Johnston Birchall (1951–2021) was a leading British academic in the field of
co-operative studies and at the time of his death Professor Emeritus at the Social Science Faculty of the
University of Stirling
The University of Stirling (, gd, Oilthigh Shruighlea (abbreviated as Stir or Shruiglea, in post-nominals) is a public university in Stirling, Scotland, founded by royal charter in 1967. It is located in the Central Belt of Scotland, built ...
.
Biography
Birchall studied
theology
Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...
at the
University of Oxford
, mottoeng = The Lord is my light
, established =
, endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019)
, budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20)
, chancellor ...
, before working as a community worker and a
housing association
In Ireland and the United Kingdom, housing associations are private, Non-profit organization, non-profit making organisations that provide low-cost "Public housing in the United Kingdom, social housing" for people in need of a home. Any budge ...
manager for five years. He then completed a masters degree in
sociology
Sociology is a social science that focuses on society, human social behavior, patterns of social relationships, social interaction, and aspects of culture associated with everyday life. It uses various methods of empirical investigation an ...
at the
University of York, followed by a PhD in 1985 on
housing co-operatives, also at York.
His doctoral thesis formed the basis for his 1988 book, ''Building Communities: The Co-operative Way''.
Birchall then worked at
South Bank Polytechnic
London South Bank University (LSBU) is a public university in Elephant and Castle, London. It is based in the London Borough of Southwark, near the South Bank of the River Thames, from which it takes its name. Founded in 1892 as the Borough Po ...
, followed by
Brunel University
Brunel University London is a public research university located in the Uxbridge area of London, England. It was founded in 1966 and named after the Victorian engineer and pioneer of the Industrial Revolution, Isambard Kingdom Brunel. In June ...
and finally at the University of Stirling until his retirement.
From 1995 to 2000 he was editor of the ''
Journal of Co-operative Studies''.
Birchall died in 2021 following a long illness.
In June 2022 a special commemorative edition of the ''
Journal of Co-operative Studies'' was published exploring Birchall's legacy and reprinting many of his papers.
Publications
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Further reading
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References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Birchall, Johnston
1951 births
2021 deaths
British cooperative organizers
British social scientists
Alumni of the University of York
Alumni of the University of Oxford
Academics of the University of Stirling
Academics of Brunel University London