RSS 1.0Social and Political Science
There is a strong culture of research activity in the Department of Social and Political Science which informs academic teaching at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Staff are engaged in research of both national and international significance and are also involved in publication, peer review, professional practice, postgraduate training and Knowledge Transfer activities. A number of PhD students supervised by Social Studies and Counselling staff also contribute to the vibrant research culture of the department and are usually offered both teaching and publication opportunities. There is an active research culture in the department with regular research seminars at which staff and postgraduate research students present their most recent work. Research and scholarship has developed and flourished around a number of key areas in the department: Criminology; Sociology, Health and Social Policy; International Development; Political Communications; Counselling and Trauma.
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Are we witnessing a revolution of the Italian citizenship regime? Postscript to the special issueWhile we were completing this special issue, in spring 2025, three possible changes to the Italian citizenship law developed that could lead to a deep transformation in the way Italian citizenship has been historically ruled and produce multiple effects on the citizenship/mobility nexus. We therefore felt the need to acknowledge them through adding this collective post-script, even if it is too early to provide a comprehensive in-depth analysis.
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Reimagining the World Wildlife Gallery, Kendal Museum: A Community Engagement and Reinterpretation ProjectFounded in 1796, Kendal Museum is a small public museum in the northwest of England. The museum’s collections reflect both the social history of the area and the connections between the district and the wider world. Particularly significant, in this respect, is the museum’s “World Wildlife Gallery,” a permanent display of hundreds of taxidermy animal and pinned insect specimens, arranged thematically by continent in “naturalised” dioramas. In 2023/2024 Kendal museum began a project to “reimagine” the World Wildlife Gallery, through engagement with regular museum visitors and the local community more broadly. Project and Community Officer, Ila Colley; local artist and community contributor Lavinia Haslam; academic and researcher Joe Rigby, and friend of the museum and contributor to a recent reinterpretation of the museum’s geological collection, Peter Lincoln, reflect on their experiences of the “Reimagining the World Wildlife Gallery” (RWWG) project.
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Perceived Changes in Sexual Interest and Distress About Discrepant Sexual Interest During the First Phase of COVID-19 Pandemic: A Multi-Country Assessment in Cohabiting Partnered IndividualsDue to COVID-19 pandemic, different restrictive measures in terms of physical distancing and lockdowns have been introduced in most European countries, affecting all facets of social life. Currently, little is known about how partnered individuals perceive changes in their sexual life during this complex emergency. This study explored retrospectively assessed changes in sexual interest for one’s partner and levels of distress related to perceived sexual interest discrepancy during the first phase of the pandemic in a large-scale online sample of partnered individuals (n = 4813; Mage = 38.5 years, SD = 10.74) recruited between May and July 2020 in seven European Union countries and Turkey. We also examined the possible role of approach/avoidance motives for sex in reported changes in sexual interest and associated distress. Most participants (53%) reported no change in their sexual interest during the pandemic, followed by those who reported an increase (28.5%). The pattern was similar across the eight countries. Distress about discrepant sexual interest, which was only weakly related to changes in sexual interest, was significantly associated with relationship quality and emotional closeness with a partner, coping with and worrying about the pandemic, and specific motivation for sex. In contrast to avoidant and relationship-focused approach motivation, ego-focused approach motivation was related to stable sexual interest during the pandemic. The current study contributes to the understanding of the link between sexual interest and complex emergencies. Considering that the COVID-19 pandemic continues, the reported experiences and perceptions are prone to change.
