Current and former members of the Department of Sociology will be saddened to hear of the death on 24 April at the age of eighty-one of Alan Swingewood. The news is doubly sad because Hazel, his wife of fifty-seven years, died at around the same time, a victim of COVID-19.
Alan was born and grew up in Staffordshire. With a BSc in Sociology, he joined the staff of the Department in 1968 as a Lecturer in Sociology, receiving his PhD in 1969 for a thesis on the Scottish Enlightenment and its role in the rise of sociology, for which he was supervised by Donald MacRae. He was promoted to Senior Lecturer in 1987 and, after thirty-two continuous years in the Department, left in 2000, taking early retirement at the age of sixty-two.
By almost any standard measured in terms of publications, Alan had an impressive sociological career. He published books on the sociology of literature, on sociological theory, and on culture. The 1970s were particularly productive for him. As early as 1972 he co-authored a book with Diana Laurenson on the sociology of literature. His Marx and Modern Social Theory appeared in 1975, well-regarded and much-used by a generation of students studying sociological theory. His book The Novel and Revolution, contributing to one of his other great passions, the sociology of literature, was published in the same year. His work reviewing the history of sociological thought came out in 1984, with a second edition in 1991. As his career progressed, he increasingly turned to the sociology of culture. Even as early as 1977 he had published The Myth of Mass Culture, and his book on aesthetic theory then appeared in 1986. His last major work also reflected this enthusiasm; this was Cultural Theory and the Problem of Modernity, which appeared in 1998.
By any standard, even at LSE, where criteria for promotion were not always wholly transparent, he might with such a publication record have been promoted higher than Senior Lecturer. Perhaps his sociological interests were too esoteric; mainstream enthusiasms in the discipline do come and go, but there can be no denying that his interests in aesthetics and culture would attract much resonance in the discipline of the second decade of the Twenty-first Century. Or perhaps Alan did not particularly want to be promoted and was deliberately diffident about pushing himself forward for higher formal status. For he could be remarkably insouciant about some of the issues that motivate most academics. He started in the Department before receiving his PhD and achieved this only a year later. Yet he never bothered to have the title on his office door upgraded from ‘Mr.’ to ‘Dr.’, though a simple request to Estates would have seen this done. He routinely entered and left the School unobtrusively by one of the rear entrances. He was apparently content quietly to continue with his teaching and research. However, postgraduate students whom he supervised were greatly impressed by him and a number of his doctoral supervisees have since made names for themselves in the wider academic world. Alan’s colleagues knew that he had a hinterland outside the School and perhaps this became more important to him as he became older. He was, for example, a keen tennis player of some ability.
His death is none the less a personal loss to members of the Department of his generation, who remember him, for all his apparent diffidence, as a well-regarded and productive colleague of considerable intellectual stature. Deep condolences are extended to his two sons at their personal losses.
The only things that Chris left out in this fine obituary were Alan’s love of opera and his wicked sense of humour, especially in the context of the politics of everything and anything. Condolences to his boys, a terrible loss.
Thank you so much for this lovely obituary. It means a lot to me and Michael (his sons).
Alan would’ve particularly appreciated the bit about deserving promotion!
The funeral will be on the 22nd May, but unfortunately due to current restrictions is limited to just 10 mourners.
Once restrictions ease, we hope to arrange a celebration of his life, and his wife, Hazel, who also has sadly passed away.
Peter and Michael
Thank you for this lovely obituary – it means a lot to me and Mike – Alan’s sons.
Alan would’ve particularly liked the bit about deserving promotion!
His funeral will be on 22nd May, but due to the restrictions we are limited on numbers.
Once restrictions lift, we hope to arrange a celebration of the lives of Alan and Hazel, his wife, who has also sadly passed away.
Thanks again
Peter and Michael Swingewood.
(p.swingewood@gmail.com)
So sorry to hear this news. I have excellent memories of Professor Swingewood (or Alan, as we called him). He taught me theory during my MSc in 1993-4. I appreciated both his rigour and his humour. His willingness to write a letter for me, years later, when I returned to do my PhD, made all the difference. Condolences to his family.
I live in South Africa. My dad was Alan Joseph Swingewood born 1925. Are we related? Joy
After the death of my half brother Christopher Swingewood on the 16/1 2021 I am sad to hear of the death of my bother Alan and his wife Hazel RIP
John
so sorry to hear of this deepest sympathies to the remaining family
i didn’t see a lot of uncle Alan and Hazel over the years after hazel taught me to ride a bike
thoughts are with you both Peter and Michael
Martin
Just stumbled across this. I was at LSE between 1975 and 1981, completing a BSc and PhD. One of my fondest memories was of Alan’s undergraduate course on Society and Literature. He was a passionate and esoteric academic, very approachable and committed to his political beliefs. I’m appalled that his epitaph does not come with appellation Emeritus Professor.
Chris captures Alan wonderfully in his obituary. In the few years that I had Alan as a colleague he came across as quite humble though he was a very serious intellectual and really cared about the subject. He had the challenging task of teaching the core course in sociological theory at undergraduate and graduate levels for many years before Nigel Dodd came to shoulder some of the burden. Despite the teaching requirements Alan somehow managed to publish eight books (and provided the eternal mystery of how someone could remain at Senior Lecturer with that record). My favourite memories of Alan are of sitting near him for the annual end of year dinner when his wicked sense of humour came to the fore and you was guaranteed some belly laughs and blushing moments and even both at the same time!
Alan Swingewwod’s books ‘The Myth of Mass Culture’ and ‘Marx and modern social theory’ were translated to Portuguese and left an impressive theorical contribution on their respective fields in Brazil at their time as today for they are enlightening and engaged at same time.
Alan Swingewood was a wonderful tutor and a brilliant social theorist. He left a lasting impression on the 1987-1990 BSc Sociology cohort. He was a lovely person!