Festival of Social Sciences
The University of Hertfordshire is supporting the national Economic and Social Research Council's (ESRC) Festival of Social Science 2024 with a host of free, interactive public events showcasing some of the social science research being undertaken at the University.
Running between Saturday 19 October and Friday 9 November, the ESRC Festival of Social Science 2024 celebrates social science research and knowledge through public engagement activities run by its university partners across the country. This year’s main theme is ‘Our Digital Lives’, with many activities aimed at exploring the relationship between humans and digital technology.
In Hertfordshire, researchers from the University are running a packed programme of in-person and online activities, ranging from a pop-up play café and online cookalong, to events focused on how we can better tackle plastic pollution; how everyday digital technology can transform the lives of older adults; how digital transport services can be more inclusive; how new healthcare models can help the NHS and what can be done to support the emotional work of parents with autistic children on family holidays. All events are aimed at showcasing important research findings that have an impact on real life, as well as knowledge and guidance to help us all live better lives.
The full University of Hertfordshire Festival of Social Science programme is as follows:
Switch Off, Play On! Pop-up Play Cafe
What’s on offer?
Join us on 29 October-2 November 2024 at our friendly play café to explore our library of games, puzzles and toys aimed at encouraging families and friends to switch off their phones and rediscover the joy of connecting over a traditional board game or simple play experiences.
What’s it about?
Since its development in the early 1990’s, the internet has become highly pervasive across most of the civilised world. While the majority of internet users take advantage of its many positive uses (including professional and recreational ones), some individuals can develop Problematic Use of the Internet (PUI). This term encompasses a wide range of repetitive disabling behaviours characterised by compulsivity and addiction, including but not limited to internet gaming, compulsive online sexual behaviours/cyberpornography, internet-related buying or shopping disorder, internet-related gambling disorder, cyberbullying, cyberchondria, and social media/network forum use, among others. Using Herts-led research, this special, week-long public engagement event aims to raise awareness of PUI, while promoting ways for us all to develop healthier behaviour around how we use and interact with digital technology.
Who’s leading the event?
The event is based on the Learning to deal with Problematic Usage of the Internet publication by Naomi Fineberg, Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Hertfordshire and Bernardo Dell’Osso, MD is Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Milan.
Scheduling information
This event will be open to the public from Tuesday 29 October, 11:00-16:00, Wednesday 30th October 13:00-16:00; Thursday to Saturday 2 November, 11:00-16:00. There will be a bookable SEN session on Wednesday 30 October, 10:00-12:00.
Event booking deadline
Booking for the SEN session on Wednesday 30 October, 10:00-12:00, will close 30 minutes before the event commences or or when at full capacity.Venue
Switch Off, Play On! Play Cafe, unit 9 (top floor, opposite Cafe Nero) The Galleria Outlet Shopping Centre, Comet Way, Hatfield, Herts, AL10 0XR
Hertfordshire’s Full of Beans Half-Term Family Cookalong
What’s it about?
Eating less meat is not only good for your body, it is really good for everybody. Learn how beans are a tasty yet simple, affordable ingredient that is a fantastic source of protein, lower in fat and far better for the environment. Join us for a hands-on cookalong session with Stevenage Football Club Foundation and The Let's Cook Project. We will be making baked beans from scratch, kicking it up with some mean bean balls and more besides...all in real time. We will be in our kitchen, you will be in yours, but we will all be cooking together. Suitable for older children to cook along to or as a fun half-term activity to do together with younger ones. Have fun whilst brushing up on your kitchen skills and exploring tasty ways to positive change. Sign up in advance and we will send you the key ingredients free of charge!
Who’s leading the event?
Herts researcher James Shepherd supported by Hannah Marsh, Head of Health and Wellbeing at Stevenage FC Foundation. James is currently undertaking PhD research at the University of Hertfordshire, exploring the interlinkages between food insecurity and food literacy and the wider role of food intervention programmes in the UK and their perceived effectiveness.
Scheduling information
Livestreamed cookalong session on Thursday 31 October, 12:30-13:30.
