Academician in the Social Sciences: Fran Wasoff

Emeritus Professor Fran Wasoff has been named an Academician of the Academy of Social Sciences.

The Academy cites Professor Wasoff as “the leading socio-legal researcher in family law in Scotland”.

An award of Academician recognises an academic’s contributions to his or her field, and is based on a review of their work by a peer group.

Professor Wasoff is Emeritus Professor of Family Policies in the School of Social & Political Science. She is an Associate Director of the Centre for Research on Families and Relationships (CRFR).

Professor Wasoff’s main research interests are in family studies, family policy, family law and gender issues in social and public policy.

Her socio-legal research has focused on civil and family law in Scotland, the financial consequences of divorce and child support, and the empirical study of legal professionals and informal legal processes in Scotland.

Her recent work has included research on social attitudes to family change, early years policies in Scotland, older women and domestic violence and voluntary childlessness.

Professor Wasoff is consulted on family law and family policy matters by the Scottish Government and the Ministry of Justice, and her research has been used by the Law Commission and the Department for Work and Pensions.

She is a board member of Citizens Advice Edinburgh and a member of the Scottish Civil Justice Council.

She was a founding Co-Director of CRFR between 2001 and 2009, and has been a member of the University’s academic staff since 1984.

The Academy of Social Sciences is composed of 46 Learned Societies representing nearly 90,000 social scientists in the UK. There are around 900 Academicians.