Category: School for Policy Studies

Children’s voices, family transitions and everyday care – chairing sessions at ICFC 2025

Posted on by amy.woolford

Dr Gözde Doğanyılmaz-Burger, Senior Research Coordinator at the University of Bristol, reflects on the sessions she chaired at the first International Child and Family Conference held in Bristol on 17-19 June, and the questions those sessions set out to answer:

  • How are children’s voices recognised (or dismissed) in legal, policy and everyday decisions that shape their family lives?

  • How do caregiving expectations, policy design, and labour markets affect family life and gender equality?

 

Session 1: Children’s agency, participation, and family transitions

On day two of the conference, I had the pleasure of chairing and presenting in a powerful session on Children’s Agency and Participation, a topic close to my heart and the focus of my PhD research.

The session featured four studies that offered unique insights into how children’s voices are heard (or silenced) in matters that deeply affect them:

Children’s experiences of parental separation
Dr Susan Kay-Flowers explored 25 years of international research on children’s experiences of parental separation, highlighting ethical dilemmas around participation and voice.

Father-child contact after domestic violence
Prof Simon Lapierre and Ms Naomi Abrahams shared findings from Canada on children’s participation in decisions about father-child contact after domestic violence, proposing information as a critical fifth dimension to Lundy’s model.

Children’s rights and family law
Prof Maebh Harding and Dr Jakub Pawliczak challenged us to rethink constitutional conservatism in Ireland and Poland and asked whether children’s rights can drive more inclusive family law.

Communication during divorce
And I presented my research comparing young people’s experiences in Türkiye and England, focusing on how communication (or lack of it) during divorce shapes their emotional wellbeing, agency and rights.

Each presentation sparked important questions about children’s legal, psychological and emotional needs, and how research, policy and practice can respond more meaningfully.

Thank you to the presenters and all who joined the discussion. It was a joy to be part of this international conversation on centring children’s voices in family transitions.

It was extra special to share my findings on Turkish and English young people’s experiences of divorce-related communication, and to have my main supervisor, Prof Debbie Watson, whose guidance has been invaluable throughout my PhD, in the room, along with my mum Prof Nesrin Özsoy-Bür, who travelled all the way from Türkiye to support me (especially with childcare!).

 

Session 2: Care, family policy, and the everyday experiences of work-life balance

On the final day of the conference, I had the privilege of chairing another incredible session, this time focused on care, family policy, and the everyday experiences of work-life balance.

It was a joy to listen to such rich, thought-provoking presentations that explored how policy, labour markets, and social expectations shape caregiving, while also highlighting the voices, presence, and roles of children and families so often left out of mainstream narratives.

Caregiving responsibilities and gender inequality
Ms Curran McSwigan (Deputy Director of the Economic Program at Third Way, USA) presented a powerful analysis of how caregiving responsibilities continue to drive gender inequality in the US labour market, particularly for women without a college degree. Her research reminded us how the absence of robust childcare and paid leave policies contributes to ongoing cycles of disadvantage for women and children.

Work-family reconciliation policies
Dr Manisha Mathews (University of Birmingham, UK) critically examined the UK’s work-family reconciliation policies, arguing that current policy design still reflects the “male breadwinner” model and limits fathers’ ability to participate in childcare. Her comparison with the Nordic model underscored the value of long, well-paid leave for both parents in promoting children’s cognitive and emotional wellbeing.

Home as both the family and work hub
Dr Jana Mikats (Webster Vienna Private University, Austria) introduced the concept of dense, intimate knowledge, referring to children’s deep, nuanced awareness of their parents’ work when that work is done at home. Her ethnographic study of Austrian families challenged traditional boundaries between “work” and “family”, offering a fresh lens on intimacy, co-presence, and children’s everyday lives in digitally shaped households.

In our discussion, we reflected on how policy and discourse often centre around nuclear, heterosexual, two-parent families, excluding the lived realities of single-parent households, blended families, grandparents, friends, and broader networks of care. There was a clear call to recognise and support the many ways care is provided beyond dominant family models.

I’m grateful to have chaired such a thoughtful and intersectional session and for the opportunity to connect research across disciplines and contexts.