Event booking deadline
Registration for this event will close at 17:00 on Wednesday 30th October 2024. Sign up by 18 October to be in with a chance of receiving one of 25 free recipe boxes.Plastics and People: Understanding the Impact of Plastic Pollution
What’s on offer?
An interactive, face-to-face event on the consequences and impacts of plastics pollution on the environment and people. Discussions on the topic will be led by researchers from the University of Hertfordshire, the University of Northampton, Kelpi, and Potentially Blue Skies Ltd.
What’s it about?
How can you make a positive difference in the fight against plastic pollution? This event will explore how plastic waste affects our daily lives, health and communities, and will encourage you to think of this useful resource as something as some valuable, rather than disposable. Drawing on research from the Fresh Produce Impact Hub (FRESHPPACT), participants will learn how plastic pollution disrupts ecosystems, increases the negative impacts of climate change and poses risks to human health. Through an interactive booth, expert discussions, and the display of sustainable sample products, we will explore the social implications of plastic pollution and the roles that individuals and communities can play to confront it. Join us for an engaging and informative session that can help you make a difference.
Who’s leading the event?
Amin Hosseinian-Far, Professor of Systems Thinking at Hertfordshire Business School, University of Hertfordshire.
Scheduling information
Friday 1 November, 11:00-13:00.
Event Booking details
This will be a drop-in event, with our academic available by their information stand during these times to discuss their research. Register here
Venue
Inside the research area of Switch Off, Play On! Play Cafe, unit 9 (top floor, opposite Cafe Nero) The Galleria Outlet Shopping Centre, Comet Way, Hatfield, Herts, AL10 0XR
How can digital transport services be more inclusive?
What’s on offer?
An in-person discussion on Mobility as a Service, a transport service which can help achieve zero carbon personal transport, and how it can be made safe for women. Discussions on the topic will be led by researchers from the University of Hertfordshire.
What’s it about?
Increasingly, people are using travel apps through their mobile phones to book, pay for and manage transport, from catching a train to ordering an Über. This system, called Mobility as a Service, can dramatically reduce the environmental impact of transport, making it more accessible for people to use trains, buses, and bicycle sharing services instead of their private cars. However, University of Hertfordshire research suggests that disadvantaged groups encounter safety risks resulting from sharing vehicles with strangers and extra labour associated with using apps requiring digital confidence and financial resources. Hear from transport leaders and contribute your own ideas on how we can address this gap and make transport accessible for all.
Who’s leading the event?
Dr Maurizio Catulli, Principal Investigator / Senior Lecturer, Centre for Future Societies Research, University of Hertfordshire, lead research on just transitions to sustainable futures, sustainable business models and sustainable tranport.
Scheduling information
Friday 1 November and Saturday 2 November.
Of particular interest to
Representatives of local authorities (e.g. local councils); transport providers (car and bicycle sharing, bus and train companies); users (including the public) of various forms of transport who travel to locations such as schools, work or leisure venues. People who attend will be of diverse ages.
Event booking deadline
Registrations will be accepted up to the event unless at full capacity.
Venue
Inside the research area of Switch Off, Play On! Play Cafe, unit 9 (top floor, opposite Cafe Nero) The Galleria Outlet Shopping Centre, Comet Way, Hatfield, Herts, AL10 0XR
Understanding the emotional work of parents with autistic children
What’s on offer?
Join us for this 60-minute, interactive, face-to-face event - that will also be live-streamed via Zoom (link will be made available to everyone post-registration) - by University of Hertfordshire and Swansea University academics, highlighting research findings around the challenges faced by parents of autistic children in planning their holiday - and their recommendations to the tourism industry on what can be done, to make things better.
Discussions on the topic will be led by researchers Dr Allan Jepson (University of Hertfordshire) and Dr Brian Garrod (Swansea University).
What’s it about?
Going on holiday with your children can be stressful. A plethora of cognitive planning decisions need to be undertaken prior to booking a holiday such as the choice of destination, airport, type of hotel, duration of stay, activities and so forth. As neurotypical people we might take all these things in our stride, but for parents of autistic children, all these decisions are more complex and often lead to conflict. Our session unpacks this complexity and reveals the additional emotional work that parents must perform with their children if they are to have an enjoyable holiday experience. Our event aims to be informative and interactive by allowing everyone to participate in this important debate either online, in person, or through interactive polls within the session.
