Alliance Scotland PhD Scholarship - Exploring the role of individuals with lived experience of gambling harms in policy and research

Information on the School/Research Group

The School of Social and Political Sciences offers a dynamic and interdisciplinary environment in which to pursue world-leading research that is theoretically informed and empirically grounded.

Our staff have expertise in a range of innovative methodological and theoretical approaches and engage extensively with public and private sector partners in research dissemination and knowledge exchange to advance understanding of social sciences. This provides an excellent environment for high quality supervision at the postgraduate level, within a supportive and dynamic research environment.

Project details

Gambling is increasingly recognised as a public health issue, yet to date, policy and research expertise about gambling has been centralised outside of public health fields. Within public health more broadly, there is increasing recognition that the shaping of policy and research agendas would benefit greatly from the involvement of people who have lived experience of the issues. Whilst other fields (for example, substance misuse) have involved people with lived experience in research, policy and practice, for some time, the value of involving these voices is only now being recognized in gambling studies. Yet increasingly, people with lived experience of gambling harms are making their voices heard: campaigning for action and creating powerful lobbying groups focusing on achieving policy change (e.g Gambling With Lives).

Gambling, however, represents a diverse range of practices and experiences and there are particular challenges in ensuring this diversity is fully represented by lived experience groups. For example, whilst women do experience harms from gambling, their experiences tend to be bound with heightened senses of shame and stigma, and it is relatively rare to find women with lived experience of gambling harms speaking out on these issues. In addition, other under-represented groups include those from Black and Minority Ethnic groups, despite evidence showing a harm paradox for these groups, with people from BAME communities being less likely to gamble but more likely to experience harm if they do.

This project proposes to explore how and why people become involved in research and policy as lived experience representatives and to examine barriers to engagement among people with certain characteristics. It aims to critically appraise how those with lived experience have been engaged by the policy and research communities to date and, drawing on best practice from other public health areas, make recommendations for the future development of the area.

This PhD is funded by The Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland (The ALLIANCE), who are funded through Regulatory Settlement Funds which are approved by the Gambling Commission to put the voice of lived experience at the heart of action to reduce gambling harms. The Scottish Reducing Gambling Harm programme has established a Lived Experience Forum to accelerate the delivery of the National Strategy to Reduce Gambling Harm and identify priorities to reduce gambling harm in Scotland. The ALLIANCE is the national third sector intermediary for a range of health and social care organisations. It is a strategic partner of the Scottish Government and has close working relationships with many national NHS Boards, academic institutions and key organisations spanning health, social care, housing and digital technology.

We are looking for a highly ambitious student with an interest in gambling research policy, public health and applied social research methods. We are interested in an individual who is eager to explore a new field, who is able to develop innovative ideas, and who can work independently. Candidates must also be able to collaborate with others and develop strong interpersonal networks, including those involved in the work of the ALLIANCE. The successful individual will join the vibrant PhD community in the School of Social and Political Sciences. They will have access to significant resources and expertise from across the School, including its world class researchers and international networks. In addition, they will also benefit from access to the policy, third sector and support and resources offered by the Scottish Lived Experience Forum to Reduce Gambling Harm, the ALLIANCE and from its extensive policy and third sector networks.

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