Margaret Stacey (1922-2004)

Margaret (known as Meg) Stacey was a sociologist. Meg was one of the creators of medical sociology which means she studied how people’s health is affected by their lives and where they live. Meg also helped to set up the British Sociological Association’s Medical Sociology Group.

Meg was very interested in young children’s experiences of being in hospital. She also was interested in how people do their different jobs in hospital. Meg was interested in biology and the different ways people can be helped to have babies.

Meg was very interested in the role of women in healthcare and how women were treated by men because of their gender.

Meg was Director of the Medical Sociology Research Centre at University College, Swansea, from 1972-74. She became a Professor of Sociology at the University of Warwick in 1974, making her the first woman to become a Professor at the university. When she retired, she became an Emeritus professor in 1989. She worked to increase the number of women in senior jobs in universities and she helped and supported younger colleagues.

In addition, she was involved in the Welsh Hospital Board from 1970-74, the General Medical Council from 1976-1984 (she was the first sociologist to be a member) and the Management Committee of the Nursing Policy Studies Centre from 1985-1989 (which she set up).

Her husband Frank Stacey, a political scientist, died in 1977. Several years later she started a relationship with Jennifer Lorch who became her partner. She lived with Jennifer in Leamington Spa until she died in 2004.