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Assessing the role of the oil market in rising food prices: Strategic implications for food security in Gulf Cooperation Council countriesThis study examines the relationship between oil prices and food prices, with a focus on key agricultural commodities in the United States, including corn, soybeans, wheat flour, meat, and milk. Using a regime-switching cointegration approach, the research investigates both the long-term and short- term dynamics of oil’s impact on food prices. The findings indicate that oil prices exert an asymmetric influence on the food market. While oil prices play a relatively limited role in determining certain production costs, particularly for meat, compared to other economic factors, they nonetheless hold strong predictive power for food price forecasts. Notably, any short-term disequilibria in prices prompt a rapid adjustment back to equilibrium, contributing to market stability. The study suggests that Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, which rely heavily on food imports, can leverage their energy resources to alleviate the inflationary pressures in food markets resulting from global demand increases. A key long-term strategy involves investing in energy-intensive agricultural technologies, such as desalination for water supply and controlled-environment agriculture (e.g., greenhouses), underscoring the need for strategic foresight and comprehensive planning in agricultural investments.
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Changes in Intimacy and Sexuality During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Analysis of Data from a Survey on Partnered Individuals in Eight European CountriesThis qualitative study explores experiences of intimacy and sexuality during the first phase of the COVID-19 pandemic of 3357 participants from Croatia, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, France, Germany, Portugal, Sweden, and Turkey. Data were collected through open-ended questions within a survey on sexuality during the pandemic. Based on a reflexive thematic analysis three themes occurred. The first theme No change was described by 41% when summarizing their sex life during the pandemic. The second theme Positive change was experienced by 25%, and the third theme Negative change by 21%. An overarching theme then emerged as: “Still the same trajectories, but the pandemic could be a catalyst for improved or worsened sex- life.” For those intimate partnered individuals who already had problems with intimacy and sexuality before the COVID-19 pandemic it seemed to remain the same or deteriorated throughout the pandemic. For those with positive experiences of intimacy and sexuality before the COVID-19 pandemic it remained the same or improved throughout the pandemic. These findings are relevant for researchers and clinicians in developing preventive and supportive interventions in the context of crisis and social isolation.
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An IPA Study Exploring the Lived Experiences of Young People and their Perceptions of High School Bullying, and Societal ViolenceBackground and Context: the motivation of this thesis was to conduct a qualitative exploration on the lived experiences of bullying of high school students, and whether they considered this a factor in future societal violence. Methods: the methodology was Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), with data gathered using semi structured interviews, later transcribed and analysed to find emerging themes. Participants were recruited using academic posters (see appendix M). Two participant information sheets were provided for young people and guardians, offering details about the project. Participants: the participants were (n=6) with ages ranging from 13-16 years, selected from three separate high schools in the United Kingdom. Three of the participants were cis boys, and the other three participants were cis girls. Findings: bullying is an individual experience, which can occur in primary and high schools, and is repetitive. Consequently, the participants reported being subjected to name calling and hitting, which has implications for mental health. Verbal and physical bullying can affect future verbal and physical violence, with grudges influencing violence towards bullies. Rational thinking can become impacted, with potential violence used in relationships. Violence may be used to prevent bullying from reoccurring, and to regain power and control. Future measures which may prevent future societal violence, including greater interventions and awareness in academic institutions, bullying to be considered within criminalisation, with institutions erected specifically to help victims. Conclusions: cybercrime and cyberbullying should be considered by practitioners, and researchers. Interventions should be used to effectively by school staff to gain justice for pure-victims and bully-victims, with training in mental health and bullying needed. Schools should reintegrate pure-bullies into the school system, with bullying prevention and intervention programmes encouraged. Grudges require attention from researchers and practitioners working with pure-victims and bully-victims. A lack of empathy from future intimate partners may lead to verbal violence in intimate relationships. Practitioners should consider emasculation and racial abuse from bias-based bullying as possible precursors to societal violence. Societal violence may be enacted through self-righteous reasoning, and bullying may require criminalisation. Posttraumatic growth should be considered, with school bullying viewed as a social justice issue.