 

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Rethinking parenting, care and children’s roles in society: keynote speeches from ICFC 2025

Posted on by amy.woolford

The first International Child and Family Conference took place at the University of Bristol from 17 to 19 June 2025. It brought together experts in childhood and family to explore a range of current themes across its three days. Within this, the three keynote speeches focused on some of the key areas from a research and policy perspective.

Dr Gözde Doğanyılmaz-Burger, Senior Research Coordinator at the University of Bristol, gives a summary of each of the inspiring and thought-provoking keynote speeches at the conference.

 

Prof Esther Dermott on the impact of digital technology

We kicked off the International Child and Family Conference 2025 with a thought-provoking keynote by Prof Esther Dermott (University of Bristol Pro Vice-Chancellor for the Faculty of Arts, Law and Social Sciences), who challenged us to rethink how digital technologies are shaping families, relationships and parenting.

She asked us to consider:

  • What does co-presence look like in a world of constant digital communication?
  • How do state systems, private companies, and invisible data processes (like predictive analytics) influence parenting and family life?
  • Are our existing social science tools enough, or do we need new methods to make sense of a digitally entangled world?

From Yondr phone pouches promoting “smart-free” childhoods to Studybugs apps tracking school absence for health outcomes, Prof Dermott highlighted the double-edged nature of digital tools: supportive on one hand, but deeply entangled in systems of oversight and inequality on the other.

Prof Dermott encouraged us to shift away from narrow ideas of “good parenting” and move toward a relational approach, recognising the complex, dynamic interactions between children, parents, institutions, and technologies.

An inspiring way to start the conference, with big questions to think about over the next two days!

 

Mr James Bury on the care system in England

On day 2, we were pleased to welcome James Bury, Interim Managing Director of CoramBAAF and Coram Family & Childcare (UK), as our second keynote speaker. He offered a thought-provoking reflection on the care system in England.

Drawing on his practice experience, Mr Bury questioned whether the complex systems we’ve built truly align with children’s needs and how we can better support permanence through psychological, legal, and physical stability.

He highlighted four key pressures:

  • Declining foster carer numbers
  • Challenges in adopter recruitment
  • Complexities in post-adoption contact
  • The impact of education and mental health support on placement stability

Mr Bury urged us to innovate, simplify, and collaborate, ensuring our systems are responsive to the real journeys of children and families.

 

Prof Tatek Abebe on the ‘commons agenda’

We began the final day of the conference with a powerful keynote from Prof Tatek Abebe (NTNU), Centre Convenor and an expert in childhood studies and development research with a focus on African contexts.

Prof Abebe drew us into a “commons agenda”, a perspective that sees children not just as individuals but as active contributors to collective life in their communities through social labour, care, and cultural practices.

Prof Abebe explored how children’s “living labour” in domestic work, communal exchanges, and even music activism creates value, resists structural violence, and forms part of shared social economies.

He introduced Mahiberawi Nuro community networks in Ethiopia as living examples of communal support systems beyond state provision, embodying what he called “commoning”.

He advocated for ecologically regenerative, decolonial research methods that foreground children’s relational existence, encouraging us to rethink childhood studies through a moral, institutional, and ecological lens.

Prof Abebe’s keynote challenged us to expand how we understand childhood, embracing collective responsibility, ethical solidarity, and research that honours children’s active roles in shaping community life.

 

Thank you to our three keynote speakers for their fascinating insights which gave all of us attending the opportunity to reflect on these topic areas and on our understanding of the issues, and the implications of these, in relation to our own areas of research and policy.

 

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Children need the freedom to play on driveways and streets again – here’s how to make it happen

Posted on by policystudies

Children no longer play freely in driveways, on their streets or in urban parks and courtyards. In many places, children’s freedom to roam has been diminishing for generations, but the pandemic has hastened the decline of this free play.

Since the pandemic, children’s physical activity has become ever more structured. It now mostly happens in after-school or sports clubs, while informal, child-led play continues to decline.

In many cases, children don’t have easy access to purpose-built spaces like playgrounds. They need adults to get them there. Without the use of more informal spaces to spend time with other children, this means they often lack daily opportunities for play.

Unstructured play happens when children are given the opportunity to behave freely in spaces with other children. They will often need support from adults – such as through supervision – to help them play safely.

