Celebrating 50 years of Sociology at Manchester

Translating social science into public policy: challenges and opportunities

Sociology at Manchester in association with MICRA

Monday 8 December 2014

Seminar 2.00pm-4.00pm, free networking lunch from 1.00pm
Kanaris Lecture theatre, Manchester Museum, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL

Speakers:

Professor James Nazroo, Professor of Sociology, The University of Manchester
Professor Thomas Scharf, Visiting Hallsworth Professor (Professor of Social Gerontology, NUI, Galway)
Professor Chris Phillipson, Professor of Sociology and Social Gerontology, The University of Manchester
Chair: Dr Wendy Bottero (Senior Lecturer in Sociology, University of Manchester)

Social scientists can play a significant role influencing the direction of public policy. Researchers are now urged to demonstrate that their work has been taken up and used by policy makers, and practitioners, or has led to improvements in services or business. But getting social research into the public arena raises challenging issues in terms of changing dominant narratives around particular problems, influencing elite groups and opinion formers, and challenging vested interests. This Symposium will address these issues by taking two case studies of attempts to influence policy agendas, these involving issues around social exclusion in later life, and ethnic inequalities in health. The Symposium will also consider the broader debate around the 'public value of social science' and future developments in this area.