As Mitchell Online is designed with the beginner in mind, it will cover core concepts, methods and data analysis techniques of SNA. It will be hands-on and largely based around the use of the UCINET software package, giving participants experience in analysing real social network data.

**There is no prior knowledge of SNA or quantitative methods required**

Perhaps you have colleagues and friends who would benefit from this online course?

While attendees can attend from anywhere, it could particularly benefit those living overseas who find it difficult to benefit from the expertise at our regular in-person methods@manchester summer school courses.

All information can be found . But don�����Ƶ�t delay as registration closes on Monday, 17 February and the Spring School sessions are spread over three weeks (3-17 March 2025) to maximise learning opportunities and flexibility.

To find out more about and connect with us, visit our or email methods@manchester.ac.uk.

We are delighted to learn that in this year�����Ƶ�s THES World University Rankings, Social Sciences at Manchester is ranked 37th worldwide, and Business and Economics are ranked 32nd worldwide. These rankings reflect the School�����Ƶ�s excellence in teaching and research, as well as its commitment to addressing some of the world�����Ƶ�s most pressing social challenges.

This ranking evaluates performance ; teaching, research environment, research quality, industry partnerships and international outlook.

This achievement places Manchester�����Ƶ�s Social Sciences among the top 50 globally and highlights the School�����Ƶ�s growing reputation for excellence across its disciplines. Social Sciences includes Sociology, Politics and International Studies, while Economics is part of the Business and Economics category. Law at Manchester is also ranked in the top 100 worldwide (at number =78).

The School of Social Sciences has long been recognised for its strengths in disciplines, strong research output and international collaborations. These results reaffirm the School's global reputation and interdisciplinary contributions to addressing pressing societal challenges.

, Head of the School of Social Sciences, said, �����Ƶ�We are proud to see this global recognition of the exceptional work done across the School, and particularly in our departments of Economics, Sociology, Politics and Law. It is a testament to our talented researchers, scholars and teachers, and all of the many people who support this work, and our commitment to making a difference in society�����Ƶ�.

Overall, The University of Manchester ranks in the top 100 across all 11 subject areas assessed by THE, a distinction shared by only seven other UK institutions.

This recognition demonstrates our dedication to impactful research and advancing knowledge across a diverse range of disciplines. Through our world-class Social Sciences programme, we are equipping students with the skills and insights needed to address global challenges and shape a better future.

is a Senior Lecturer of Chinese Politics at The University of Manchester. 

In his , he examines the discourse around Wuhan�����Ƶ�s Party Secertary Ma Guoqiang, an ethnic Hui Muslim. 

Using discourse analysis of posts regarding Ma from January and February 2020, the paper examines how online discussion of Ma exemplifies Islamophobic attitudes of netizens, and illuminates the exclusory ethnic politics that unfold in the process of national boundary setting in China. 

These findings also illuminate how Muslims become scapegoats for crisis in non-Muslim countries, particularly those under authoritarian governance.

Stroup�����Ƶ�s article contributed to the INTERSECT Project, a collaborative study of the global flows of Islamophobia led by Iselin Frydenlund and Torkel Brekke at the Center for Research on Extremism (C-REX), University of Oslo.

The Horizon scandal, which led to the wrongful prosecution of hundreds of subpostmasters, has severely dented the public�����Ƶ�s perception of the Post Office as an institution. Against this backdrop, across the Post Office network.

These further cuts to a system already struggling can only do further harm to the sense that well-resourced public services could and should play a central role in everyday life.

In my , I spoke to people about their thoughts on the Post Office and their ideas about the future of society more generally. One interviewee relished their trips to Manchester�����Ƶ�s now-closed crown post office at Spring Gardens and described it, with only a little irony, as �����Ƶ�the cathedral of post�����Ƶ�.

They loved the way it revealed something of the workings of a larger, complex and world-spanning system of communication. They also liked to daydream about how it would be to live in a society oriented towards a more community-focused, village-like way of life.

My work looks at these speculative dimensions of social life �����Ƶ� the way hopes, dreams and desires for other ways of living are expressed by people now. These speculative dimensions have a political significance �����Ƶ� they tell us something about the forms of social organisation people yearn for, and what frustrates them about our current way of living. Understanding how public infrastructures influence these frustrations and desires is a key focus of my research.

The infrastructures which facilitate social life also send signals to us about how society is organised, what�����Ƶ�s valued and powerful within it, and what seems likely to be valued in the future. They help structure our ideas about what society is and what it could be like.

In the case of the Post Office, the Horizon scandal demonstrates how the consequences can be severe and dystopian when something malfunctions within a key institution of this kind.

Historically, the Post Office played a key role in developing infrastructures of modern life that came to be cherished. Key among these, as historian has noted, is routine engagement with paid officials of the state, through Post Office staff and postal delivery workers, or �����Ƶ�posties�����Ƶ�.

Speaking to Post Office workers and posties has long been among the most positively regarded interactions that an ordinary person routinely has with state infrastructures. Local post offices and posties have represented valued senses of local knowledge, community overwatch and benevolent officialdom.

Crown post offices (the larger branches in the network), often inhabiting a significant spot in a town or city centre, have done their bit too, contributing a sense of civic importance to a place, alongside libraries and town halls. They have provided access to a professional, knowledgeable human interface between a complex system of multiple state services, and those who rely on them.

