Sociology Lens

Category: Population & Demography

Class & Stratification / Opinion / Population & Demography / Social Welfare / Sociology of Health & Illness

“Essentially it’s just a lot of bedrooms”: care homes and the conundrums of designing for care

My mum will be 90 next month, she lives in a care home, on the top floor which is a secured space dedicated for people living with dementia. The layout of each of the three floors of the home is the same, the design is economical with individual bedrooms off a corridor, a shared dining space, a communal living room at one end of the corridor and a ‘film’ lounge.  Bedrooms reveal a repeat pattern of en-suite shower and toilet,...

News / Peace, War & Social Conflict / Political & Economic Sociology / Population & Demography / Social Psychology & Lifecourse / Social Welfare

Refugee Week 2018: Free Content Collection

Refugee week highlights the importance of sanctuary and the resulting benefits for refugees and host countries. UNHCR figures state: An unprecedented 65.6 million people globally are forcibly displaced. 22.5 million of those are refugees. Half of all refugees are children. In support of Refugee Week we have curated a research collection focused on refugee experiences, their integration, impact, protection and contribution. The collection is freely available to download during 2018. Browse the Research Collection In collaboration with a wide range...

Opinion / Population & Demography / Science & Technology / Urban Sociology

The digitalisation of cities and housing: what will the future bring?

There is a lot of talk at the moment about the how digital technologies are or will impact on a variety of aspects of our lives, ranging from the nature of our work relations to urban life and housing. The ramifications of the impacts of digitalisation on our cities and in particular on housing have been the topic of a recent Housing Europe conference in Tallinn, Estonia. This article will draw out some of the broader themes discussed during this...

Class & Stratification / Gender & Sexuality / News / Population & Demography / Race & Ethnicity Studies / Social Identity / Social Movements / Social Change / Social Psychology & Lifecourse / Sociology of Culture

Free Content Collection: Celebrate World Day for Cultural Diversity

Join us in celebrating World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development (#WorldDiversityDay), observed annually on May 21st. A special collection of the latest research from a variety of disciplines to share knowledge on this important subject is free to access  until June 30th 2018 Former Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova commented on the importance of this world focus day: “Even as we celebrate cultural diversity today, we must remember that cultural diversity is increasingly under threat. Across the world, violent extremists have targeted cultural...

Opinion / Population & Demography / Urban Sociology

What does demographic change mean for the future of housing?

The population of England – in line with many other European countries – is undergoing some significant changes that will have far-reaching implications for the future of housing. In short, the population of England has grown significantly over recent years and we are likely to see a continuation of this trend in the future. But growth is going to be concentrated, both in terms of geography but also in terms of demography. This article looks at what demographic change is...

News / Political & Economic Sociology / Population & Demography / Race & Ethnicity Studies / Urban Sociology

Spotlight on Race, Justice, and the City: International Journal of Urban and Regional Research

  “Spotlight On” Web Series Cities and urban regions are the site where the world’s most pressing concerns are increasing. For the last 40 years, IJURR has been at the forefront of critical debates. The Spotlight On series publishes original, online-only pieces that offer new insights and perspectives that we hope will generate discussion and debate Race, Justice and the City For the new issue of IJURR’s Spotlight On web series, scholars working in a variety of settings  critically reflect...

Opinion / People / Population & Demography

An interview with Aydan Özoğuz, German Commissioner for Immigration, Refugees and Integration

Aydan Özoğuz has been the Minister of State and Federal Government Commissioner for Migration, Refugees, and Integration in Germany since December 2013.  Speaking with Howard Duncan, editor-in-chief of policy oriented journal, International Migration, Aydan discusses Germany’s approach to immigration. This is a condensed version of a longer interview, which can be accessed here. Germany is the destination for the second largest number of migrants in the world, second only to the United States. Why has Germany taken in so many immigrants in recent years,...

Opinion / Peace, War & Social Conflict / Population & Demography

“Was DACA Responsible for the Surge in Unaccompanied Minors on the Southern Border?”

The decision by the US administration to repeal the Executive Order of the Obama administration, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), has caused a great deal of commentary. This brief statement originally published in the journal International Migration elaborates on the findings reported in our original article  (free to access until 9th December). On September 5, 2017, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced that the Trump Administration would end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program – a program implemented by President Barack...

News / Opinion / Population & Demography / Urban Sociology

A European housing crisis? How housing is becoming increasingly unaffordable and how it contributes to inequality

There has been a lot of debate about how housing is becoming increasingly unaffordable to many, both in Britain but also in other European countries. While much of these debates are focused on specific national or regional contexts, the latest ‘State of Housing in the EU’ report, published biennually by Housing Europe, draws a clearer picture of the commonalities but also the divergences of the emerging housing crisis across Europe. The report, which is launched at the European Parliament and...

Class & Stratification / News / Population & Demography / Social Welfare

International Day for the Eradication of Poverty

Despite progress, millions are still living in absolute poverty. With recent weather shocks causing global devastation, low-income communities are facing the hardest challenges in overcoming, and surviving, poverty.  The Hunger Project estimates about 896 million people in developing countries live on $1.90 a day or less, and 22,000 children die each day due to conditions of poverty. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the declaration by the General Assembly, in its resolution 47/196 of 22 December 1992, of 17 October as the...

Opinion / Population & Demography / Urban Sociology

The rise of single households in the European Union and the impact on housing

In 2015,for the first time, there were significantly more single-households in the European Union than any other household type. As such, living alone has become the most common way of living across the EU. But why is this important? The rise of single living has important implications, not only on the number and the type of homes needed but also on the provision of housing-related services, including health or social care. The rise of single-households also creates new or different...

People / Population & Demography

Canada’s approach to Immigration: Interview with the Honourable Ahmed D. Hussen, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Canada

Ahmed D. Hussen is the Canadian Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, the Member of Parliament for the riding of York South-Weston, a lawyer and social activist with a proven track record of leadership and community empowerment. Speaking with Howard Duncan, editor-in-chief of policy oriented journal, International Migration, he discusses the way Canada deals with immigration. This is a condensed version of a longer interview, which can be accessed here. Why does Canada want to attract immigrants when so many...

Opinion / Population & Demography / Urban Sociology

Visualising the social space of housing in England

How can we represent sociological relations in a meaningful and visually appealing way whilst at the same time capturing the complexities of social and economic life? At this year’s British Sociological Association conference in Manchester, my poster aimed to address this question by bringing together elements of the work of the two sociologists Pierre Bourdieu and Otto Neurath. In brief, my poster depicts how their thinking can help to visualise and thereby help to better understand the social space of...

Opinion / Peace, War & Social Conflict / Political & Economic Sociology / Population & Demography / Rural Sociology / Sociology of Globalization

Rethinking Agrarian Transitions and Left Politics in India: 50 years since Naxalbari

It is now half a century since the small uprising in the village of Naxalbari in West Bengal led to the spread of a Maoist inspired revolutionary armed struggle in India, that is still ongoing. But with the Indian state now bent on crushing these Naxalites, and with the more general challenges faced by parliamentary communist parties across India, the question of how to analyse the agrarian economy – the basis of left strategy for a communist society in many...