People, Places, Engagement and Change

This cluster encompasses research on neighbourhoods, cities and regions, within and beyond the UK; citizenship, migration, refugees and asylum; immigration and asylum law; freedom of movement of persons; culture, environment and identity; popular education; comparative and historical studies in politics, education and society; informal and non-formal learning in communities and workplaces; the role of the media in politics and society (including issues of censorship and freedom of expression); digital futures of learning; cultural and religious change; changes in family law; housing systems and tenures; learning cities/regions and social capital development; place management; place-making and urban design; local power structures and mechanisms for political engagement; the interaction between the global/local.

Some 40 academics across the college have expressed a desire to be involved in collaborative research across one or more of these themes.

Cross-sectoral Approaches to Building Sustainable Opportunity Cities

Led by Dr Peter Kearns, Co-director of Pascal International Exchanges, Kenmore Australia

Respondent: Professor Roberta Piazza, University of Catania

Tuesday 26 March, 1.00-2.00pm

Venue: Teaching Room, Ground Floor, Urban Studies, 25 Bute Gardens

Questions for brainstorming:

1. In what ways can cross-sectoral perspectives and research be brought to bear on the development of sustainable opportunity cities?
2. How can initiatives in local communities benefit from insights from cross-sectoral research?
3. What are the priority issues for research in addressing the big issues confronting cities?
4. In what ways might insights from cross-sectoral research contribute to the themes of the PASCAL Hong Kong conference?

Further details…

60 min brainstorms

We propose a series of inter-disciplinary sessions during 2012/13 providing an opportunity to discuss common interests, catalyse new intellectual connections and map out potential research avenues around a series of themes.

Who should attend? Anyone enthusiastic about research in these and related themes, and interested in being actively involved in new research in this field.

How can I suggest further topics for brainstorming? Simply email your ideas and suggestions (either related to this first topic, or ideas for future topics) to Mike Osborne and Gwilym Pryce and they will get back to you.

An Education and the Urban Environment brainstorm was held in March 2012. Report >>

Class and How We Measure It

Date and time: Thursday, 6 September 2012, 1:00 - 2:00pm

Venue: Urban Studies Teaching Room (ground floor), 25 Bute Gardens

An informal discussion to get a sense of whether or not this is an area in which there might be fruitful collaborations in the future, and to think about the types of data that might be required to properly measure class for a variety of purposes.

Brainstorm led by Jeanette Findlay and Gwilym Price. Report >>

What research would you carry out in 30mins with 250 Jamaican Olympians?

Date and time: Tuesday, 9 October 2012, 2:00 - 3:00pm

Venue: Urban Studies Teaching Room (ground floor), 25 Bute Gardens

We may be able to provide access to all living Jamaican olympians as part of a study being organised by Yannis Pitsiladis in Medicine. That research is biologically-based, and there may be opportunities for related social sciences research with this group.

Brainstorm led by Yannis Pitsiladis, Mike Osborne and Ken Gibb. Report >>