Dr Cynthia Meersohn Schmidt

Profile

I joined the team at the University of York in 2019, following periods working and studying at the University of Chile, Durham University, and the London School of Economics and Political Science. I am known for my joyful, quirky, and eclectic approach to research and teaching.

My primary area of research is ageing and the lifecourse. Since 2009 I have been involved in projects addressing quality of life and well-being in older populations, the changing social networks in widowhood, resilience to natural disasters of older individuals in rural communities, the life trajectories and social class identification of British precarious mid-life individuals, and the transitions from mid-life to later life of individuals in Chile. Besides these projects, I have also collaborated in research on neighbourhoods and urban segregation, collective memory in multicultural settings, disadvantaged educational communities and the expectations on pre-school educators, volunteering and social collaboration, and the productive reconversion of mining communities.

My current interest is inclusive digital healthy ageing. I am researching ways of producing quality of life technologies that are tailored to the needs and habits of the members of older populations that are subject to a triple social, health and digital exclusion.

Teaching

• Research Methods and Research Design
• Modern and Contemporary Sociological Theory
• Sociology of Health and Illness
• Sociology of Gender and Sexuality
• Ageing and the Lifecourse
• Social Change
• Social Anthropology

Publications

Articles

Meersohn Schmidt, Cynthia & Yang, Keming (2019). Controlling active ageing: a study of social imaginaries of older people in Chile. Ageing & Society (online first)

David, M. & Meersohn Schmidt, C. (2019). Power and Counter-Power: Knowledge Structure and the Limits of Control. Sociological Research Online 24(1): 21-37.

Meersohn, Schmidt, C. (2016) [Review: Transitions and Transformations: Cultural Perspectives on Aging and the Life Course, Lynch, C. & Danely, J. eds., Berghahn Books, 2015]. Ageing & Society, 36 (5), 1109-1110. 

Osorio Parraguez, P., Torrejón, M. J., Meersohn, C., & Anigstein, M. S. (2013). Quality of life in older people from Chile: the role of subjectivity and agency. The Journal of Nutrition, Health & Aging 17 (Suplement 1), S423.

Bunout, D., Osorio, P., Barrera, G., Torrejón, M. J., Meersohn, C., Anigstein, M. S., de la Maza, M. P. (2012). Quality of life of older Chilean subjects living in metropolitan Santiago, Chile. Influence of socio-economic status. Ageing Research, 3 (1), 1–22.

Osorio Parraguez, P., Torrejón, M. J., Meersohn, C., & Anigstein, M. S. (2011). Comprensión de la calidad de vida en personas mayores semivalentes en Chile. Revista Salud & Sociedad, 2(2), 203–217. (Trans.) “Comprehending the quality of life of functionally semi-dependent older people in Chile”

Meersohn, C. (2005). Introducción a Teun Van Dijk: Análisis de Discurso. Cinta de Moebio., 24. (Trans.) “Introduction to Teun van Dijk: Discourse Analysis”.

Torrejón, M. J., Meersohn, C., & Urquiza Gómez, A. (2005). Imaginario Social de la Colaboración: Voluntariado y Solidaridad. Revista Mad, 11(13). (Trans.) “Social Imaginary of Collaboration: Solidarity and Volunteering”.

Urquiza, A.; Meersohn, C.; Torrejón, M.J. (2005) La Realidad de lo Improbable: Colaboración, una Manifestación Social Marginal. Revista MAD, 12 (1). (Trans.) “The reality of the improbable: Collaboration – A marginal social manifestation”.

Book Chapters

Meersohn Schmidt, C., Osorio Parraguez, P., Espinoza, A., & Reyes, P. (2018). After the earthquake: Narratives of resilience, re-signification of fear, and revitalisation of local identities in rural communities of Paredones, Chile. In A. Newman & A. Goulding (Eds.), Creative practice in the resilience of older people. Policy Press.

Osorio Parraguez, P., & Meersohn, C. (2012). Fuentes de información y uso de medios de comunicación en adultos mayores de la Región metropolitana. In M. D. Souza, C. Del Valle, & Cabello Patricio (Eds.), Medios, edades y cultura. Santiago: Ediciones Universidad de la Frontera/ CNTV. (Trans.) “Sources of information and the uses of mass media among older adults in the Metropolitan Region”

Reports

Santibañez, D., Parra, M. E., Meersohn, C., Lasnibat, M., Torrejón, M. J., Egaña, G., Raglianti, F. (2009). Requerimientos Técnicos Pedagógicos de las/los Educadoras/es de Párvulos en el Marco de la Ley SEP. Santiago de Chile. (Trans.) “Technical pedagogical requirements of pre-school educators within the SEP Act framework”

Blogs

Meersohn Schmidt, C., 2019. Stepping in: Critical Gerontology and Inclusive Digital Healthy Ageing. International Network for Critical Gerontology (awaiting publication).