Who’s leading the event?
Dr Allan Jepson (Tourism, Hospitality and Event Management Group, Business School at the University of Hertfordshire) and Professor Brian Garrod (School of Management at Swansea University).
Scheduling information
Tuesday, 5 November, 13.00-14.00.
Open to
Parents, children, tourism organisations, researchers
Of particular interest to
Of particular interest to parents of autistic children, as well as tourism organisations and researchers
Event booking deadline
In-person registration will close at 12:00 on Monday, 4 November 2024; Online registration will remain open up until the event.
Venue
de Havilland Campus, University of Hertfordshire (Full location details will be sent to those registered).
How Everyday Digital Technology can Transform Older Adults Lives
What’s on offer?
A drop-in technology day organised by researchers from the University of Hertfordshire and the Alzheimer’s Society in Peterborough, offering people with dementia and their carers the opportunity to make the best of their device.
What’s it about?
Digital technology, like mobile phones, tablets and the internet, can transform the lives of older adults. But we have learnt that there are many who are unsure of what these technologies can add to their lives and how they can get started. The event will be hosted at the Peterborough Dementia Resource Centre and supported by AbilityNet and volunteers from the health and social care department at University Centre Peterborough. People with dementia and carers are encouraged to bring their own device and volunteers will support them with their individual needs. Researchers and volunteers will also showcase apps and websites that support social wellbeing.
Who’s leading the event?
Leisha O'Brien, University of Hertfordshire: writer and researcher in public health, clinical trials, health, social care and third sector community-based environments.
Scheduling information
Wednesday 6 November, 10:30-15:00
Open to
Adults - specifically older people with dementia and their carers.
Of particular interest to
The event organisers wish to direct this workshop to a specific audience, older people with dementia, who are the focus of the current work package for the DiTSoW study that the ESRC IAA award at the University of Hertfordshire is supporting.
Event Booking details
Attendance is restricted. This is an open event for people with dementia and carers who are already accessing the Peterborough Dementia Resource Centre.
However, if you live in Peterborough and have dementia, are worried about having dementia, or are caring for someone with dementia, you are welcome to come along too. Please contact Leisha l.obrien3@herts.ac.uk to book a place.
The Lost Mother’s Project: an exhibition and talk with Dr Laura Abbott
What’s on offer?
This ground breaking exhibition showcases illustrated posters specially commissioned to highlight the emotional and complex challenges faced by pregnant and postnatal women in prison, especially those separated from their newborns, based on Herts-led research. It will be followed by an emotive talk in the University's law court by Dr Abbott and a lived experience member, that aims to foster a deeper understanding of these issues and advocate for more compassionate care and support.
What’s it about?
In the UK numbers of pregnant women are not routinely collated, however estimations suggest that 6-7% of the female prison population are at varying stages of pregnancy and approximately 100 babies are born to incarcerated women each year. There are no exact data of the numbers of newborn babies removed from their mother at or soon after birth. There are six Mother and Baby Units (MBU) in the 12 women’s prisons in the UK, currently, all underutilised. Accounts from qualitative research of women being mandatorily separated from their new-born babies demonstrate a deep sense of loss, yet surprisingly little research has examined experiences of the process of separating mothers from their babies. The study that this exhibition is based on is the first project to link the professions of social work, health visiting, midwifery and criminal justice staff, with the experiences of women who have been in prison at the heart of the research.
Recommendations arising from this research have the potential to build upon and further improve understanding of women’s experiences and the procedures involved in removal of new-borns from their imprisoned mothers. The project will benefit academic and health research, notably the sociology of health and illness, criminology, midwifery, health visiting and social work. It’s also important to raise public awareness around this issue, to help improve the lives of incarcerated pregnant women and mothers.
Who’s leading the event?
Dr Laura Abbott, a registered midwife and an Associate Professor in Research at the University of Hertfordshire, a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and a Fellow of the Royal College of Midwives. Laura’s work is nationally recognised, policy influencing, and making a difference in the lives of incarcerated pregnant women and mothers.