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Disenfranchised griefThis is an teaching exercise to help students to understand the concept of “disenfranchised grief” originally coined by Doka in 1989. Learners will explore how grief which is incurred through loss can be unacknowledged and not recognised leading to disenfranchisement of self and others (Corr, 1999; Cesur-Soysal & Ari, 2022). The exercise hopes to promote person-centred values along with empathic and non-judgmental listening skills as well as develop learner’s self -awareness, helping them to see grief from their own and other people’s perspectives. Drawing on further work from Doka (1999 & 2017) social and cultural contexts of loss will be explored. We will then explore how we might enfranchise people’s grief by validating and acknowledging their experiences.
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Eligibility of athletes with a difference in sex development in elite sport: Opinions of national, elite and world class athletesThere have been limited studies allowing key stakeholders the opportunity to voice their opinions on DSD athlete participation in elite sport. The purpose of this study was to survey athletes eligible to compete in the female category regarding DSD athletes' inclusion. This study surveyed national, elite and world class athletes (n = 147) competing in the female category regarding their opinions on the eligibility of DSD athletes in elite sport. The study compared current and retired Olympic sport athletes, elite versus world class athletes and current Olympic sport versus current Olympic‐recognised sport athletes. Most athletes believed that it was an unethical requirement to medicate in order to comply with eligibility regulations (67.2%). Overall, athletes did not support a separate category for DSD athletes, an opinion most strongly held for precision sports (69.5%) and a majority believed their participation in the female category was fair (54.4%, precision sports). This opinion was more commonly held by Olympic‐recognised sport than current Olympic sport athletes, particularly for sports heavily reliant on physical capacity (61.1% vs. 20%). More current Olympic sport athletes believed that the eligibility of DSD athletes for the female category was unfair, compared to Olympic‐recognised sport athletes. Athletes agreed that sports federations could be doing more to make sport more inclusive for DSD athletes (82.2%), with only 8.2% believing such athletes were treated fairly. After reviewing these novel results, the athletes' voice (in combination with scientific evidence) should be utilised to create appropriate policies that align with the collective values of athletes.
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Promoting the development of China's open economicsSince China joined the World Trade Organization, China's foreign trade has developed rapidly, driving the rapid growth of the national economy, significantly improving people's income levels, with per capita income exceeding US$10,000, and eliminating absolute poverty. Two main factors have promoted the realization of the above goals. One is reform, the continuous improvement of the socialist market economic system with Chinese characteristics. The second is openness, especially joining the World Trade Organization, which has provided a broad and relatively free international market for the hardworking and courageous Chinese people. The mutual promotion of the two has consolidated the socialist market economic system with Chinese characteristics and strengthened the determination to continuously deepen reform and opening up. In the future, for quite some time, adhering to reform and opening up and improving the level of China's institutional opening up will be the inevitable choice for the sustainable development of China's economy.
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The long-term impact of climate change on growth: Evidence from Chinese provincesWe used more than sixty years of macroeconomic data at the province level in China in conjunction with the split/half-panel jackknife FE econometric approach to examine the impacts of climate change on China's economic growth from 1953 to 2015. Although the temperature rises less significantly than the global average and the US, we find that the temperature of 0.01° C above and below its historical norms reduces the growth of the GRP per capita by 0.2665 and 0.417 percentage points on average per year, which is much higher than the global average and the US. Surprisingly, the service sector is the most sensitive to temperature deviations compared to the agriculture and manufacturing industries. The adverse effects of temperature below the historical norms in China were adapted by reducing salary growth, increasing the number of employees and government expenditures, and improving trade openness to become less effective in more recent years. However, there is no significant evidence of adaptation application effectiveness across the provinces to the increasing temperature above its historical norms. Using four climate change estimation projects and predictions on temperatures rising, the accumulated temperature deviations above the historical average could cause 10.87 to 18.24 (28.99 to 54.74) annual GDP per capita growth percentage points under the Representative Concentration Pathways 1.9 (8.5). In other words, assuming the provincial yearly GDP per capita growth equals five percentage points on average, the total economic losses without applying any carbon neutrality policies will cause 6.82% to 12.88% of the economic losses by 2100, which is approximately 2.67-2.82 times higher than applying policies.
