Shaun's teaching specialisms include the sociology of work, social theory, applied ethics, the sociology of sport and play, and political theory.
Before becoming Assessment and Feedback Practice Lead, Shaun's primary responsibility was as Director of Studies in the Faculty of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences where he managed and monitored students' academic progression, continuation and development. Shaun has also had roles as Acting Deputy Dean and the Academic Lead for the implementation of Police Education Qualification Framework at ARU. He has also lectured in areas of Sociology, Criminology and Politics since 1999.
Shaun's main research interests lie in the areas of social theory and the sociology of sport and play. His PhD, awarded by the London School of Economics, involved a philosophical examination of the relationship between society and the individual. He has written a number of articles on this topic including publications in the British Sociological Associations' main journal Sociology as well as the Journal for the Theory of Social Behaviour.
His work has focused on championing Anthony Giddens' structuration theory whilst critiquing theoretical trends towards critical realism or social emergentism. Shaun is currently working on the sociology of sport and play where, following empirical research, he focuses on the lived experiences and contradictions of parenting, coaching and childhood engagement in local football.
He is co-author (with Pip Jones and Liz Bradbury) of the 2011 second edition of Introducing Social Theory, published by Polity Press.
Le Boutillier, S. (2013) Emergence and Reduction. Journal for the Theory of Social Behaviour. 43: 205-225. https://doi.org/10.1111/jtsb.12013
Jones, P., Bradbury, L. and Le Boutillier, S. (2011) Introducing Social Theory. Cambridge: Polity Press.