GCU's Department of Social Science and the coronavirus crisis
The world has been grappling with COVID-19 for much of 2020. On March 1st, the first positive case was confirmed in Scotland. The first case of community transition in Scotland that was unrelated to travel, was identified on the same day that the World Health Organisation declared the virus a pandemic (March 11th); the first death in Scotland attributed to COVID-19 followed two days later. ‘Lockdown’ started on March 24th, with the move to the first phase of moving out of lockdown beginning on May 29th, and the move to its second phase introduced on June 19th.
Our social science has responded to the challenge of COVID-19. The Department of Social Sciences at GCU has been researching and teaching social science for almost fifty years. It now comprises twenty academic staff spanning criminology, history, politics, social policy and sociology. It has an established postgraduate community, and a vibrant and active undergraduate student community. The BA Social Sciences is its signature degree; staff also contribute to a wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes across GCU.
As the Campaign for Social Science demonstrates, the social sciences provide an essential evidence base for the policy response to COVID-19. This report shows how the Department of Social Sciences at GCU is contributing toward this effort.
Furthermore, this report highlights that social science has a positive impact that extends beyond research impact; as the title of this report suggests, our community is practising everyday social science for the common good.
The report can be access via the link below:
Practising social science for the common good
For more information about the report, please contact Professor John McKendrick
Glasgow Caledonian University is to lead a £2.7million study into radicalisation and violent extremism across Europe.
Researchers from the UK and 16 other countries will examine the growing threat from lone wolf acts of terrorism and far-right nationalist groups across the continent.
The project, De-Radicalisation in Europe and Beyond: Detect, Resolve, Re-integrate (D.Rad), will seek to identify trends in radical ideologies, help shape policies to improve social inclusion, and forecast the potential impact on society of the widening inequalities created by COVID-19.
Artificial intelligence and machine learning will also be used to understand how radicalisation develops over time, using information gleaned from online interactions, including social media, blogs, and discussion forums.
The project has secured more than €3m from the European Commission's Horizon 2020 fund and will focus on practical ways to re-integrate radicalised young people back into society. It is led by a team from Glasgow Caledonian University headed by Professor Umut Korkut, Dr Xander Kirke and Dr James Foley.
Article in the Journal of Gender Based Violence:
Following lockdowns in countries around the world, reports emerged of a ‘surge’ or ‘spikes’ in the number of domestic violence and abuse cases. It is critical to contextualise this: more men are not starting to be abusive or violent; rather, the patterns of abuse are becoming more frequent. Spiking and surging make us think in terms of more one-off incidents but it is more likely that the pattern of abuse that is already there is increasing in terms of frequency and type because both parties remain together at all times. Amid such a crisis, it is imperative that we continue to see the dynamics of domestic violence and abuse as both a pattern of abusive behaviours and a product of gendered social and cultural norms, rather than a reaction to a specific factor or event, such as COVID-19.
Access the article here
Details of the article also appeared in Transforming Society.
For more information contact Dr Nancy Lombard
The "devastating impact" the pandemic has had on gender equality was explored by GCU's Dr Angela O'Hagan and a panel of experts at the Scottish Parliament's Festival of Politics. Also, seminars given has part of 'Our World Re-imagined Series' for Glasgow Council for the Voluntary Sector and A Caring Economy for Now' for Glasgow Centre for Population Health.
Professor John McKendrick has given a number of presentations linked to the Coronavirus crisis including:
- Emergency food provision - Voluntary Health Scotland, Food Foundation
- Reflections on poverty and living and learning through a pandemic - EIS PACT Project
- Five hidden poverties of and in Scottish School Education - Northern Alliance and Education Scotland
- Attitudes towards social security in Scotland, in and beyond crisis - Bright Blue and JRF