But our positive engagements with this state system have been placed under decades of increasing strain. Privatisation has flowed from a creeping rejection of the idea that publicly owned public services could ever function beautifully. This, in turn, has left the services we need on a daily basis under-resourced.

The condition of crown post offices has reflected this. Their interiors often emanate a stark sense of minimal upkeep and only grudging repair. Already, many crown post offices have been closed. Where their services have not fully disappeared, they have been precariously relegated to space in retailers such as WH Smiths.

Meanwhile, the way we communicate, shop and socialise has been altering dramatically. Digital communication technology is impressing itself ever further into our social lives. Technology has deeply embedded associations with the future, but with this also comes a sense of unavoidability. The way AI is spoken about, as something set to bring inevitable and consequential transformations of our lives �����Ƶ� whether we like it or not �����Ƶ� is a case in point.

Both of these things �����Ƶ� the neglect of physical places where we interact with state services and the increasing technologisation of social life �����Ƶ� contribute to a growing sense of anachronism about places like the post office. The idea that a public service might attend to the public good in a well-appointed, pleasant, urban public setting feels, for no good reason, like a relic of the past.

All this affects the ways we imagine social futures. It brings a false air of inevitability to the loss of things people still need and care deeply about.

When talking with users of post offices for my research, there was a simultaneous sense among them that posties and post offices contributed vital resources to everyday life, and that technology meant these things were not likely to survive much further into the future. This was often regarded as something to be accepted, even as it was acknowledged that what was going to be lost was something important and irreplaceable. 

But such losses are not inevitable. They are a political choice built on two key failures �����Ƶ� failure to challenge the idea that well-funded, publicly owned and run public services are unaffordable, and failure to envisage ways of organising public services in the digital age, such that they retain the vital material contributions they make to places. 

Further losses to the crown post office network would represent a sad and, I believe, unnecessary extension of these failures.

, Research Assistant, School of Social Sciences, University of Manchester

This article is republished from under a Creative Commons license. .

This collaboration, funded and developed by the School of Social Sciences (SoSS) Social Responsibility Committee, brought on 50 student volunteers as translators, ensuring critical services remain accessible to all, including those whose first language is not English. The initiative addressed a growing need, as many of the �����Ƶ�s visitors navigate complex processes related to housing, benefits, and employment support.

Launched in early 2023, the volunteer translator programme has achieved notable success in a short period, offering both document translation and in-person interpretation services. Student volunteers translated essential materials - such as informational leaflets, forms, and letters - into 22 different languages to ensure that non-English-speaking clients can access critical information. 

Two students have also provided in-person interpretation during important meetings and appointments at the Centre, bridging communication gaps that might otherwise prevent individuals from fully accessing support. 

Phil Drake, Director of Social Responsibility for the School of Social Sciences, said:

Megan Hadfield, a representative from the University and trustee of the Booth Centre, emphasised the programme�����Ƶ�s importance, noting:

Reflecting on the initiative, Conor Miller, the Booth Centre�����Ƶ�s facilities manager, shared:

Looking ahead, the Booth Centre, with the assistance of the SoSS Social Responsibility Committee, aims to expand the programme. Plans included increasing student engagement by refining the induction process and aligning training schedules with academic calendars to accommodate students�����Ƶ� availability. Additionally, the committee intends to recruit volunteers proficient in high-demand languages, such as Arabic and Eastern European dialects, to meet the evolving needs of the Centre�����Ƶ�s community.

Through funding and support from the SoSS Social Responsibility Committee, this initiative empowered students to use their skills meaningfully while providing crucial language support that helps Booth Centre clients navigate complex systems. This collaboration exemplified the University�����Ƶ�s mission to foster social responsibility by addressing community needs through sustainable, impactful projects.

The School of Social Sciences is delighted to announce of the has been awarded a Principal Fellowship from AdvanceHE. 

is awarded to individuals who demonstrate a sustained and effective record of strategic leadership in academic practice and significant influence in higher education, both within and beyond their institutions. 

As Director for the School, Claire has led the charge in promoting the School of Social Sciences' commitment to equality and diversity in the workplace. She encourages both staff and students to actively participate in fostering these changes. 

Claire�����Ƶ�s dedication to promoting inclusion is also evident in her research, which focuses on victimisation, particularly among �����Ƶ�hidden�����Ƶ� or hard to identify groups. This includes migrant populations, young people who are offending or at risk of offending, and those who have experienced Honour Based Abuse.

Principal Fellows represent a diverse community united by their impactful leadership and vision, which has driven sustained transformation in outcomes and practices. It is a significant achievement for Claire to be part of this cohort. She has expressed her enthusiasm by stating that:

Ten percent of ethnic minorities in Scotland have suffered recent racist physical attack. Black and Chinese ethnic groups in Scotland have particularly high levels of reporting racist insult and unfair racist treatment from police.

More than one third of people from ethnic minorities in Scotland worried about racist harassment. The majority of people identifying as Black, Pakistani, Indian and Jewish in Scotland worried about racist harassment. Levels of worry about racism were higher in Scotland than in England and Wales for many ethnic groups.

The report is produced by CoDE working in collaboration with BEMIS, the national umbrella body supporting the development of the Ethnic Minorities Voluntary Sector in Scotland.

The report is based on data from Evidence for Equality National Survey (EVENS), the largest and most comprehensive survey to document the lives of ethnic and religious minorities in Britain during the pandemic.

