Social Sciences Policy Briefings
Policy Briefing
Social Science research at Warwick addresses a broad range of policy-relevant issues.
Our Policy Briefing Series highlights key findings and policy recommendations from recent research projects across the Faculty.
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De-perimeterising Zero Trust
Dr Matt Spencer and Dr Daniele Pizio, Centre for Interdisciplinary Methodologies
This policy briefing reports on some high level findings regarding zero trust models. Zero trust models are increasingly prevalent and work on the basis of heavy surveillance within a company or organisation's digital domain. Such approaches are often a replacement for older ‘perimeter-based’ models that focus security controls on the organisation’s boundary. This briefing examines their limitations and offers suggestions about the future of the field.
Published March 2024.
Disability and Social Mobility: A Neglected Relationship
Dr Stella Chatzitheochari, Department of Sociology with Dr Sanne Velthuis, University of Newcastle and Dr Roxanne Connelly, University of Edinburgh
This briefing highlights overlooked inequalities between disabled and non-disabled young people's activity status and social mobility in early adulthood. It specifically focuses on the importance of parental social class for disabled young people's socio-economic outcomes.
Published September 2022
Learning from Indian Teacher Expertise
Dr Jason Anderson, Department for Applied Linguistics
This policy briefing offers key findings and policy recommendations from an empirical stud into the practices, cognition and professionalism of teachers identified as experts working in Indian schools.
Published March 2022.
Nigeria's New Oil Community Development Funds
Dr Modesta Tochi Alozie & Dr Phillip Nelson, Department of Politics and International Studies
This briefing highlights critical issues that could entrench injustices in Nigeria's oil Host Communities if steps are not taken by relevant actors.
Published March 2022
Disability Inequalities in Post-16 Destinations and Early Socioeconomic Attainment
Dr Stella Chatzitheochari, Department of Sociology with Dr Sanne Velthuis, University of Newcastle
This briefing presents key findings from research that documents post-16 transitions and early socioeconomic attainment of disabled young people in England.
Published May 2021
Improving Forced Marriage Policy Implementation in France
Dr Khursheed Wadia, Department of Sociology with Professor Gill Allwood, Nottingham Trent University
This policy brief is based on a two-year research project funded by the British Academy that sought to investigate the intersection between gender-based violence, particularly forced marriage, and policy in France.
Published November 2019
Who's Challenging Who?
Dr Samantha Flynn and Prof Richard Hastings, Centre for Educational Development, Appraisal and Research (CEDAR)
This briefing presents the results of a randomised controlled trial to analyse the effectiveness of a staff training intervention (Who's Challenging Who?) designed to improve empathy towards adults with learning disabilities who display behaviour that challenges.
Published November 2019
Improving the Loneliness Strategy
Prof Kimberley Brownlee and Dr David Jenkins, Department of Philosophy
This briefing highlights three notable gaps in the UK’s 2018 Loneliness Strategy and makes recommendations to address them.
Published September 2019
Creating inclusive conferences for academics with caring responsibilities
Dr Emily Henderson, Education Studies
The briefing gives an overview of findings from a study looking at the impact of caring responsibilities on academics’ participation in conferences. It presents recommendations for how conference organisers can be more accommodating towards these attendees.
Published June 2018
Improving the well-being of young children with learning disabilities
Dr Vasiliki Totsika, Centre for Educational Development, Appraisal and Research and Prof Richard Hastings, Education Studies
This briefing highlights work by researchers, charities and parents to develop an information booklet to help parents of children with learning disabilities promote their child’s well-being.
Published May 2018
The Internationalisation of Higher Education: Developing Global Graduates
Prof Helen Spencer-Oatey and Dr Daniel Dauber, Centre for Applied Linguistics
This briefing paper summarises findings and implications from a survey that assessed the aspirations of students for a global education and their experiences in reality.
Published April 2018
Childhood Disability & Educational Attainment: The Impact of Parental Expectations and Bullying
Dr Stella Chatzitheochari, Department of Sociology with Professor Lucinda Platt, London School of Economics
This briefing presents findings from research that explores the factors that influence disabled young people’s attainment and educational decisions at key points in the English school system.
Published April 2018
Emotional Finance: Investment and the Unconscious
Professor Richard Taffler, Warwick Business School
This briefing introduces the concept of ‘emotional finance’, the idea that unconscious feelings help drive both individual investment decisions and market activity.
Published March 2018
Lessons in Spiritual Development: Learning from Leading Christian-Ethos Secondary Schools
Prof Leslie J Francis, CEDAR with Trevor Cooling, and Ann Casson, Canterbury Christchurch University
This briefing presents an overview of findings and implications from the Ten Leading Schools project, which assessed models of spiritual development in Christian-ethos secondary schools in England and Wales.