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The belt and road initiative and green productions: Evidence from Chinese overseas industrial parksIn this paper, we examine the positive effects of the establishment of Chinese Overseas Industrial Parks in Belt and Road member countries on green production. Using a rigorous difference-in-differences (DID) econometric approach, we measure Green Total Factor Productivity (GTFP) growth in host countries before and after the establishment of the industrial parks, with GTFP calculated using the SBM-DDF-GML algorithm. Our estimations show that the establishment of industrial parks increases GTFP by approximately 20% on average across all member countries. Placebo tests and other robustness checks further support these results. We also find that the industrial parks yield greater benefits for host countries that had relatively low levels of Chinese FDI before 2007, as well as those with limited renewable energy technologies and poor infrastructure.
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The lived experience of inter-parental conflict and its developmental impacts on young adultsThe purpose of this thesis was to investigate the developmental impacts of destructive inter-parental conflict (IPC) on young adults. This was a phenomenologically-based, qualitative study. Seven participants, between the ages of 18 and 27 years old, who had experienced IPC between their parents, were interviewed, utilising semi-structured interviews. During the interviews, participants were also invited to draw a representation of themselves during the conflict and then invited to talk about the drawings; the drawings were not analysed, but were there to help elicit content during the interviews. Data was analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. The analysis resulted in five Group Experiential Themes (GETs): ‘Feelings About the Family Home’ (subthemes: home as unsafe and unpredictable environment, a lack of emotional support in the family, and conflict hidden from the outside world), ‘Memories of Conflict’ (subthemes: physical conflict between parents, regular arguing and threatening behaviour, and co-dependency between parents), ‘Position of Participant During the Conflict’ (subthemes: caught in-between the conflict, feeling confused, feeling fear, involved with siblings for support, and used various coping mechanisms), ‘Impacts of Parental Conflict’ (subthemes: conflict as a traumatic event, parentification, emotional awareness, friendships and relationships, mental health and longing for security, current conflict resolution, education and career, comparison to sibling(s), and changing relationship with parents), and ‘Current Thoughts and Feelings About Conflict’ (subthemes: feelings about discussing conflict, and changing perspective on parental conflict). The findings from this research showcase that the developmental impacts of IPC can be long-lasting and wide-ranging, highlighting the need for further awareness to be given to the possible impacts of destructive IPC. It also highlights a connection between IPC and trauma, something which is greatly missing in the current literature in this field. This research has implications for those working in counselling and mental health, demonstrating the broad range of impacts that clients may face if they have been exposed to IPC during their childhoods and young adulthoods. The use of qualitative research methods has allowed for a child-centred understanding of the experiences of IPC, with the hope that their needs may be better understood and met by professionals.
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External and residence-based Italian citizenship in the Brexit contextBrexit, which caused Britons to lose EU citizenship and EU citizens in the UK to lose EU legislation protection, represents a challenge for the citizenships of EU member states. In this context, I explore the experiences with respect to Italian citizenship of Italians in the UK, Britons in Italy, and Britons in the UK and elsewhere with claims to Italian citizenship. I show how Italian citizenship legislation, despite recent restrictions, still offers good protection to Italians abroad and relatives of Italian citizens. While naturalisation by residence in Italy is characterised by exclusionary requirements, I show how the British population in Italy also includes long-term residents who have not sought naturalisation despite meeting the requirements well before Brexit. Beyond the letter of the law, procedures of naturalisation and the functioning of the linked institutions – especially consulates – are key in the experience of citizenship. For some interviewees, it was less complex to meet the requirements in the letter of the law than to prove it through the procedures. More generally, the analysis shows the complexity of citizenship in its internal and external dimensions, in the stratification of the experiences for different profiles of citizens and applicants, and in the interaction between the letter of the law and its implementation.
