Publications

Stretching the Sociological Imagination calls for renewed attention to the concept of the sociological imagination, allowing social scientists to link private issues to public troubles. Inspired by the eminent Glasgow-based sociologist and co-founder of the Glasgow Media Group, John Eldridge, it re-engages with the concept and shows how it can be applied to analyzing society…

Since devolution, the Welsh Government has implemented a range of progressive curriculum reforms that have sought to foster enthusiasm for learning, to develop key academic skills and competencies and to promote a strong sense of citizenship. The Welsh Government has now committed itself to a fundamental and independent review of the national curriculum and assessment…

The following article, which is intended to complement other assessments, focuses on a significant dimension to the legacy of the prominent Chinese anthropologist Fei Xiao Tong his role as a public intellectual in Communist China. It was a role which had its origins in Republican China (1911-1949) with the struggle against Japanese imperialism (1937-1945) and…

We study how job-related well-being (measured by Warr’s ‘Enthusiasm’ and ‘Contentment’ scales) altered through the Great Recession, and how this is related to changing job quality. Using nationally representative data for Britain, we find that job-related well-being was stable between 2001 and 2006, but then declined between 2006 and 2012. We report relevant changes in…

This study explores the level of attention (‘issue-salience’) and use of language (‘policy framing’) related to tourism in political parties’ manifestos in Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish elections in the UK. The findings reveal significant increases in the salience of tourism as an election issue—as well as parties’ contrasting use of language when placing policy…

Introductory presentation to the ‘Impact and Effectiveness of Widening Access to Higher Education’ project.

This paper aims to replicate analysis conducted by Chowdry et al. (2013) which considers the determinants of participation in higher education (HE) in England. Using linked individual level data, for both participants and non-participants in HE, Chowdry et al. track 2 cohorts of young people from age 11 through to age 20. They demonstrate that…

Home care should be about empowering people to live independent lives near the people and places that are important to them. It should be the way that we help people get back on their feet after a health or personal crisis. It should be the way that we save money by avoiding unnecessary hospitalisation and…

The rising cost of higher education to individuals and reduced graduate job prospects in many countries have renewed debate about the value of higher education. These have, however, focused on the private gain or rate of return of higher education to individuals, rather than on its broader public benefits. Even defenders of the intellectual, cultural…