Play – and especially unstructured opportunities for play – is essential for children. Beyond providing opportunities for physical activity, play is good for children’s development. It helps them to push boundaries, find ways of exploring friendships and resolving conflicts, and to stretch their imagination and creativity.

Schools are important for encouraging play. They can, for instance, combine play with potential benefits for physical activity levels, and with compassion for the environment and an interest in climate change and biodiversity.

But they are not the sole solution. Supporting play needs to reach beyond the school gates.

Urban play

The charity Playing Out has been working in Bristol, where we are based, and in many other cities across the UK to champion community-led “play streets”. Residents apply to their local council for temporary road closures, which allows them to let their children play on the street without fearing passing cars. Parents and carers supervise resident children to play outside their houses.

Finding ways to encourage children to play in places such as driveways, courtyards, and on their streets can also help with their independence in the outdoors. The three of us have worked on a variety of research projects on children’s interaction with the urban environment.

Lydia is involved with children and families living in an urban area of Bristol, exploring how to get children to play in these urban pockets of space. The “OK to play” project intends to create a toolkit to help families enhance these small threshold areas, such as driveways, into play spaces.

The experience of COVID lockdowns worldwide emphasised the importance of green spaces and nature for all of us in maintaining good levels of physical and mental health. This was often particularly challenging for children who lived in cities without easy access to gardens or green spaces.

Debbie has worked with artists and primary-aged children on the “What does nature mean to me” project. The children explored green spaces in Bristol, collecting natural materials for collages as well as painting, drawing and taking photographs.

The children were fascinated to see that nature resides even in the most urban places. Making art as well as spending time freely in natural spaces gave the children opportunities to explore big ideas: their hopes and fears for the future and what their role might be in the climate crisis.

Helping play happen

Adults have a crucial role in making being outside safer for children’s play. What the projects we’ve worked on have in common is willing adults who see the value of unstructured play, who can enthuse children, put in place structures to make being outside safer and support each other in enabling more children to engage in their right to play.

If you’re a parent or carer, you can take action. You could start by considering how you prioritise how your children spend their time. This might mean signing up to one less activity class, and instead using that regular time to supervise your children – and perhaps offering to supervise friends or neighbours’ children, too – as they play freely in your driveway, courtyard or other urban pocket.

Perhaps you could share this supervision with other parents. Social structures that build trust and make places feel safe can unlock the freedom for unstructured play.

But investment from local and central government is needed to support unstructured play, too. Tom has worked with communities, professionals and researchers getting together to look at the opportunities and barriers in the urban landscape around them.

This can make a persuasive case for local decision-makers to fund improvements. Strong, sustainable communities help people feel safe, connected, and supported, which can lead to better lives.

 

This blog was first published in The Conversation on 4 June 2024.

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The legacies of colonialism in policing and security

Posted on by School for Policy Studies

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New research shows impact of migration on home ownership

Posted on by louis.stewart

Migrants who settled in their destination country are much less likely to be rent or mortgage free (48%) compared with those who returned to their origin country (84%), new research shows.

Findings from a first-of-its-kind study into migration and housing tenure indicate that settlers into multiple European countries are less likely to have a home of their own, both compared with the wider populations of the destination countries and those who never left (stayers) or who returned to their country of origin (returnees).

These findings are drawn from the pioneering 2000 Families Survey which conducted personal interviews with 5980 individuals nested within 1770 families who originated from Turkey.

The Survey located men who moved from Turkey to Europe as guestworkers and their comparators who stayed behind, and traced their families across Turkey and Europe up to the fourth generation.

Mortgage and rent-free living

The results show that 79% of the returnees, 56% of the stayers and 50% of the settlers own a house (with or without a mortgage) where they currently live.

Looking at those who have no mortgage on their property, or who live rent free, this applies to more than four fifths of the returnees (84%) and two thirds of the stayers (69%) but less than half (48%) of the settlers.

Mortgage holders in different housing markets

There are, however, tenure differences based on the housing market type of the destination country.

In countries with a regulated rental regime that places less emphasis on home ownership, such as Austria, Germany and Switzerland, the proportion of homeowner settlers (with or without a loan or mortgage) is, at 40%, not incomparable to the wider populations of these countries.

This is also true for countries with a regulated expansion regime, such as France and Belgium, that produce better homeownership outcomes for higher income groups. Here, 71% of settlers are homeowners, as compared with 63% and 73% of the wider populations in France and Belgium, respectively.

