Congratulations to Lucy Hu and Shreyas Hallur, who have been awarded prizes for their performance in the MSc in Sociology in the 2024-25 academic year.
Shreyas won the A.H. Halsey Prize for ‘Best Thesis', while Lucy won the Prize for 'Best Overall Performance'.
Lucy’s research in political sociology focuses on national identity and public opinion, especially in the context of promoting increased national belonging for ethnic minorities. Her MSc thesis investigated the relationship between feeling threatened by immigrants and holding more exclusive ideas of who belongs in a country, in the case of Aotearoa/New Zealand.
The study found that feeling culturally threatened by immigrants predicts more exclusionary attitudes on national identity, among dominant and indigenous groups. The effect was weaker for economic threat, highlighting the need for policy and rhetoric to focus on portraying immigrants as culturally “safe,” rather than simply economically beneficial, as well as emphasising multiculturalism built upon indigenous sovereignty rather than as a rival project.
Following the MSc, Lucy has returned to her advocacy work for Asian Aotearoans in her native New Zealand and is exploring policy-focused social impact roles in government or non-profit sectors.
Lucy said:
It is a wonderful surprise to receive this award, especially given how inspired I was by my cohort of coursemates.
I learned an immense amount from each of them as well as the wonderful faculty and staff. I am especially grateful to my thesis supervisor, Dr Elena Racheva.
She added:
My advice to future students is to appreciate every minute. It’s a short, condensed programme, and there are bound to be academic or personal challenges (otherwise it would be boring!), but seeing them as unique experiences rather than insurmountable setbacks can help you grow, because the experience will be over before you know it.
Relatedly, my advice is to see the bigger picture of how the MSc fits into your wider life. Reminding yourself of the reason you’re at Oxford in the first place can help reduce worries and stresses!
Shreyas' interests in sociology encompass the role social determinants play in determining access to healthcare.
In the United States, marriage has long shaped access to health insurance by allowing spouses to share coverage and financial risk. In his thesis, Shreyas explored whether the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has changed how people obtain insurance.
Using US Census data, he conducted a triple-difference study to separate out the effect of two different provisions of the ACA and found that the ACA reduced marriage’s role as a gateway to insurance. However, the mechanism of action differed by household characteristics. Less-educated couples gained coverage mainly through Medicaid expansion while more-educated couples increasingly relied on plans purchased directly.
Shreyas said:
The MSc in Sociology has taught me to question trends I once assumed were societal fixtures in pursuit of a deeper truth.
By embracing this mindset, I uncovered core insights that have re-invigorated my desire to centre social truths when advancing health equity.
Shreyas is now an MD candidate at Harvard Medical School with a focus in community health and primary care. Upon completing his training as a physician, he hopes to apply insights from his dissertation to his practice.
Offering advice to future MSc students, Shreyas said:
Keep an open mind and keep up with your readings! There’s no telling where you’ll find methodological inspiration that will set you down the path of discovery.
Halsey Prizes have been awarded since the Department of Sociology was formed in 1999. Professor Albert Henry Halsey was a central figure in the sociology of education. He joined the University of Oxford as a Fellow at Nuffield College in 1962, and remained a part of the Oxford community for over 50 years.
Focusing on the topics of inequality, social mobility and education, Professor Halsey's impact on the study of sociology and social policy was felt across the University and the academic world.