Scheduling information
Wednesday 6 November, 18:30-20:00.
Of particular interest to
The event will be of interest to the general public, particularly to those interested in social work and social policy.
Event booking deadline
Registration for this event will close at 12:00 on Wednesday 6 November or when at full capacity.
Venue
Grace Ononiwu Law Court Building, University of Hertfordshire, de Havilland Campus, Hatfield, Hertfordshire AL10 9EU
How new healthcare models can help a health service under pressure
What’s on offer?
A 60-minute online presentation, exploring new healthcare modelling methods to enhance care for our health services (link to the online talk will be made available to everyone following registration). Discussions on the topic will be led by researchers from the Centre for Future Societies Research, University of Hertfordshire.
What’s it about?
Health systems globally, including the National Health Service in England, are under pressure to improve patient care and deliver efficiency savings. Research at the University of Hertfordshire Business School has developed decision support tools (DSTs) and health systems management models that help organisations identify optimal service configurations and management practices. During the event, we will showcase some of these models applied in practice and share the impact our research has had on informed decision-making, as well as the impact on patients, healthcare staff, and the health system following the implementation of the recommendations suggested by the DSTs.
Who’s leading the event?
Eren Demir (Professor of Decision Sciences) and Mohamed (Reda) Lebcir (Professor of Management Systems), both of the Centre for Future Societies Research, Hertfordshire Business School, University of Hertfordshire.
Scheduling information
Thursday 7 November, 14:00-15:00.
Open to
NHS Staff, NHS Management, Integrated Care Boards, Integrated Care Systems.
Of particular interest to
NHS Staff, NHS Management, NHS policy makers.
Event booking deadline
Registration will be available right up to the event.
Uncovering the risk indicators of harmful internet use among teenagers
What’s on offer?
Join University of Hertfordshire researchers at this interactive display to learn about pioneering new, Europe-wide study, the BootStRaP project (Boosting Societal Adaptation and Mental Health in a Rapidly Digitalizing, Post-Pandemic Europe), aimed at addressing and reducing the risks of harmful internet use among teenagers.
What’s it about?
Adolescents are at particularly high risk for digital technology overuse, believed to have been exasperated by the COVID pandemic, and are therefore vulnerable to its potential harmful effects on mental health. Problematic usage of the internet (PUI) is thought to represent a marker of disrupted self-management, with major consequences for individual and societal health and well-being.
With this in mind, the EU-funded BootStRaP project was developed with the aim of mitigating the risks. Carrying out research across Europe using a co-created screening and assessment ‘app’, the project will closely monitor the internet usage patterns of hundreds of young people, to identify PUI behaviours that result in harm, provide unprecedented scientific knowledge on the psychological mechanisms underlying (risk for) PUI and devise strategies to tackle these issues. In addition, the project will produce a policy toolkit aimed at empowering policymakers and private companies to self-regulate with the intent to protect vulnerable groups. In the long run, BootStRaP will contribute to improving mental well-being across Europe and beyond.
Who’s leading the event?
Led by University of Hertfordshire researchers, BootStRaP brings together a multidisciplinary consortium aiming to initiate health and social policy and practice change designed to reduce the harmful effects of digitalization on mental health, particularly for young people.Herts researchers available for this event will include:
- Naomi Fineberg, Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Hertfordshire
- Natalie Hall, Research Fellow
Open to
Public Audience.
Of particular interest to
The event will be of particular interest to parents.
Event booking deadline
This is a drop-in event.
Scheduling information
A stand displaying information about The BootStRaP Project will be available in the Switch Off, Play On! play café from Tuesday 28 October to Saturday 2 November. Herts researchers will be available for discussions at the stand on Wednesday 29 and Thursday 30 October, between 12:00-14:00, and on Friday 1 November, between 14:00-15:00.
Event booking deadline
No booking required.
Venue
Inside the Switch Off, Play On! Play Cafe, unit 9 (top floor, opposite Cafe Nero) The Galleria Outlet Shopping Centre, Comet Way ,Hatfield, Herts AL10 0XR