Roger Penn, an inquisitive sociologist and former professor at Lancaster University and Queen’s University Belfast, has died at the age of 77. Penn was known for his strong focus on empirical research, influenced by neo-Ricardian economics, Weberian sociology, and the Annales school.
Born in Lytham, Lancashire, Penn studied history and social and political sciences at Jesus College, Cambridge, graduating in 1972. He later obtained an MA in sociology from Brown University and a PhD from Trinity Hall, Cambridge, which led to his publication, Skilled Workers in the Class Structure (1985).
Penn joined Lancaster University in 1977, becoming a professor in economic sociology and statistics. He moved to Queen’s University Belfast in 2012, retiring as an emeritus professor in 2016. His research included work on the Economic and Social Research Council’s social change and economic life initiative, using Rochdale as a case study to explore the textile industry's decline and its ethnic minority population. He also coordinated a comparative international study of migrants in Britain, France, and Germany.