Published January 2018
Employment Rights: Preserving and Strengthening Family-Friendly and
Egalitarian Workplace Cultures after Brexit
Dr Ania Zbyszewska, School of Law
This briefing assesses how employment rights underpinning family-friendly workplaces might be affected by the UK’s exit from the EU.
Published December 2017
Skills Training for Vulnerable Workers: Effects of the Loss of EU Funding after Brexit
Peter Dickinson, Dr Daria Luchinskaya and Prof Chris Warhurst, Institute for Employment Research
This briefing outlines the benefits of the European Social Fund in the UK and makes recommendations for what investment in skills training for vulnerable workers should look like after Brexit.
Published November 2017
Job Loss and Job Creation - Pitfalls and Opportunities?
Brexit, Foreign Investment and Job Creation
Prof Nigel Driffield and Dr Erika Kispeter, Warwick Business School
This briefing outlines recent policy-orientated research on the impact of Brexit on inward foreign direct investment and employment. It sets out recommendations for a post-Brexit inward investment strategy, with a focus on good-quality job creation.
Published November 2017
Regulating EU Migrant Labour: Lessons from the Construction Industry
Prof Guglielmo Meardi and Dr Erika Kispeter, Warwick Business School, with Anne Green, University of Birmingham
This briefing analyses lessons from the construction industries of Canada, Switzerland and Norway to make recommendations for how migrant labour regulations might be implemented in the UK.
Published November 2017
Using Deep Learning to Quantify the Beauty of Outdoor Places
Chanuki Seresinhe, Dr Suzy Moat and Dr Tobias Preis, Warwick Business School
Beautiful outdoor locations are often protected by governments and are associated with better health. This briefing summarises research that uses a deep learning algorithm to investigate what makes an outdoor space beautiful.
Published October 2017
Positive Behavioural Support: Impact of the PBS Academy
Dr Louise Denne, Centre for Educational Development, Appraisal and Research
This briefing provides an overview of the impact of the Positive Behavioural Support (PBS) Academy and makes recommendations for extending the reach of its work.
Published October 2017
Experiences of a Therapeutic Writing Group for Survivors of Sexual Abuse
Dr Jeannie Wright and Dr Ravi Thiara, Centre for Lifelong Learning
This briefing summarises experiences from a pilot writing group for survivors of sexual abuse. It highlights key issues that emerged and shares learning to inform future therapeutic writing programmes.
Published October 2017
The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Business
Prof Mark Skilton, Warwick Business School
This briefing provides an overview of key challenges for the development and implementation of Artificial Intelligence technologies, including consequences for business and society and questions that will need addressing. It outlines some of the leading thinking in the field and defines key concepts.
Published August 2017
English Language Standards in Higher Education
Prof Neil Murray, Centre for Applied Linguistics
This briefing provides a critique of the English language tests used by universities to assess whether international students have the require levels of English language proficiency to be admitted onto degree programmes.
Published July 2017
Taking labour rights seriously in a UK-EU trade agreement
Dr Ben Richardson and Prof James Harrison Department of Politics and International Studies, with Adrian Smith, Liam Campling and Mirela Barbu, Queen Mary University, London.
This briefing examines what the protection of labour rights could achieve, as well as the dangers of not including significant commitments in a post-Brexit trade deal.
Published July 2017
The Non-Invasive Prenatal Test (NIPT): Views of People with Down Syndrome
Prof Richard Hastings, Centre for Educational Development, Appraisal and Research with Dr Barbara Barter, Clinical Psychologist, NHS
This briefing sets out the ethical considerations of the NIPT policy and provides recommendations of how it might be implemented sensitively.
Published May 2017
Governing Labour Standards Through Free Trade Agreements: Limits of the EU's Approach
Dr Ben Richardson and Prof James Harrison Department of Politics and International Studies, with Adrian Smith, Liam Campling and Mirela Barbu, Queen Mary University, London.
This briefing summarises research on the effectiveness of labour standards provisions in Trade and Sustainable Development Chapters of EU trade agreements.
Published March 2017
A Secularist Framework for an Inclusive and Equal Society
Dr Steven Kettell, Department of Politics and International Studies
This briefing summarises a response to the Commission on Religion and Belief in British Public Life (CORAB) made by secularists from a range of spheres. The response aims to provide a critical counterweight to CORAB recommendations on the role of religion in British public life, ensuring that a secular viewpoint can be heard.
Published January 2017