Social scientists aren’t always very good at remembering their own history. Also, their research doesn’t build as intelligently on what has gone before, as research in some other disciplines. This means that texts which were trail-blazing and influential at the time, and which are still relevant today, can be forgotten unless active attempts are made Read More

In a world marked by political and economic uncertainty, debt appears to be a constant, an enormous dark cloud weighing upon our lives. We are always in debt, struggling to make ends meet, maintain repayments, and balance the books. In the wake of financial crash of 2008 debt was big news and many imagined the Read More

In this podcast we’re telling Alex’s story, about debt, grief and loss, and how life can spiral out of control. This is the second in a series of podcasts that examines what life is like for families stuck in problem debt. The stories are taken from Life in the Debt Trap by Sorcha Mahony and Larissa Read More

Based on Gangs, Drugs and (Dis)Organised Crime by Robert McLean, this briefing covers contemporary British gang activity at all levels with an emphasis on involvement in organised crime, and in particular the illegal supply of drugs. Policy recommendations include addressing the root causes of crime, adopting a strategy of support for members rather than gang Read More

On 5 August, Narendra Modi’s newly reelected government announced that it was revoking Article 370 of the Indian Constitution, which conferred special status on the state of Jammu and Kashmir. It declared that it intended to split that state into two parts, render the area of Ladakh and what was left of Jammu and Kashmir Read More

Not for the first time the issue of post A-level results applications to university is in the news, this time as a promise from Labour that it would introduce such a scheme. Norman Gowar, co-author of English Universities in Crisis, highlights how this change would improve participation. Arguments against are familiar and seem feeble: lack Read More

What is life like for families who are stuck in problem debt? Why do they fall into a spiral of debt in the first place, and why is it so hard to escape? This podcast tells Stella’s story, about debt and isolation, and the impact that debt has across the whole family. This is the Read More

What matters most in how poverty shapes children’s wellbeing and development? How can data inform social policy and approaches to improving outcomes for poorer children? What makes evidence useful? Young Lives has contributed powerful findings on the multiple impacts of poverty on the young. Using life course analysis from the Young Lives study of 12,000 Read More

In his recent book, Good Finance, Vedat Akgiray outlines the causes of financial crises and their socioeconomic effects. He argues that just as we need good food for good health, so too do we need ‘good finance’ for social and economic wellness. In this policy briefing he offers specific financial law and policy recommendations, and Read More

In their ground-breaking book, The Economics of Arrival, Katherine Trebeck and Jeremy Williams argue that, although everyday economics tells us there is no such thing as enough growth, we have, in fact, ‘arrived’. Economic growth has already brought unrivalled prosperity for GDP-rich countries; we have enough. The challenge is now to make ourselves at home Read More