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Social sciences

Changing society in work and at leisure

Doctoral College studentship applications are now closed. Applications with alternative sources of funding are still welcomed against a research project of your own formulation, or against the topics listed in the areas below:

Brighton’s research in social sciences focuses on understanding fundamental dynamics within society affecting, for example, conditions of work and employment, the individual experience of society, the social importance of leisure/sport, and interventions in social health and education policy and practice. We believe that the best research brings is embedded in grounded knowledge and practical experience and we engage actively with communities as part of this approach. Here are just a few examples.

  • In business and innovation, research on innovation underpinned the development of the ProfitNet programme. Since 2004 this program has supported more than 1,130 micro and small businesses in the UK, Ireland and South Africa. In a survey of participants 91% reported improved planning and strategic skills and 72% developed new innovation strategies. The program continues to feed back into ongoing research on peer-to-peer learning, continuous improvement and innovation management.
  • In sport/leisure, working with partners from the state and civil society, in 2001researchers initiated the Football4Peace project in Galilee. The project has now spread across Israel and elsewhere (e.g. Ireland). In Isreal 14 Cross-Community Sport Partnerships (CCSPs) bring together nearly 40 Jewish and Arab Communities and approximately 1600 children, emphasising co-operation, trust, and intercultural understanding. F4P has been shown to transform coaching education and contribute to a wider understanding of reconciliation initiatives through sport.
  • To feel secure in public space is essential for people’s working and everyday lives; work on community safety and crime prevention has posited alternatives to enforcement approaches to anti-social behaviour, and research into gun/firearms control. This has influenced policy and practice related to crime management by the Police Service and other local agencies, and contributed to legislative change at national and European level.
  • The Community-University Partnership Project (CUPP) has supported over 100 projects with local communities since 2003 involving both staff and students with local communities. Many of these projects relate to research questions and, subject to ethical considerations, may provide insights and data. CUPP’s contribution has been recognised in many awards, including the 2008 THE Award for 'Outstanding Contribution to the Local Community'.

If you are looking to study at PhD level, and share these values, please do follow the links on this page and explore the topics on offer.