Economic Social Research Council Research Articles

Introducing the Consumer Data Research Centre (CDRC)

Vast amounts of consumer-related data are generated each day. The Consumer Data Research Centre (CDRC), funded by the Economic & Social Research Council (ESRC), seeks to facilitate access for academic and research communities to mine, analyse and synthesise the data and make it available to a range of users through our data store. A three-tier access to data hosted by the CDRC is explained – open, safeguarded and controlled – which details the measures in place to ensure consumer related datasets are hosted within a safe and secure environment which does not compromise data security and allows for innovative research to be carried out that can provide fresh perspectives on the dynamics of everyday life along with a better understanding of issues of economic well-being and social interactions in cities. It is identified that whilst there are currently challenges present in using consumer-related data to convey a wholesome picture of society, the insights gained can provide a more coherent idea of what underpins consumer-related behaviour across the UK and how this impacts society as a whole.

PROTOCOL: Reducing Unemployment Benefit Duration to Increase Job Finding Rates: Protocol for a Systematic Review

PROTOCOL: Reducing Unemployment Benefit Duration to Increase Job Finding Rates: Protocol for a Systematic Review

Research in historical geography and in the history and philosophy of geography in the UK, 2001–2011: an overview

This report, commissioned by the UK's Economic & Social Research Council (ESRC) as part of an international review of research in human geography in the UK, considers the quality and impact of research within two related fields of particular interest to readers of this journal: historical geography and history of geography. The report, submitted in March 2012 and published here for the first time (with a new introduction) provides an account of the core themes addressed in these sub-disciplines over the last decade; gives examples of key outputs in these fields; and evaluates evidence of the impact of such research beyond the academy, notably in terms of policy and public engagement. The review is particularly concerned with the influence of geographical research beyond the boundaries of the discipline. What we as historical geographers think of ourselves is one thing; our influence within and beyond the academy is another, and it is the latter which provides the focus for the report.

PROTOCOL: The effect of benefit exhaustion on unemployment

PROTOCOL: The effect of benefit exhaustion on unemployment

Debate: Co-production can contribute to research impact in the social sciences

Click to increase image sizeClick to decrease image size Additional informationNotes on contributorsFiona ArmstrongFiona Armstrong is Head of Knowledge Transfer and Adrian Alsop is Director for Research, Economic & Social Research Council (ESRC), Swindon, UK.

‘It is hard to stay in England’: itineraries, routes, and dead ends: an (im)mobility study of nurses who became carers

This article presents findings from an Economic Social Research Council (ESRC) study on the roles of education in the trajectories of health care professionals who migrated to England and became carers. The study looks at the downward mobility and deskilling of these women, and their struggles to reverse their bungled career paths. The author maps the routes of women, who after receiving a nurse education in countries such as China, Malawi, Romania, Philippines, and India, attempt returns on their educational investments in England. The themes revealed that although these nurses developed ingenious strategies to advance their careers, many of them could not overcome the structural barriers that impeded their pathways to becoming health care professionals in a new country.

Afghan Refugees in Iran, Pakistan, the U.K., and the U.S. and Life after Return: A Comparative Gender Analysis

This paper compares the divergent positioning of Afghan women in diaspora in Iran, Pakistan, the U.K., and the U.S. and in their return to Afghanistan since the fall of Taliban. Afghans comprise a diverse group in terms of ethnicity, age, class, and religion, and their experiences in diaspora vary accordingly. Afghan women in Iran and Pakistan may have relatively less access to resources, including citizenship rights, in comparison with Afghan women in the U.K. and the U.S. who may be transnational and of a higher social class. However, Afghan women in Iran and Pakistan are able to break down masculine domains more effectively than Afghan women in the U.K. and the U.S. This is because Afghan women in the West are constantly engaged in mediating between ‘Western’ values and their Afghan/Muslim cultural identities. Finally, women in Afghanistan face imported Western notions of market liberalization, governance, and gender mainstreaming, which have failed to bring about desired state building, peace, and security. For the majority of Afghan women, advancing women's rights is not just about challenging male domination; it is also about challenging imperialist domination, militaristically and economically as well as culturally. Although the main focus is on the transitions in women's lives, due to displacement and—in some cases—reintegration, I will also address how these changes have affected Afghan men. One critical theme runs through the paper: the issue of gender, agency, and identity and the ways in which women, through their positioning in diaspora and under invading forces, are also social actors. This study was funded by Economic Social Research Council (ESRC), Reference Number: RES-000-22-0762.

Dimensions of Secondary School Effectiveness: Comparative Analyses Across Regions

Recent UK government policy implementing new systems of evaluation and accountability have highlighted the use of performance data to inform judgements about secondary schools and stimulate school improvement. However, these developments have been informed by a relatively small number of research studies addressing the methodology of measuring school effectiveness, and often employing limited or incomplete datasets. This paper reports the findings of an Economic Social Research Council (ESRC) funded study that employs 6 extensive and detailed regional datasets (drawn from Lancashire, London, Jersey, Scotland, the Netherlands and England as a whole). The study aims to provide new evidence to assist school staff, policy-makers and academics in understanding the multi-faceted nature of school effectiveness and the need to evaluate school performance in detail. The objectives were to investigate 1) the optimal models for measuring secondary school effectiveness across a range of outcomes in the UK and abroad; 2) the extent of regional differences in the results; 3) the definition of the underlying dimension(s) of school effectiveness across different regional and policy contexts. The findings show that at least 4 dimensions of secondary school effectiveness can be defined, specifically in terms of different outcomes, pupil groups, pupil cohorts and curriculum stages. In addition regional differences appear to exist in the size and impact of school effects, and these are mirrored by differences in regional context in terms of pupil selection. In conclusion it is argued that effectiveness at different levels of the education system (e.g., individual pupils; departments; whole school; region and nationally), as well as interactions between levels, needs to be continually monitored in order to map out the boundaries of school effectiveness and how these change over time. The findings are discussed in relation to developing a value added framework for school evaluation in the UK.

Old Times Economic Social Research Council (ESRC)Old Times Economic Social Research Council (ESRC) £40 ESRC

Old Times Economic Social Research Council (ESRC)Old Times Economic Social Research Council (ESRC) £40 ESRC