The collaboration is part of , an initiative which works with research and voluntary sector partners to explore how the EVENS dataset can be used in racial justice work beyond academia.

Read the report: y.

The report is authored by Nissa Finney (University of St Andrews), Nigel de Noronha (University of Manchester) and BEMIS. We acknowledge funding from the UKRI Economic and Social Research Council via the CoDE grants �����Ƶ�Exploring racial and ethnic inequality in a time of crisis�����Ƶ� (ES/V013475/1), �����Ƶ�The social, cultural and economic impacts of the pandemic on ethnic and racialised groups in the UK�����Ƶ� (ES/W000849/1) and Legacy Grant funding (ESW012340/1).

Professor Phillips, a distinguished Social and Environmental Gerontology Professor, is visiting from The University of Stirling, where she has made significant contributions to research and policy in the field of ageing.

Professor Phillips brings a wealth of experience and expertise to Manchester. During her tenure as Deputy Principal for Research at Stirling (2016�����Ƶ�2024), over 80% of the University�����Ƶ�s research was rated as world-leading or internationally excellent, and her leadership resulted in the largest increase in research grant capture in Stirling�����Ƶ�s history.

She also served as Research Director for the Healthy Ageing Challenge under UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) from 2020 to 2024. Professor Phillips was previously the Deputy Pro-Vice-Chancellor of Swansea University and Director of the Research Institute for Applied Social Sciences. She also established the Centre for Innovative Ageing at Swansea and directed the Centre for Ageing and Dementia Research for Wales.

Professor Phillips�����Ƶ� contributions to gerontology have been recognised with numerous fellowships and awards, including an OBE for services to older people in 2013 and the British Society of Gerontology�����Ƶ�s Outstanding Achievement Award in 2021.

At The University of Manchester, Professor Phillips will engage in a series of strategic initiatives aimed at advancing research on ageing and enhancing The University of Manchester�����Ƶ�s already world-leading research capabilities in social gerontology and ageing.

Professor Tine Buffel, Professor of Sociology and Social Gerontology at the University has shared:

Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) is an annual event that celebrates and empowers entrepreneurs worldwide. The Masood Entrepreneurship Centre offered events throughout the week, catering to individuals at all stages of their entrepreneurial journey, from newcomers to those ready to scale their ideas. The events drew 263 students and delivered over 32 hours of programming.

The week began with the inspiring Startup Spotlight with Dr. Mehdi Boutagouga Boudjadja, the visionary Founder of Metofico. He generously shared deep, invaluable insights from his entrepreneurial journey from a PhD student to a Venture Further Awards winner, captivating the audience with stories of challenges he overcame.

Throughout the week, participants had access to a comprehensive series of professional development workshops and learning opportunities:

💡 A strategic AI Marketing masterclass conducted by Peter Dickinson, focusing on advanced methodologies for business development

🎯 An executive Personal Branding 101 workshop facilitated by Jessica Lewis-Tatton, designed to enhance participants' professional presence

🎤 The Ready, Set, Pitch! competition, providing emerging entrepreneurs with a platform to present their business ideas

📚 An essential 'Introduction to Starting a Business' seminar by Jessica Lewis-Tatton delivering strategic business fundamentals

🧠 An insightful Neurodivergence & Entrepreneurship session facilitated by Matilda Page and Dr. Rob Martin, examining diverse entrepreneurial perspectives

The week concluded with the inaugural Startup Weekend, a three-day intensive program where 140 participants collaborated to develop their business concepts into viable ventures. The level of innovation and professional dedication demonstrated was exemplary.

The Masood Entrepreneurship Centre extends its gratitude to the speakers, mentors, and participants who contributed to the success of #GEW2024. The professional excellence and collaborative approach exhibited throughout the event reinforces Manchester's status as a premier destination for entrepreneurship and innovation.

MEC looks forward to seeing the exciting ventures and connections that emerge from this incredible week.

A panel of scientific experts will provide education policy makers with advice on strategic and emerging issues through a new , the Department for Education has recently announced.

, Professor of Economics, The University of Manchester, and Deputy Research Director, has been appointed as one of the specialist team of 12 experts to ensure access to the best and latest scientific advice �����Ƶ� helping the department�����Ƶ�s work to break down the barriers to opportunity by protecting children and ensuring the delivery of higher standards of education, training and care.

The independent panel will provide scientific advice to the Department for Education on matters relevant to its policy and operations. This will include areas such as early identification and support of children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), mental health support, online harms prevention, a sustainable and secure school estate and artificial intelligence and education technology.

The council will also work with the chief scientific adviser to identify and share emerging scientific trends with officials and facilitate effective links between the department and the wider scientific community.

More information can be found on the .
 

A recent event, �����Ƶ�What's In Your Wardrobe? Telling & Sharing Clothing Stories�����Ƶ�, encouraged attendees to bring items of clothing, and delve into the associations, memories, and connections these special items held. 

It explored how we use stories to understand ourselves and our relationships, encapsulating the principles of the Being Human Festival, which celebrates how the Humanities inspire and enrich our daily lives, and help us navigate a changing world. 

The event was held at Ascension Church Hall in Hulme, and featured Jolene Sheehan (community workshop lead, poet, artist, and more), Professor Sophie Woodward (from The University of Manchester�����Ƶ�s Morgan Centre for Research into Everyday Lives), and Dr Benjamin Wild (Reader in Fashion Narratives at Manchester Fashion Institute, Manchester Metropolitan University). 

