in Sydney in September 2001. He is Professor Emeritus of the University of Sussex in England, where he taught sociology for nearly twenty-five years, and is Adjunct Professor at the Australian Graduate School of Management.

Professor Saunders has held visiting academic posts at the University of Melbourne, the ANU, the University of Canterbury (New Zealand), the University of Bremen (Germany), and Brown University in the USA. Between 1999 and 2000 he was Research Manager at the Australian Institute of Family Studies in Melbourne where he ran the Institute's research program and edited Reforming the Australian Welfare State, published in 2000.

His major publications include empirical studies of social mobility in Britain (Unequal But Fair, 1996), the impact of mass home ownership on British society (A Nation of Home Owners, 1990) and the political and social significance of privatisation (Privatization and Popular Capitalism, 1994). He has also published several theoretical and analytical works including Capitalism: A Social Audit (1995), Social Class and Stratification (1990) and Social Theory and the Urban Question (1981/1986). He is also co-author of a best-selling text book on British politics, now in its third edition, and of a new student text on survey methodology. His work has been translated into French, German, Italian, Rumanian, Korean and Mandarin.

Professor Saunders's research at CIS focuses mainly on ideas for welfare and tax reform in Australia. His latest book, Australia's Welfare Habit, and how to kick it, was published by Duffy & Snellgrove in August 2004, and he is editor of the CIS 'Perspectives on Tax Reform' series of papers. In addition to publishing with CIS, he appears regularly in the media as a contributor to newspapers and on television and radio.

In July 2008 Peter Saunders left the Centre for Independent Studies and returned to the UK to work freelance.

Affiliations

• Research Manager at the Australian Institute of Family Studies (2000-02)
• Centre for Independent Studies (2001-2008)
• Brisbane Institute
• Civitas

Publications

Saunders lists the following as 'Academic books', although some are published by right wing think tanks.

• The Government Giveth, and the Government Taketh Away ISBN: 978 1 86432 165 4 Centre for Independent Studies 2007, 165pp
• Taxploitation: The case for income tax reform ISBN: 1-86432-114-8 Centre for Independent Studies 2006, 225pp Edited collection.
• The Survey Methods Workbook Polity Press, 2004 (with Alan Buckingham), 309pp ISBN: 0-7456-2244-5
• Australia's Welfare Habit - and how to kick it Duffy & Snellgrove/Centre for Independent Studies, 2004, 258 pp ISBN: 1-86432-092-3
• Poverty in Australia: Beyond the Rhetoric Centre for Independent Studies, 2002 (with KayokoTsumori) 120pp ISBN: 1-86432-072-9
• Reforming the Australian Welfare State Edited collection of essays published by the Australian Institute of Family Studies, 2000, 300pp ISBN: 0 642 39474 1
• An Introduction to British Politics Polity Press 1984 (with J.Dearlove), 458pp. - revised second edition, Polity Press 1991, 561pp - revised third edition, Polity Press 2000, 803pp. ISBN: 0-7456-2096-5
• Unequal But Fair? A Study of Class Barriers in Britain Civitas (London) 1996, 96pp ISBN: 0-255 36366-4
• Capitalism: A Social Audit Open University Press 1995, 108pp ISBN: 0-335-19141-X - translated & published in Romania in 1997 by Dustyle - translated & published in Chinese in 2006 by McGraw-Hill Education Asia
• Privatization and Popular Capitalism Open University Press 1994 (with Colin Harris), 200pp ISBN: 0-335-15708-4 - translated & published in Portugal in 1995 by Instituto Piaget (Lisbon)
• A Nation of Home Owners Unwin Hyman 1990, 418pp ISBN: 004-445488-0
• Social Class and Stratification Routledge 1990, 120pp ISBN: 0-415-04125-2
• Social Theory and the Urban Question Hutchinson, 1981, 309pp revised edition (three new chapters) Hutchinson 1986, 394pp. ISBN: 0-09 164431 3, American edition published 1981 by Holmes & Meier; translated & published in Germany in 1987 by Campus Stadium; translated & published in Italy in 1988 by Edizioni Lavoro; translated & published in South Korea in 1990
• Urban Politics: A Sociological Interpretation Hutchinson 1979, 382pp Penguin edition 1980 ISBN: 0 09 136970 3
• Property Paternalism and Power Hutchinson 1978 (with Colin Bell, Howard Newby and David Rose), 300pp ISBN: 0 09 133670 8

External links

• People: Professor Peter Saunders from the the Brisbane Institute Web site of 27 September 2007 retrieved from the Internet Archive 23 october 2009.
• Research Staff Profile at the Centre for Independent Studies Web site of 24 August 2007, retrieved from the Internet Archive on 23 October 2009.
• Saunders's articles at On Line Opinion Web site.
• Peter Saunders own website petersaunders.org.uk

Contact

Website http://www.petersaunders.org.uk