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Violence against Muslims: Conquered, not fully colonized, in the Making of the Muslim “Other” in the Central African RepublicMuslims in the Central African Republic have experienced extreme violence for more than a decade. Through ethnographic fieldwork and archival research, this article shows how the foundations for contemporary violence were created through colonial and postcolonial state-making. The civilizing mission of republican colonialism set Muslims apart. Lifestyle and mobility were never fully colonized; escape depicted difference. Nationalist liberation mythologies render Muslim citizenship as foreign, precarious, and subject to ongoing contestation. Pentecostalism, a lateral liberation philosophy presented as patriotism, provides power to anti-Muslim discourse. Violence against Muslims is situated in an accumulated “pastness” of state-making and struggle in Central African historiography.
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Conclusion: Knowledge and skills partnershipsResearch in youth justice is vast and varied, meaning that those seeking to identify ‘good practice’ or ‘evidence’ must navigate multiple studies, large and small, from every jurisdiction and academic discipline. The scholarship has been produced using diverse methodologies and approaches, and although there is an increasing focus on policy impact and practitioner perspectives, its breadth and depth can make this vast literature difficult to access by those interested in an evidence-based approach.
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Introduction: Knowledge/evidence production and utilizationThere are different types of knowledge relevant and applicable to the youth justice context that can be developed or acquired through engagement in academic study/scholarship and mastered through professional practice. Evidence-based practice, defined in different ways, is informed and guided by empirical research, theoretical insights, young people’s narratives and professional knowledge/expertise (Baker et al., 2011). The focus of this edited collection is on forms of knowledge exchange (transfer) between professionals and academics in the youth justice context. The phrase ‘Knowledge and Skills Partnerships’ is invoked, and covers a spectrum of meanings, employed as an umbrella term that encompasses the exchange and transfer of knowledge between stakeholders and translation of theory/evidence into practice. This emphasis on the construction and dissemination of knowledge in youth justice was the theme of an event on Wednesday 8 June 2022. Dr Jayne Price, Dr Sean Creaney and Gareth Jones chaired a one-day online conference 1 about ‘Knowledge Transfer Partnerships’ between youth justice practice and academia. The event was hosted by Cheshire Youth Justice Services, Edge Hill University and the University of Chester, and focused on knowledge/evidence production and utilisation in youth justice practice. The catalyst for the event was HM Inspectorate of Probation’s (2021:6) report on Cheshire Youth Justice Services: We were impressed with the [Youth Justice Service] YJS’s use of evidence and academic research to inform and develop practice and services. This is some of the strongest we have seen. The inspectorate alluded to the benefits of a well-established knowledge and skills partnership and how evidence is used to inform practice. It was heartening to see such value placed on research-informed and evidence-based practice, highlighted in the final inspection report that was then published online (HM Inspectorate of Probation, 2021). It is important to emphasise the opportunity which this conference and book presents of drawing together other expertise in this area. This includes creating a space to disseminate achievements (including proactive knowledge exchange strategies), engage academic/practice experts and heighten the importance of knowledge and skills partnerships by creating a space for professionals to reflect upon their own beliefs and values, including principles that underpin meaningful knowledge exchange activity. Understanding the environments within which practitioners operate is of paramount importance, (re)attaching value to ‘knowledge from practice, or practice wisdom’ (Gibson, Vaswani and Dyer, 2024), when seeking to nurture the development of evidence-based policy and practice within organisations.
