At the Centre, we aim to:
We have an extensive programme of research and consultancy with funding from a wide range of bodies. These include government departments, the European Union, UNICEF, the Economic and Social Research Council, as well as voluntary and community bodies.
Find out more about our research on our Centre research project pages and postgraduate research on the School's postgraduate page.
The Centre's key themes are:
Members of the centre have interests in a wide range of topics related to this theme including: the definition and measurement of poverty and social exclusion; national and international estimates and analysis; area-based poverty research; fuel poverty; poverty, gender and the life course; and the development of anti-poverty policies at local, national and international levels.
Members of the Centre have interests in the following areas: community participation; community development and regeneration; realisation of civic, social, economic rights; participation and empowerment of marginalised groups such as Gypsies and Travellers.
Centre members are concerned with the selective criminalisation process; eg with the ‘over-criminalisation’ and ‘under-criminalisation’ of harmful behaviours. Over-criminalisation can be found in relation to the activities of the poor and marginalised and ‘under-criminalisation.’ Current research focuses on the “war on terror” and the criminalisation of Muslim and other groups; securitisation of migration; and the regulation of corporate harm.
Members have also been at the forefront of developing the approach of social harm. This new approach seeks to capture those acts and omissions which have harmful consequences for individuals, families and communities. These may or may not be criminalised. Particular focuses are on corporate and state harm, as well as gendered harms.
Centre members carry out research on migration, poverty, the criminalisation of movement and the marginalisation of individuals and groups. Ann Singleton is also actively involved in policy-relevant research initiatives at local, regional, national and EU level. Current projects concern migrant workers in rural and urban areas in the South-West, trafficking of human beings and international migration in Europe. In Spring 2007 work commenced on the PROMINSTAT project - Promoting Comparative Quantitative Research in the Field of Migration and Integration in Europe. This research is funded by the European Commission’s Sixth Framework Programme and will be carried out in collaboration with 18 partners across Europe.
'Forced labour in the UK' is a current research project funded by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation which is examining the individual experiences that workers have of forced labour in this country as well as the scale and scope of forced labour across the UK. Headed by Dr Sam Scott, the research will be based in Central-East Scotland, The Wash and South-West England.
The University's Townsend Centre for International Poverty Research is currently housed in the Centre. Through its programme of research into poverty and social exclusion, the Townsend Centre creates important links throughout the university, as well as nationally and internationally. Many members of the Centre have also been involved in the Poverty and Social Exclusion Survey.