All three speakers incorporate storytelling into their work. For Sophie and Ben, stories are the threads that connect us to our lives, identities, and imaginations. Jolene leads the project, which aims to connect people to each other, themselves, and their memories through writing. We were delighted to have a number of participants from this project join us for the event. 

The stories behind the items of clothing were moving, engaging and uplifting. 

One woman brought a prayer dress, a loose-fitting garment with a scarf, typically worn by Muslim women during prayer. This item has gained additional significance during the Israel-Gaza conflict, as Palestinian women have taken to wearing their prayer clothes day and night, staying covered and prepared for any situation. 

Another attendee brought the dress she wore on her first date with her then-boyfriend (now husband) nearly 40 years ago. The dress has adapted with changing fashions and hemlines but has remained a constant in her life, standing in stark contrast to the fast fashion dominating our high streets. 

Such items and shared stories were deeply individual, yet they connected people within the room and beyond, highlighting important familial relationships and communities bound by empathy and solidarity. 

�����Ƶ�Talking is important�����Ƶ� said one attendee and I couldn�����Ƶ�t agree more. 

To keep up-to-date with methods@manchester activities and events please here or connect via our . 

It was a successful night for the Justice Hub at the first Manchester Pro Bono Awards with the students, Rachel McMurrough, Roan Goulden, Matilde Mesquita de Malo and Isobel Hoy winning �����Ƶ�Student Group of the Year�����Ƶ�. 

The MIP bring together staff, students and solicitors with the aim of helping those wrongfully convicted and promoting positive change in the justice system. 

This group of students impressed the judges through their investigative work, including submitting a 235-page document to the Criminal Cases Review Commission, their dedication to supporting clients through online meetings and visits to clients in prison, sorting and filing 1000�����Ƶ�s of documents, all while completing their University studies. 

The students nominated in the �����Ƶ�Student Group of the Year�����Ƶ� category were honoured to not only be shortlisted but to take home the award. Second Year LLB Law Student, Roan Goulden, shared with us,:
 

The Justice Hub had also been shortlisted in the �����Ƶ�Educational Institute of the Year�����Ƶ�, the judges praised the University's investment in pro bono and commitment to �����Ƶ� a culture of helping those in need�����Ƶ�, highlighting the work of the Justice Hub which incorporates our Legal Advice Clinic, Manchester Free Legal Help, Manchester Innocence Project and Dementia Law Link. 

The awards ceremony took place during the 23rd National Pro Bono week, facilitated by the Greater Manchester Pro Bono Committee as an opportunity to recognise and support the outstanding pro bono work done throughout Manchester. 

Our Heads of Department for Sociology and Politics have both welcomed the results as a reflection of the hard work of their academics and researchers. 

Overall, the University has been placed among the top 25 worldwide in seven subject areas, and has two other subjects ranked in the top 50 globally. We are now ranked in 46 of the 55 subject areas covered by the ARWU, an impressive achievement. 

These exceptional results demonstrate our commitment to research excellence and global impact across a diverse range of disciplines. 

With as many as 1 in 10 people in the UK using dating apps, connecting with others online is part of everyday life. Over 900 LGBTQ+ and heterosexual dating app users took part in the research, and they told us that they used dating apps to find �����Ƶ�the one�����Ƶ�, to arrange hookups, for friendship, to make them feel less lonely, to pass the time or even for tourism tips. 

Lots of people who used apps to connect with others found them useful, but others were dissatisfied. Some people were dissatisfied because the apps didn�����Ƶ�t help them achieve their aims and others experienced discrimination or abuse. 

This shares insights from the project to help people get the most out of dating apps and avoid some of the common pitfalls. The videos are: 

The team have also produced a aimed at individuals using, or considering using, apps. It covers the advantages and disadvantages of using dating apps plus important considerations around ethics, security and privacy. 

The widespread use of dating apps has led public health and sexual health practitioners to use them as a way of sharing health messages with users, but this raises . addresses these issues. 

The project is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) (reference: ES/W002426/1) 

Through this partnership, we will host events featuring senior women economists, providing valuable insights and networking opportunities for both students and faculty. We will actively contribute to other events across the UK.

, a Senior Lecturer in Economics, will be the lead on the UK WEN Champion partnership. As an associate of the Economics Network, a mentoring programme manager for The Women in Economics initiative, and a mentor for Manchester Gold, they have been a keen advocate for supporting the career development of women in economics. This new role will enable her to contribute directly to UK WEN initiatives and improve opportunities for women in the field and within the Economics Department. 

Chris Wallace, our Head of Department, expressed his enthusiasm about the partnership, stating:

Our association with UK WEN will increase our visibility, with our initiatives promoted across their digital platforms. Additionally, we will have the chance to influence event content and contribute to the UK WEN newsletter, showcasing our research and achievements.

Claire Fox, our School of Social Sciences Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Director shared:

Luke Yates' new book, , investigates the �����Ƶ�sharing economy�����Ƶ�, powered by companies like Airbnb, Uber and Deliveroo. 

This new model promised to revolutionise the way we work and live. But what changes have come about, and why?

The book shows how platform capitalism is not only shaped by business decisions, but is a result of struggles involving social movements, consumer politics and state interventions. It focuses in particular on the controversial tactics used by platform giants to avoid regulation.

