The free week-long event, which forms part of the national ESRC Festival of Social Science [7 to 14 Nov], offers a chance for the community, parents, policy-makers, students, schools and third-sector organisations to hear about the latest research undertaken at Bristol and to find out how it informs government policy and influences our daily lives.
This year’s festival covers a range of topics Bristol is leading research into, from making the city more child-friendly, helping parents with their children’s maths to food nutrition, climate change and counter-terrorism and international politics.
Parents struggling with their children’s maths learning could benefit from a workshop on Monday 9 November. Led by education researchers, the project aims to help parents think about the way they use maths in everyday life, so they can support their children’s learning.
Bristol’s city leadership under a directly-elected mayor will be the focus of a debate on Monday 9 November involving a panel of academics and policy-makers discussing mayoral governance in English cities.
An event on 12 November involving Bristol’s Mayor, George Ferguson, and researchers from the University will discuss what would Bristol look like as a truly child-friendly city and what needs to happen to make it a reality.
Researchers from Bristol’s School for Policy Studies will introduce Bristol secondary school students to the world of international politics through a role-play event on 12 November that will adapt the UN Climate Change negotiations debate, which is due to take place in Paris later this year.
How the UK should address the threat from 'jihadi' terrorism will be debated at an event, to be held at the University of Bristol on 13 November, chaired by Professor Joanne Conaghan, Head of the University of Bristol Law School, and featuring human rights expert Professor Steven Greer and other high-profile speakers. Panellists will also consider how counter-terrorist laws affect Muslims in Britain, and how Muslim communities might be more effectively engaged in countering terrorism.
Other events include a workshop on 5 November involving local sixth-form students to consider how gender is represented in the media, and a session on 11 November considering the role of crafts in documenting life stories and their role in making memories tangible.
A ‘pub quiz’ with a difference on 13 November will introduce participants to social science research around food, including nutrition, welfare and public awareness of food poverty.
Sixth-form students will be introduced to the world of economic research through an interactive event on 13 November that will see them using behavioural economics to design policies around encouraging environmentally healthy behaviours.
Professor Wendy Larner, Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Law, said: “Thinking Futures offers the chance for the local community to engage with some of the UK’s leading social scientists on a range of issues affecting society today and to see how research undertaken on their doorstep is helping to shape government policy and improve lives.”
The festival runs from Thursday 5 November until Friday 13 November. For a full programme of events, please see the Thinking Futures website. All events are free and require advance booking. The Festival has been organised by the University of Bristol’s Faculty of Social Sciences and Law with support from the Centre for Public Engagement and PolicyBristol.
Thinking Futures is part of the Festival of Social Science – a national event run by the Economic and Social Research Council taking place between 7 to 14 November featuring over 200 events.