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“Just keep on going”: An exploration of the childhood experiences of young men whose parents were imprisoned in Singapore and the perspective of professionals involved in care and supportThis study explores into the childhood experiences of young men whose parents were imprisoned in Singapore, and the perspectives of professionals involved in the care of these young people. Using an Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) research method the research delved into the lived experiences of three young people and five professionals, using semi-structured interviews to understand their retrospective worldview. The findings showed shared negative impacts which permeates various facets of a young person’s life across the young participants. The professionals shared the same perceptive as the young people of parental imprisonment. Professionals highlighted systemic issues, emphasizing the lack of synergy between systems, while unanimous consent existed among young participants and professionals regarding the insufficiency of financial support for families with imprisoned members. Although this research aligns with existing literature at a broader level, it introduces nuanced experiences influenced by culture and ethnicity, often overlooked in Western-centric literature. The research also identifies the importance of prioritizing the voices of young people in shaping effective practices, especially within the Southeast Asian context. The research recommends the establishment of a dedicated agency to oversee the well-being and support of children with imprisoned parents, coordinating assistance from the point of parental arrest. It’s also recommends training for caregivers, focusing on parenting skills, enhancing connections with children, and offering guidance on communication. Emphasizing schools as vital social support for children of imprisoned parents, the study suggests enhanced training for professionals to guide the young people. Furthermore, the research underscores the importance of soliciting input directly from young people themselves to identify their needs and support needed while under the care of guardians.
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Conducting a co‐operative inquiry in the field of counselling: Critical reflections and learnings from a ‘first‐time’ inquirerINTRODUCTION: Co-operative inquiry, a form of participatory action research, has been utilised as a method within the counselling field for some time, and whilst reflections have been shared about the use of this outside of the field, little commentary has been offered from within it. This paper outlines critical reflections and learnings from conducting a co-operative inquiry as a ‘first time inquirer’ to provide insight for other ‘first timers’, and those conducting this method within the counselling field. METHOD: Nine co-researchers met on 11 occasions from March to October 2022, exploring various aspects in relation to the research topic. Thoughts and experiences were communicated in a variety of ways, through poetry, storytelling, and journaling. The researcher kept a reflexive journal throughout the co-operative inquiry process, noting the importance of this process to participatory research. FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION: The reflections highlighted are based around key areas of the inquiry, such as how the group set off, the nature of meetings, and how the data analysis process was managed. Various points of discussion are highlighted such as the use of a working agreement, power dynamics, and the impact of the day job. In addition, this paper outlines a pragmatic approach to co-operative inquiry suitable for doctoral level research
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‘Marked Out’: An exploration of the role of stigma in the marginalisation and racialisation of young peopleStigma and the labelling process have been conceptualised and debated for decades (Link & Phelan, 1999). Stigma was first examined by Goffman (1963), whose work was valuable in explaining and drawing attention to stigmatisation and individual strategies of stigma management. This thesis moves beyond this individualising definition to consider stigma as a mechanism of power, examining the role of stigmatisers in conveying and (re)producing labels and stereotypes (Link & Phelan, 2001) through exploring the potential influences of institutional structures on stigmatisation. Through an examination of the lived realities of young people, this thesis seeks to understand the role and reproduction of stigma in their lives, tied to the determining contexts of race, gender and class, and created within constructs of power. This study provides an empirical example of stigma power in the lives of young people living in two Manchester neighbourhoods. Working with 28 young people aged 16-19 in two stigmatised areas of Manchester, this research was grounded in ethnographic principles, serving as a foundation for a participatory-informed research design developed to discover, interpret, and apply knowledge. In addition to conducting over 300 hours of participant observation of the young people’s lives, the research involved the use of participatory-informed, creative methods. In consultation with young people, this was facilitated through various creative approaches, including geographical mapping, creative writing, flashcards, and a blog. Based upon its findings, this thesis will argue that the lives of young people are layered through pre-existing faultlines that can be understood and determined within the structures of society. By revealing the experiences of young people through the institutional structures of public and media narratives, and police and educational encounters, this thesis illustrates how institutionalised narratives may contribute to the (re)production of stigmatised identities. By understanding how the lives of young people can become structured within the determining contexts of society, directly from the individuals to whom this applies, this thesis offers the potential to explore how the lives of some young people are (re)produced through cycles of stigma.
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How can we make HE more accessible for those with criminal convictions?Students with criminal convictions are often left out of higher education widening participation efforts. This resource challenges the narrative and offers strategies to support them