Drawing on cutting-edge research and analysis, the book provides a critical overview of the struggles around platforms, examines platform power, and reflects on the different possible futures of the platform economy. You can find the book on the .

Platform Politics is published by Bristol University Press.

At the Future-Ready Postdoc event, part of The University of Manchester�����Ƶ�s Postdoc Appreciation Week (PAW), presented the winners with the awards in their respective categories, here they share more about the impactful research in their respective fields which led to their awards:

- Outstanding contribution to research impact 

Dr. Luciana Lang, alongside a team of researchers from The University of Manchester, spent 18 months examining how faith spaces in Greater Manchester support different groups of older people within their communities. 

investigated the support that faith spaces provide for the diverse ageing population in Greater Manchester, a region facing high levels of inequality in health, income and access to services. 

Luciana shared her thoughts on the project: 

- Outstanding research output 

Dr. James Fletcher�����Ƶ�s research led to the publication of his book , which explores the relationship between dementia studies, and it�����Ƶ�s growing public profile and corresponding research economy. 

The research had led to James being invited to international conferences, demonstrating his commitment to mentoring and supporting the wider research community. 

The book argues that a neuropsychiatric biopolitics of dementia positions dementia as a syndrome of cognitive decline, caused by discrete brain diseases, distinct from ageing, widely misunderstood by the public, that will one day be overcome through technoscience. 

This biopolitics generates dementia�����Ƶ�s public profile and is implicated in several problems, including the failure of drug discovery, the spread of stigma, the perpetuation of social inequalities and the lack of support that is available to people affected by dementia. 

Through a failure to critically engage with neuropsychiatric biopolitics, much dementia studies is complicit in these problems. James explores these problems and the relations between them, making the case for more biopolitically engaged "neurocritical" dementia studies in able to best support people with the condition and improve research outputs. 
 

- Research Staff of the Year

Patricia, working closely with public health experts at the University of Glasgow and medical clinicians at the University of Leicester, conducted a global review of over 200 million study participants, identifying the level of ethnic inequalities in COVID-19 infection, hospital admission, and mortality. 

They found that Black people were twice as likely to get infected, South Asian people were three times as likely, Mixed ethnicity people were 1.6 times as likely, and Other ethnic groups were 1.4 times more likely (compared to the White majority). They also found that some ethnic groups were more likely to end up in the hospital or even die from COVID-19. 

Their findings were published in a medical journal called . 

Patricia shared more about the impact of the research and where it had led her today: 

The Caucus, which serves as the primary association for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people and allies within the APSA, is an important arena for the presentation of research on sexual and gender diversity studies in political science and related disciplines. 

The Awards are presented to individuals who have demonstrated exemplary service to the Caucus, the field of political science, or the broader LGBTQ community. 

A founding member of the Sexuality & Politics division of APSA, Professor Wilson's work on the Christian/Religious Right has significantly contributed to understanding of how these movements have weaponised LGBTQ+ rights and liberties to expand and consolidate their memberships. She has been actively involved with the APSA LGBTQ Caucus, Status, and Sexuality & Politics for nearly three decades. 

She also serves as Associate Editor at Political Research Quarterly (PRQ) where she continues to engage with scholarly developments, contribute her insights and foster academic community. 

In its statement, the awarding committee praised Professor Wilson's invaluable academic contribution: 

On receiving the award, Professor Wilson said:

The visit came as part of a wider mission to engage with the legal community across England and Wales with Monday�����Ƶ�s focus being the North West. The Attorney General hosted a roundtable with legal firms and barristers, visited the Government Legal Department in Salford, and engaged with our Justice Hub team. 

The Attorney General Richard Hermer KC said: 
 

In the our students, supervised by University staff and volunteer lawyers, offer free advice to the general public. One of our students, Alicia Smith, was able to meet the Attorney General as part of the visit and share their thoughts: 

Director of the Justice Hub, Phil Drake, and Academic Director, Claire McGourlay, also shared their insights:

The series format includes both presentations and in-depth conversations between the research group, invited speakers, and audience members on their areas of expertise. 

The first �����Ƶ�Conversation�����Ƶ�, chaired by , featured researchers (VU Amsterdam) and (University of Auckland) discussing ethical issues encountered during everyday age-friendly work in the Netherlands and New Zealand. 

The attendance of not only academics but third sector organisation members, NHS staff, and members of the public was a highlight, providing a diverse range of perspectives. 

MUARG�����Ƶ�s Patty Doran said of the first event: �����Ƶ�It�����Ƶ�s always inspiring to hear about the latest academic research from a range of topics related to urban ageing, and the interdisciplinary audiences that attend always make for insightful questions, interesting conversations, and great networking�����Ƶ�. 

The series continues 21 October with invited speaker (University of Bristol) discussing digital innovation and exclusion, co-designing technologies, and creative citizenship in the lives of older adults. Her talk, , explores how arts and culture participation, particularly those accessed digitally, can influence wellbeing and social connection as we age. 

The semester�����Ƶ�s series will then conclude on 5 December with convening global thought leaders on ageing in community whose scholarships integrate research, theory, and practice to enhance work on community-centred initiatives and ageing equity. 

Registration for both events is still open, you can find the Eventbrite link . 

