Blog
Beyond the ‘blah, blah, blah’: we need a new kind of climate activism
4 November 2021 | Authors: Helen Goulden OBE,
Helen Goulden reflects on people power and partnership as tools for change – and says the cacophony around COP26 speaks volumes.
For ‘levelling up’ to have lasting impact, we must start by ‘levelling in’
5 October 2021 | Authors: Lydia Ragoonanan,
The government has pledged greater support for downtrodden regions of the UK – but change must be informed by people it most affects, says Lydia Ragoonanan
Job interviews disadvantage those on the autism spectrum. Here’s how.
24 August 2021
Interviews are a standard process in recruitment – but are they a fair way of assessing potential candidates?
‘It is time to connect the “civic journey” for our resilient generation’
29 July 2021
Dr Andy Mycock says empowering young people to become life-long engaged, active citizens must be a key ambition for any democratic society.
The shift to remote working opened the door to my career in research
1 July 2021 | Authors: Amelia Clayton,
Studying Sociology at university opened my eyes to the world of social research and gave me a glimpse into how we can ethically use research to make a positive change. All of a sudden, I saw a career in the distance that I hadn’t even known existed.
Turning a critical gaze on the research profession
1 July 2021 | Authors: Victoria Boelman,
Today, in partnership with the Social Research Association (SRA), we are publishing the largest scale study to date of equality and diversity in the social research profession.
Embarking on a civic journey
21 June 2021
Today, we are announcing a transformational two-year research project, with generous support from the National Citizen Service CIC. Rooted in a powerful belief in community activism, entrepreneurial spirit and the civic potential of young people, we will be working with Huddersfield and
Levelling up and achieving an Upswing – Part III
22 April 2021
Matthew Flinders explains how a journey-based approach to youth engagement can have transformative potential.
Levelling up and achieving an Upswing – Part II
15 April 2021
Matthew Flinders calls for a ‘civic journey’ that’s focused on nurturing and understanding how and why people move in and out of civic spaces throughout their lives.
Meet our Inaugural Civic Scholars
8 April 2021
Meet the Scholars: Alice Lemkes Alice is a PhD student at the University of Leeds and is looking at the powerful role of narratives in regulating the lives and livelihoods of people experiencing ‘severe and multiple disadvantage’. Before starting the
Levelling up and achieving an Upswing – Part I
8 April 2021
For all its sweeping prose and upbeat analysis, Robert Putnam’s ‘The Upswing’ left Matthew Flinders downbeat. What’s needed, he suggests, is an ambitious vision for a new ‘civic journey’.
Understanding local patterns of volunteer activity during COVID-19: three ways to contribute your perspective
3 March 2021
Together with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), The Young Foundation and The Institute for Community Studies are conducting new research to understand the various ways in which volunteers have been (and continue to be) active within local authority