Sheffield Institute for Policy Studies postgraduate research poster showcase celebrates its return to an in-person event!

The Sheffield Institute for Policy Studies (SIPS) was pleased to host its 6th annual postgraduate research poster showcase, a competition open to postgraduate research students across all disciplines within Sheffield Hallam University. This fantastic annual event provides a collegial environment for presenters to discuss their ongoing research projects, network with peers and receive constructive and meaningful academic feedback. This event provides a space, in particular, for first-year PhD researchers to disseminate early findings of the research they are conducting, and showcases the broad range of research undertaken by postgraduate researchers across Sheffield Hallam University. Following the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the importance of events such as this for postgraduate researchers has been noted, particularly as a way for PhD students to combat prominent feelings of isolation that notably arose as a result of pandemic-related lockdowns.

COVID-19: Blurred Spatial Boundaries?

The social, economic and environmental impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic have led to the UK Government issuing instructions for members of the public to 'stay at home' with limited exceptions for shopping, exercise, medical need, and essential travel for work purposes. These directions are supported by Regulations that restrict the operation of public meeting places (or Third Places) including restaurants, cafes, bars, cinemas and gyms. The guidelines for entering a public space, and the maintenance of a 2 metres distance from other individuals not of the same household, pose fresh questions about blurred spatial boundaries.

Without ‘Home’ and Away from Children: Homelessness & Motherhood during Covid-19

Dr Emma Bimpson and Dr Kesia Reeve discuss the unique and profound challenges that COVID-19 is likely to pose to mothers experiencing homelessness.

Last year we completed a research study exploring the experiences of homeless mothers for the UK Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence (CaCHE) and Sheffield Hallam University. Now that we are all adjusting to a life spent entirely at ‘home’ we have had cause to think about the mothers who participated in that research. It is difficult to imagine what the domestic circumstances described by those women – in the lead up to their homelessness and then afterwards – would look like in the context of COVID-19.

Youth Unemployment and Covid-19: Avoiding the creation of a pandemic generation

There are nearly seven million 16-24 years olds in the UK; around 1 in 10 of the national population.
The scale of government responses across much of the world to the Covid-19 pandemic have been unprecedented in peacetime. Extensive business and employee support schemes (such as furloughing) have prevented an economic downturn turning into a huge crisis of mass unemployment and rapidly increasing poverty.

Flouting the rules on Covid 19: Things the government could learn from schools about behaviour management

With ‘lockdown’ firmly in place, no-one can be in doubt about Government rules.  However, only recently the BBC News reported anti-social behaviour being on the increase. There will be those who always misbehave, however, daily I see groups of, I'm sure, 'normally law-abiding citizens' gathered together, playing, or simply enjoying the sunshine. This is particularly concerning given the volume of media reminders.