Social science festival returns to discuss how society will respond to the challenge of Covid-19

5th November 2020

From exploring how active travel can be embedded into our daily lives to understanding how our working life has become fundamentally changed by a global pandemic – the 2020 Festival of Social Sciences will explore pioneering research from Sheffield Hallam

Running from 7-15 November in a series of online events, the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) led Festival of Social Sciences sees universities across the country celebrate research that helps us understand and shape the society we live in.

The Social and Economic Research Institute at Sheffield Hallam is running seven events that focus both on local and global issues.

At ‘A Healthy and Active Sheffield: What role for active travel’ Sheffield City Region active travel commissioner, Dame Sarah Storey, will join researchers from both the Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research, and the Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre at Sheffield Hallam University to discuss how the Covid-19 pandemic has pushed public health and active travel high up the policy agenda, presenting an important opportunity to explore ways to embed active travel into our daily lives.

At ‘What is the future of work?’ Peter Wells, professor of public policy analysis and evaluation, and a director of Sheffield Institute for Policy Studies will examine how the pandemic has brought into sharp relief the importance of work in our lives and what changes we may see in our working lives in the years to come.

During the event, he will also share lessons from the recently completed Talent Match evaluation, an analysis of data of over 25,000 young people and their initial experience of the labour market.

Criminology lecturer Dr Madhumita Pandey will lead ‘Through the Gates: Rehabilitation of Men Who Commit Sexual Offences’, a discussion on the need for continued rehabilitation and reintegration of men who have committed sexual offences in the community.

The panel will explore various themes around prevention, desistance, present services, challenges posed by Covid-19 and what sustainable rehabilitation is needed in the future.

Sarah Pearson, director of the Social and Economic Research Institute said: “I am delighted that we are once again able to take part in the ESRC Festival of Social Sciences and showcase the pioneering research we do at Sheffield Hallam.

“The Festival of Social Science is all about opening up our research to non-academic audiences and celebrating research which helps us respond to economic, environmental and social issues.

“Our academics will be bringing their expertise and research to inform, challenge and influence debate on a broad spectrum of topics including the future of work, how we can embed physical activity into our lives, our access to greenspace, our understanding of energy production, how we support vulnerable groups and how our behaviours shape our individual and collective wellbeing.

“The Festival events at Sheffield Hallam promise to be engaging and informative and are excellent examples of how research at Sheffield Hallam is developing solutions to some of society’s biggest challenges.”

Other events include:

• Forgotten mothers: the case for a policy focus on the experiences of motherhood and homelessness
• Exploring the effect of Covid-19 on the future of Sheffield’s greenspaces
• Understanding behaviour and maintaining wellbeing during Covid-19: Lessons from Psychology
• Secrets of the Power Station: making energy visible