As a teenager in post-USSR Ukraine, I vividly remember visiting secondhand clothes shops. For the elderly, the biggest obstacle to accepting secondhand clothes wasn�����Ƶ�t just the lingering smell of naphthalene �����Ƶ� a potent chemical with a strong mothball odour used for sanitation which is hard to remove even by washing or dry cleaning. 

Assumptions about the previous owner�����Ƶ�s class �����Ƶ� like the bourgeoisie, the so-called enemy of the working class in Soviet propaganda �����Ƶ� and their skin colour were barriers too. But for me, these were exactly the reasons I adored this form of shopping. Through secondhand clothes, my friends and I consumed western culture. 

Yet, while proximity to western bodies felt like a blessing to my generation, it�����Ƶ�s not universally desirable. Certain types of pre-worn clothing, like lingerie, for example, are rarely found in charity shops. Such items are perceived as as they are associated with contamination and lack of hygiene due to their close contact with intimate areas of the body. 

For customers willing to buy and wear Victorian-era underwear slips, this perceived risk is much lower as the cultural provenance outweighs any association with dirt. Washing such historic items is also not recommended as it could ruin the delicate silk or batiste textile, while the traces of someone else�����Ƶ�s body such as marks, frays, creases, wrinkles and folds on clothes are considered marks of authenticity. 

Although both pre-loved modern and vintage lingerie have been worn, perceptions of their cleanliness differs radically. 

The stigma associated with dirt hinders the way people reuse secondhand garments or choose recycled fabrics that have been woven into something new. This limits the potential to transform the , fashion industry into a more sustainable one. 

Recycling is not yet happening on an industrial scale. Only 1% of used , and Europe�����Ƶ�s only recycling mill, designed to convert discarded clothes into new textiles through eco-friendly chemical recycling, closed in February 2024 �����Ƶ� just two years after opening. 

Reuse �����Ƶ� such as resale, rental, repair and remaking �����Ƶ� could help prevent , reduce , lower and increase to tackle fashion waste. But despite the , it still remains a niche practice because it relies on people wearing clothes that others have previously worn. 

Although worn clothes are often called �����Ƶ�pre-loved,�����Ƶ� the visibility of a former �����Ƶ�lover�����Ƶ� should be minimal for them to re-enter the new cycle of consumption. 

Behind the seams

Cleanliness is a cultural concept that has evolved over time. Before, laundering undergarments served as a substitute for bathing, from germs and disease. Today, laundry practices focus on caring for clothes and protecting them . Washing at low temperatures and on gentle cycles isn�����Ƶ�t about killing germs but preserving freshness. Freshness has become the primary marker of cleanliness, as shown by the wide range of modern detergents and after-laundry products that promise extra freshness. 

Cultural perceptions of cleanliness significantly influence how secondhand clothes are viewed and valued. Today, that�����Ƶ�s driven by the need to remove traces of the previous owner. That involves laundering, which can release harmful microplastics �����Ƶ� washing polyester contributes more than half a million tonnes of �����Ƶ� or energy-intensive dry cleaning with toxic solvents like perchloroethylene, a process that�����Ƶ�s commonly used by rental clothing businesses. 

My preliminary research on upcycling shows that clothes, even when physically clean, are often seen as dirty if they�����Ƶ�ve been previously worn. Stains like blood on a dress, sweat marks on an XXXL men�����Ƶ�s shirt, or wine spills on branded jeans are perceived and even smell differently, despite cleaning. These concerns go beyond hygiene, involving assumptions and moral judgements about the bodies of previous owners, including their class, body shape, gender and race. 

In many cultures, there�����Ƶ�s a need for symbolic cleansing from the body of that is often overlooked. 

Cultural biases extend to fibres, with the industry favouring virgin wool obtained from sheep shearing over recycled wool. That�����Ƶ�s a reflection of historical attitudes towards who collected discarded wasted and smelly textiles. 

The recycling process of shredding discarded wool and weaving it into new fibres was invented in 19th-century Yorkshire. The resulting reclaimed product, known as �����Ƶ�shoddy wool�����Ƶ�, was considered lower quality not only due to the process, which significantly downgraded the quality of textile but also because it used worn, dirty rags collected by poor, often immigrant, women and children. The growth of wool recycling has been hindered, not by technology but by negative attitudes towards the use of recycled rather than virgin and , fibres. 

Cleanliness of secondhand clothes is symbolically charged. By distinguishing between the needs for and expectations of physical and symbolic purity in clothing and discussing them more openly, attitudes and cultural norms may shift. This could help move reuse business models from niche to mainstream and support further sustainable development.

, PhD Candidate, Cultural Sociology, University of Manchester

This article is republished from under a Creative Commons license. .

The organised a hugely popular event during Welcome Week in collaboration with the Charity . The Charity�����Ƶ�s ethos is to empower young people to feel safe by using positive activities. 

The Charity�����Ƶ�s pop-up stand, which was on campus twice during the week, attracted a huge amount of attention at the Arthur Lewis Building. Staff from the Active Communities Network were available to provide advice, engage students in interactive activity and to give away free packs which included a keyring safety alarm, a spiking test kit, drinks cover, and safety information cards purchased by the School. The stand used several different games to highlight the different forms that problematic behaviour within relationships can take, and how to recognise and address this. 

