Research
Understanding Society will make an important contribution to understanding some of the challenges facing UK society and similar societies around the world.
To take a few examples from the many possible:
- Changes in the structure and functions of households. Household and family circumstances are key issues for the development of children and young people and the structure of Understanding Society provides a unique capacity to investigate these issues.
- The impact of personal characteristics and attitudes on future outcomes. These include cognitive abilities, personal plans, and expectations of the future of public provision.
- The development of well-being over the life-cycle. ‘Well-being’ is interpreted broadly to include health, income, consumption, asset accumulation, time use and people’s scope to plan and to manage risks.
- Changing patterns of economic opportunities. These are influenced by global processes such as macro-economic changes or migration as well as by personal experience. They have a strong influence on the prevalence of poverty and social exclusion.
- The formation of individual health-related behaviours (diet, tobacco and alcohol consumption, exercise) and their consequences
- The causes, and long-term consequences, of disadvantaging conditions such as unemployment, teenage pregnancy, ill-health, mental illness, truancy, drug taking and criminality.
- Issues of identity, diversity and culture, defined in terms of class, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, citizenship, national identity, age group, disability, consumption and lifestyle. They are increasingly important for public policy and an understanding of UK society.
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