Strikingly, however, in countries with a liberal expansion regime that are renowned for their support of disadvantaged groups to buy their own homes, such as Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and the Netherlands, the proportion of homeowners is as low as 42% among the settlers while the figures for the wider national populations stand at 64% in Denmark, 83% in Norway, 70% in Sweden and 67% in the Netherlands.

Second homes

The research also shows that 51% of the settlers in Europe, mostly comprised of the first goers, possess a house in Turkey either jointly or individually. The analysis reveals that 64% of the settlers who own a house in Europe, and 42% of the settlers renting there, have part or full ownership of a house in Turkey.

Research implications

Lead author Dr Sebnem Eroglu, from the School for Policy Studies, said:

“Under the guest-worker agreements, labourers (typically men) from Turkey, and other Balkan   and Southern European countries, were invited to contribute to the building of Northern and Western Europe. Despite their significant contributions to their economies and societies, the guestworkers and their descendants settled in Europe often find themselves disadvantaged against the destination country populations as well as their stayer and returnee counterparts.”

“We have found that returnees display the highest share of homeownership whereas the settlers’ share remains the lowest. This finding indicates the significance of migration in helping the returnees accumulate financial resources and convert them into housing assets in the country of origin whilst supporting the past research which documents the barriers faced by migrants in European housing markets – albeit to varying degrees.”

“It is striking that in the countries with a liberal expansion regime, where one would expect greater home ownership amongst the settlers, the figures remain significantly lower than the wider populations of the destination countries. A more positive picture emerges in the housing markets of other destinations, though still not as good as for those who returned to Turkey or never left.”

Co-authors

Eroglu, Sebnem
Bayrakdar, Sait (Dr, Warwick)
Guveli, Ayse (Prof, Warwick)

Additional information

See article published in Housing Studies journal: Full article: Understanding the consequences of international migration for housing tenure: evidence from a multi-site and intergenerational study

Photo by Wynand van Poortvliet on Unsplash

 

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Could e-cycling assist individuals who have had a breast cancer diagnosis to be more physically active? 

Posted on by louis.stewart
This study aimed to explore the potential role of e-cycling for individuals with a breast cancer diagnosis. It looked at physical activity engagement levels amongst those undergoing treatment, their perception of e-bikes after a taster session and if there is an optimal time to introduce e-cycling during treatment.
 
The project initially began as a dissertation topic for one of the postgraduate students on the MSc Nutrition, Physical Activity and Public Health programme, in collaboration with academic and research staff, and has subsequantally been published in The International Journal for Environmental Research and Public Health.
 
by Jessica Bourne, Miranda Armstrong and Kirsty Way. 

The importance of physical activity in tackling breast cancer

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in the UK, generating substantial financial burdens through healthcare and lost productivity. Public Health interventions are crucial in addressing these issues.

Several risk factors contribute to developing breast cancer and survival rates. Being physically active is one lifestyle behaviour that has been shown to help aid recovery and lower your risk of cancer coming back. Exercise also helps alleviate many of the common side effects of cancer treatment, including fatigue, low mood, and lack of energy.

Physical activity guidelines for individuals with a breast cancer diagnosis are the same as for the adult population. That is, to accumulate 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity per week (like brisk walking) or 75 minutes of vigorous activity (like jogging), plus strength training twice a week. Meeting these recommendations before and after a breast cancer diagnosis can cut the risk of breast cancer recurrence by almost half, and your risk of dying from breast cancer by nearly one-third.

However, despite the known benefits, physical activity engagement decreases following a breast cancer diagnosis, with around 50% of women not meeting guidelines. There are several reasons why women might not be physically active during treatment. These include physical limitations like shoulder problems from surgery, feeling tired and lacking energy, and not having a good space or time to exercise. Gentle exercise can help alleviate many of these symptoms so, finding activities that make getting moving easier is important.

The Potential of E-bikes

Female on e-bikeElectrically assisted bicycle (e-bikes; also known as pedelecs), provide electrical assistance to the user only when they pedal. They have become increasingly popular recently and help users to ride further with less effort. E-cycling may increase physical activity levels due to users riding them more often and for longer distances than conventional bicycles. This is despite the reduced physical effort associated with riding an e-bike in comparison to a conventional bicycle. Researchers have also found that engaging in e-cycling has a favourable impact on fitness and mental health. Given the reduced physical exertion of e-cycling in comparison to regular cycling and the promising health outcomes, e-cycling maybe an acceptable physical activity for individuals diagnosed and or being treated for breast cancer. However, no research to date has examined the perception of e-cycling among these individuals.