The event organised by Claire Fox, Equality Diversity & Inclusion Director for the School, shared her insights into the initiative: "The School of Social Sciences are thrilled with the buzz around the ACN pop-up stand this week. The interactive and fun way that the team has engaged with staff and students has made talking about issues of student safety and violence against women far more accessible. It is vitally important that we have these discussions on campus and provide education around safety, violence against women and girls, and managing safe relationships. Our collaboration with ACN helps us, as a School, to do this and compliments our student workshops on sexual consent and respectful behaviour which all of our first-year students attend in the first week of the academic year." 

Rachelle McCurry, Director of Programmes, Active Communities Network provided insightful feedback into the Welcome week activity: �����Ƶ�We have been chatting to many students over the last two days, and we obviously don't know the students but they have said that our passion and our motivation to empower women has felt that it's easy for them to talk about their spiking experiences, but also their experiences of feeling unsafe in terms of being in a new city, using the likes of public transport or even sharing accommodation.�����Ƶ� 

It�����Ƶ�s important men are educated around women and that they are also educated about feeling unsafe as well. Everyone had the opportunity to take a safety kit. 

This links to 15 services across Manchester.

Staff from the ( and ) from School of Social Sciences, University of Manchester, hosted the third edition of a 4-day Summer School on Women in Logic from 29 July to 1 August 2024. 

This program catered to 16-18-year-old women and girls from widening participation backgrounds. The Summer School was established with two primary objectives in mind. 

The first objective was to address the underrepresentation of women in the field of logic and philosophy, while the second was to attract more widening participation students to pursue philosophy as a field of study.

Participants were inspired by , the UK's first female philosophy professor, and her ground-breaking critical thinking book, �����Ƶ�Thinking to Some Purpose�����Ƶ�. They gained insights into the broader concepts of philosophy, critical thinking, argumentation, fallacies, and debates around contemporary issues. On the last day, posters created by the participants were displayed at House.

It is planned to run the Summer School for Women in Logic again next year, with the objective of attracting more women into the field of philosophy, and specifically to logic, both informal (critical thinking) and formal (mathematical) logic. 

Our Summer School for Women in Logic derives from the university's strategic plan, as we aspire to give back to the community by providing these opportunities to those who may not otherwise have access to them.

Funding for this initiative was provided by the , (SWIP UK) and the at the University of Manchester.

Since 2014, this community hub has also served as the setting for a fruitful collaboration between the University of Manchester and local refugees and asylum seekers, fostering both language skills and community building.

The initiative, spearheaded by the politics department at the University, began as an English language conversation project. Every week, students would meet with refugees and asylum seekers at the Chrysalis Centre, offering them a chance to practice English and engage with the broader community. 

This effort was originally conceived by two Manchester students studying Politics and International Relations, John Beswick and Chen Liu, who recognized the isolation and language barriers faced by many refugees during a visit to the centre.

The project has evolved since its inception, expanding in 2022 to include students from universities across Manchester. This expansion was coordinated by Senior Lecturer Aoileann Ní Mhurchú from The University of Manchester and Lecturer Dr. Josephine Biglin from the University of Salford.

The students contribute more than just language skills; they forge meaningful connections with the attendees, contributing to a sense of community and mutual support.

Reflecting on her experience, Ila Lessof, a University of Manchester student who participated in the 2022/23 project, described it as transformative: "The community and friendships created were invaluable... the chance to learn from and support each other brought so much joy and purpose." 

Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, the project has persevered, adapting and growing in response to the needs of the community. The University�����Ƶ�s commitment to this initiative underscores the critical role that higher education institutions can play in supporting refugees within local communities.

As the Chrysalis Family Centre continues to thrive, the collaboration between Manchester students and local refugees remains a powerful testament to the positive impact of community engagement.

We are thrilled to announce our colleague has been appointed as the new Parliamentary Thematic Research Lead (TRL) for Crime and Justice. 

She will be joining a cohort of 8 top researchers, selected by (POST) and (UKRI), who will play a crucial role in bringing research and innovation to the forefront of Government decision-making. 

This is part of an expansion of the successful TRL pilot program which ran between January 2023 and Summer 2024, now covering six additional research areas.

Ruth Lamont will be based in the Home Affairs, Human Rights, Equalities and Justice Hub in the House of Commons with links to the , and the relevant Select Committees, including Justice, Home Affairs and Women and Equalities. The role will see her work for three days each week in parliament while continuing her role within the University.

Other appointments include:

• AI and Digital �����Ƶ� Dr Varuna De Silva, Loughborough University (New position)
• Arts and Humanities �����Ƶ� Dr Helen McCabe, University of Nottingham (New position)
• Business, Economics and Trade �����Ƶ� Dr Jane Parry, University of Southampton (New position)
• Climate and Environment �����Ƶ� Dr Andrew Russell, Queen Mary University London
• Health �����Ƶ� David Strain, Dr University of Exeter (New position)
• International Affairs and National Security �����Ƶ� Dr Leslie-Anne Duvic-Paoli, King's College London
• Transport �����Ƶ� Dr Louise Reardon, University of Birmingham (New position)

For those interested in learning more about Ruth�����Ƶ�s research, you can visit her , or alternatively read about her work with colleagues at Essex on the role of Commissioners for the Victims' Commissioner: 

Let's congratulate her on this outstanding achievement and continue to support the impactful research that defines our .

