Government Social Research
The pilots ran from 1 April 2004 to 31 March 2006 in eleven local authorities in England and looked at whether a lack of affordable and accessible childcare is a significant barrier to work for lone parents on income support. It concludes that the Pilots met their aims and objectives with varying degrees of success and some parents still found prohibitive the cost of childcare provided through ESCP.
The research consisted of qualitative interviews with 70 employers, drawn from 9 sectors, and with a broadly representative mix of small, medium and large firms across England. In each firm one individual was interviewed - generally either a general manager/chief executive or a senior HR professional. The study focused principally on older, rather than younger, workers. Fieldwork was conducted in summer 2006. The report investigates how employers were responding to an ageing workforce and to the introduction of the Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006. It sought to provide further depth to a quantitative survey (DWP Research Report 325: Survey of employers' policies, practices and preferences relating to age - SEPP) and to the sectoral analysis of the SEPP data carried out by CROW and published by DWP in a series of nine sector reports in August 2006 (http://www.agepositive.gov.uk/publications).
Employer responses to an ageing workforce: a qualitative study (DWP Research Report number 455)
The survey examines the views and experiences of a representative sample of the adult Scottish population in relation to a spectrum of mental health issues. The survey is run every second year.
The paper argues that, in an age of knowing capitalism, sociologists have not adequately thought about the challenges posed to their expertise by the proliferation of 'social' transactional data which are now routinely collected, processed and analysed by a wide variety of private and public institutions. Drawing on British examples, it argues that whereas over the past 40 years sociologists championed innovative methodological resources, notably the sample survey and the in-depth interviews, which reasonably allowed them to claim distinctive expertise to access the ‘social’ in powerful ways, such claims are now much less secure. The paper argues that both the sample survey and the in-depth interview are increasingly dated research methods, which are unlikely to provide a robust base for the jurisdiction of empirical sociologists in coming decades. Speculates how sociology might respond to this coming crisis through taking up new interests in the ‘politics of method’.
The coming crisis of empirical sociology
The aim of the review is to help HMRC improve the way it carries out research with this customer group. In particular, information is required to answer the question:
How can we maximise participation from large businesses in research, while minimising the burden we place on them?
A number of information requirements have been identified, which include:
This project is intended to be the first stage of a wider cross-government initiative. An external advisory group has been appointed, which includes representatives from ONS, DWP, HSE and BERR. Final outputs are expected in March 2008.
If you would like further information about this project or think you should be involved and/ or have relevant information to provide, please contact: katherine.fox@hmrc.gsi.gov.uk
Contents include:
Mathematica semimonthly update
Evidence and research collected and commissioned by the Social, Economics and Modelling Unit impacts on a wide range of Department for Transport policy areas, including social inclusion, climate change, and mobility and accessibility. The unit looks at how to improve take-up of public transport and gain a better understanding of transport economics, transport modelling, transport costs and prices.
Social, Economics and Modelling Unit-level evidence and research strategy (HTML format)