We conducted one-on-one interviews with 24 women who had been diagnosed with breast cancer (mean age = 57 years). On average individuals were approximately 3-years since diagnosis. We held two interviews with each individual: one before trialling an e-bike and one after. E-bike taster sessions lasted 1-hour and were conducted by qualified cycling instructors in the community. All equipment required for the taster session was provided. We looked for themes across the interviews that captured the thoughts and feelings of these individuals.

Overcoming the side-effects of treatment

The cancer treatment individuals received had a large impact on their activity levels. This was due to reduced energy, feelings of weakness, fatigue and a general lack of motivation to be active. For women who were previous cyclists, e-bikes were seen as a way of helping them to get back on the road due to the extra help provided. Women commented that the prospect of e-cycling provided a sense of independence. It was also a chance to regain their identity which they had lost due to the breast cancer diagnosis. Often women were anxious about how much effort e-cycling would need. Following the taster session women commented on the ease of e-cycling and felt it would not lead to feelings of exhaustion. While some participants saw e-bikes as a way to stay active even on low-energy days, others were cautious. They worried about pushing themselves too hard and compromising their health. Women felt it was important to listen to their bodies and prioritise rest on days when fatigue was high. For those individuals e-bikes could be a great option on good days, but sometimes taking it easy was the best choice.

A boost for the body

After the taster session many participants felt that e-cycling had raised their heart rate, and they were able to have a ‘good workout.’ They said that they worked harder than expected despite the assistance of the e-bike. Individuals felt e-cycling played a type of ‘psychological trick’ on them and their willingness to cycle. The ability to change the level of assistance was extremely important to this group. It meant they could alter their exertion level based on how they were feeling. This assistance meant that tackling hills was not a concern.

Not just about the workout

Participants said e-cycling could help with fitness, strength, and boosting their circulation. Improved circulation can help treatment drugs work better. However, they felt the biggest advantage of e-bikes was psychological. Being outdoors and breathing in the fresh air made people want to keep e-cycling. Many who first thought e-bikes weren’t for them, changed their minds after completing the taster session. They found e-cycling to be an enjoyable way to exercise, making them more likely to give it another go in the future. For some women, who often felt out of control during treatment, riding the e-bike was empowering. Feelings of achievement motivate people to sticking with exercise, especially during cancer treatment. It is also good for keeping active in the long term.

Social Interaction

A key reported benefit of e-cycling was the social opportunities that e-cycling provides. Many had not been able to cycle with others since their diagnosis, but e-bikes made it possible to join in again. The shared experience of cycling with others created a sense of encouragement and made it even more enjoyable. The electrical assistance evened out everyone’s speed. This reduced users’ anxiety about being too slow or comparing themselves to others.

This social connection is more than just having fun with friends. It can also be a powerful motivator to keep exercising. Studies show that we are more likely to stick with something if we do it with others who are cheering us on. E-bikes provide a perfect opportunity for that social support system, making physical activity less like a chore.

The downsides of e-cycling

The biggest barrier that participants mention about e-cycling was the potential financial investment. For many this would stop them from considering engaging in e-cycling in the future. Related to this were concerns around theft. Discussions arose around fear and anxiety associated with parking an e-bike in a public space for fear it would not be there on return. Several other e-bike perception studies have also reported this. Environmental changes to the availability of parking facilities for bicycle users may therefore need to change for them to become more popular.

Towards an individualised approach

Despite the challenges, e-bikes emerged as a promising option for boosting physical activity among individuals being treated for and recovering from breast cancer. E-bikes can help to overcome many barriers associated with regular cycling. They also offer both physical and mental benefits. Participants responded positively to e-bike taster sessions. This suggests that they could be a valuable tool for encouraging exercise in this group. Yet, the best time to introduce an e-bike intervention in this population is hard to pinpoint. Different patients have different experiences of breast cancer and receive different treatments. Therefore, an individual approach might be best.

Read the published study here.

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