Meersohn Schmidt, C., 2016. Inadequacy may be useful in withstanding Brexit uncertainty. Researching Sociology (05 Jul 2016).

Work in Preparation

Savage, M., Meersohn Schmidt, C., Flemen, M. (2020) Negotiating Mariginalisation: The contemporary Politics of Precarity.

Conference Papers

Meersohn Schmidt, C.; Moreira, T. (2019) Inclusive Digital Healthy Ageing: Initial Explorations and Future Directions. Medical Sociology, British Sociological Association; York.

Meersohn, C. (2016) Financial Dependency and Ageing: Life-course and Generational Transitions in Santiago, Chile British Society of Gerontology Conference. British Society of Gerontology Conference; Stirling.

Meersohn, C. (2016) Representing and eliciting stories: the role of the visual in visualizing the control of ageing transitions. LSE Sociology Department Research Seminar; London.

Meersohn, C. (2015) Policy adequacy to the expectations of later life in Chile. British Society of Gerontology Conference. British Society of Gerontology Conference; Newcastle.

Meersohn, C. (2014) Ageing Identities as Control of Resources in Situational Networks. British Society of Gerontology Conference. British Society of Gerontology Conference; Southampton.

Osorio Parraguez, P., Jorquera P., Meersohn, C. (2014) Configuration of Social Networks and Family Relationships in Decision Making of Widowers and Widows in Chile. British Society of Gerontology Conference. British Society of Gerontology Conference; Southampton.

Meersohn, C., Yang, K., Meersohn, K. (2013) Studying Age Transitions with Social Imaginaries. British Society of Gerontology Conference. British Society of Gerontology Conference; Oxford.

Osorio Parraguez, P., Torrejón, M. J., Meersohn, C., & Anigstein, M. S. (2013) Quality of life in older people from Chile: the role of subjectivity and agency. IAGG Conference, Seoul. 7° Congreso CEISAL, Porto.

Meersohn, C., Yang, K. (2013) Tensiones culturales y definiciones en disputa en torno a la construcción del envejecimiento en Chile. 7° Congreso CEISAL, Porto. (Trans.) “Cultural tension and disputed definitions surrounding the construction of ageing in Chile”

Meersohn, C., Yang, K. (2013) Social Imaginaries of Older Age: Newspapers, Laws and Older People in Chile. British Sociological Association Conference; London. Wolfson Research Institute Research Colloquium; Stockton.

Meersohn, C., Yang, K. (2012) Transitions From Mid-life to Older Age: Steering Mismatching Expectations”. British Sociological Association Conference; London. British Society of Gerontology Conference; Keele.

Osorio Parraguez, Meersohn, C., P., Torrejón, M. J., & Anigstein, M. S. (2010) El espacio físico urbano y su relación con la calidad de vida de las personas mayores Internacional Conference of Science, Technologies and Culture. USACH – IDEA; Santiago. (Trans.) The physical urban space and its relation with quality of life in older people.

Osorio Parraguez, P., Torrejón, M. J., Meersohn, C., & Anigstein, M. S. (2010) Participación social y construcción de identidad. Expectativas y posibilidades REIACTIS III; Santiago. (Trans.) Social Participation and the building of identity. Expectations and possibilities.

Osorio Parraguez, P., Torrejón, M. J., Meersohn, C., & Anigstein, M. S. (2010) Calidad de Vida en Adultos Mayores Semivalentes en Chile. V Ibero-American Reunion of Researchers in Quality of Life; Santiago. (Trans.) Quality of Life in partially- disabled Older Adults in Chile.

Lasnibat, M., Torrejón, M. J., Santibañez, D., Meersohn, C. (2009) Incompatibilidades entre la educación preescolar y las transformaciones del sistema educativo chileno. Observaciones en torno a un problema del sistema educacional contemporáneo (Trans.) Incompatibilities between preschool education and the transformations of the Chilean educational system. Observation of a problem of the contemporary educational system. Latin-American Conference of Sociology (ALAS); Buenos Aires.

Torrejón, M. J., Meersohn, C., & Urquiza Gómez, A. (2005). Imaginario Social de la Colaboración: Voluntariado y Solidaridad. First Latin-American Conference of Anthropology (ALA); Rosario. (Trans.) Social Imaginary of Collaboration: Solidarity and Volunteering.

Urquiza, A.; Meersohn, C.; Torrejón, M.J. (2005) La Realidad de lo Improbable: Colaboración, una Manifestación Social Marginal. First Latin-American Conference of Anthropology (ALA); Rosario. (Trans.) The Reality of the Improbable: Collaboration, a Marginal Social Manifestation. (Trans.) The reality of what is improbable: Collaboration – A Marginal Social Manifestation