Six student interns from the (SoSS) and (SALC) were paid the living wage as Creative Media Interns, working under the guidance of the renowned Media Company �����Ƶ������Ƶ�, to produce a documentary that explores the festival�����Ƶ�s impact on community engagement.

The purpose of the Creative Media Intern project is to improve the employability of our students who identify as being from Global Majority heritage �����Ƶ� including Black, Mixed, South Asian heritage �����Ƶ� who are currently under-represented in our undergraduate student community and in the creative sector.

Sick!�����Ƶ�s month-long festival, �����Ƶ������Ƶ� activated new narratives through creative collaboration in Charleston, Moston and Harpurhey in North Manchester. The students worked on a documentary that included interviews, and testimonies, illuminating the festival�����Ƶ�s impact, and the importance of platforming creative spaces for marginalised community voices.

For the students, the primary goals of the documentary were to encapsulate the festival's core mission and to collect feedback that will help ensure the Sick! Festival remains inclusive and continues to make a positive impact on the local community. The students presented their work at the end of their internship to staff and students from the University of Manchester and members from Sick! Festival.
 

Following the screenings of the film, Dr Sheena Kalayil, Dr Simon Parry and Dr Claire Fox shared their thoughts on the successful outcome of the project:

In addition to gaining practical experience in filmmaking, the students creatively explored topics closely related to their academic studies. They highlighted the communicative power of video, noting how it contrasts with the predominantly text-based methods of their degree programmes. As a result of the internship, a few of the students are now considering creative paths in their studies and future careers.

The Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction 1980 normally require that the child is automatically returned to the state from which they were taken. For their mother, this means being separated from their child or returning with the child to situations of potential danger, visa issues, insecure housing and poverty.

In response to campaigns by and , the Forum enabled the voices of those with lived experience of using the Convention to be heard. Judges, lawyers and academics practising and researching in the field, provided the opportunity for the trauma of domestic abuse to be identified, and specific problems of lawful movement of children to be identified.

, concluded the Forum by considering the need for further research into these issues to which the University of Manchester has already made a significant contribution and will continue to do so, including helping to secure GlobalARRK�����Ƶ�s contribution.

The Forum, set to occur from August 17 to 30, serves as a prominent platform for addressing pressing global issues through dialogue and collaboration. Renowned for bringing together outstanding talents and experts from diverse fields, the forum fosters innovative solutions and actions.

Reflecting on his upcoming participation, Patrick remarked �����Ƶ�I have been following the activities of the European Forum Alpbach for a few years now and have been particularly attracted to the high-quality speakers and outstanding global talents that grace the event each year.

I�����Ƶ�m particularly excited about the opportunity to network, interact, learn and share ideas with experts from different fields on issues that are important to me, especially the problem of climate action. As a citizen of the Global South whose perspectives have been largely ignored in the ongoing climate debates, I aim to bring these excluded voices to the fore of global discussion with European leaders on this topical issue."

Patrick�����Ƶ�s scholarship to EFA24 is a testament to his dedication and scholarly contributions to the field of Applied Ethics and African Philosophy. Funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council Northwest Consortium Doctoral Training Partnership (AHRC NWCDTP), his doctoral research delves into the problem of inconsequentialism�����Ƶ�a critical issue in climate change discourse.

In his research, Patrick emphasises the urgency of addressing moral resignation in the face of climate change, particularly in developing countries where the belief that individual actions are inconsequential is prevalent.

The European Forum Alpbach 2024 will convene over 500 young talents and top European leaders from politics, business, civil society, culture, and science to discuss and tackle such global challenges.

You can find more information about the European Forum Alpbach 2024 .

This was a time of real change. Girls often stayed at school longer, which meant more qualifications, and for some of them this meant well-paid careers. Some, but not all, could access the pill. Teenagers with money to spare could buy pop music records, follow the latest fashions and save up to travel.

Our Teenage Kicks videos show their dreams for their future. From daydreaming about what it would be like to drive a car, or even just to wear trousers, to dreams of travelling to different countries, getting married, and delaying children until the family finances were secure.

Each of the eight women reflects on how their teenage experiences affected how their lives turned out. For some, like Joyce, dreams are cut short. She was planning on training as a teacher, but had to leave school when her mum got ill and she was needed at home. 

Others, like Andrea, achieve some of their teenage dreams. Now retired, she is rekindling her teenage interest in politics and social justice, taking part in climate protests and volunteering at her local food bank.

You can see until September. The gallery is viewed from the street outside NGI, so no need to check opening times.

Alternatively, you can see the whole , read the zine or watch the video.

In his new book, Alan Warde explores how eating habits have changed in recent decades and asks what it means for us to eat well.

He traces the changing culinary landscape of food consumption in Britain since the 1950s, drawing connections between global trends in mass food production and the changing practices of what and how we eat.

From a move towards more informal ways of eating, and an increase in eating out, Warde demonstrates how social change shapes what we put on our plates, sharpening both the pleasures and the anxieties around food.

Drawing on research undertaken over 40 years, the book offers fresh insights into such practices as everyday meals, shopping, cooking and dining out and how these are shaped by demographic, social and cultural processes. The book provides a comprehensive and engaging analysis of eating in Britain today and of the many controversies about how this has changed.

is Emeritus Professor of Sociology and Professorial Fellow in the at the University of Manchester. He specialises in cultural sociology, consumption and food. In 2019 he received the BSA Distinguished Service to British Sociology Award.