Equality and diversity research
Explore our research in equality, diversity and inclusion.
Equality Evidence Review
The SDS Equality Evidence Review highlights that individuals across the protected groups can face some of the greatest barriers and poorest outcomes in relation to participation and progression in the education and skills system.
Opens in a new window Equality Evidence ReviewSDS PhD students research on equality, diversity and inclusion
Gendered information landscapes and their impact on routes into and through apprenticeships
Academic Supervisor: Dr Ella Taylor-Smith, Dr Sally Smith and Dr Colin Smith
SDS Sponsor: April Robertson and Michelle Goldenpenny
Maria’s research will map the information landscapes of young people and examine their impact on routes into and through apprenticeships and work-based learning. Maria is particularly interested in understanding how different sources of gender stereotyping impact on young people’s career choices. The research will use a mixed methods approach to examine the current policy and literature on occupational segregation, and to investigate young people’s situated experience of information related to apprenticeships and work-based learning. Maria hopes to be able to provide accessible outputs which can be used by policy makers and practitioners to help inform future policy and practice on gender equality in careers.
Neurodiverse youth identities in career transition: Between the physical and the virtual world of work
Academic Supervisors: Professor Kathleen Riach and Dr Evangelia Demou
SDS Sponsor: Ian Bruce and Dr Emma Hollywood
Martina's PhD research investigates the impact of the adoption of virtual workplaces in increasing or diminishing the disability divide in employment, especially for early careers. The main aim is to foster the creation of inclusive workplaces and enhance disabled presence in the workforce.
Care Experienced Young People’s Futures as Successful Adults: A Participatory Action Research Project in Dumfries and Galloway
Academic supervisors: Dr David Lundie, Dr Shaia Shirazi and Dr Gillian Brydson
SDS sponsor: Greg Hiddleston, Roddy Bailey and Andrea Hall
Elle’s PhD uses participatory action research to understand and enhance practice in supporting care-experienced young people transitions to successful adulthood. By exploring policy and adult framed expectations of youth transitions with young people the project aims to: understand the local, intersectional challenges of policy and practice that impacts on care experienced young people’s transitions to adulthood; co-design the research project, including identifying research questions, by developing a ‘research advisory
group’ made up of a representative sample of young people with experience of care; co-produce knowledge in relation to exploring, understanding and questioning
the poor outcome’s narrative driven from the lived experience, thoughts and perspectives of the young people themselves; promote active engagement of young people throughout the process encouraging meaningful participation and power sharing leading them to take action, driving change and improving policy implementation and practice from the bottom up; improve conceptual understanding of meaningful participation and engagement of young people in research and the development of improving policy and practice which impacts their lives.
Exploring labour market inequalities experienced by unpaid carers and people with disabilities
Academic Supervisors: Professor Paul Lambert and Dr Alasdair Rutherford
SDS Sponsor: Ian Bruce
Louise will examine the barriers to labour market participation for individuals who suffer from long-term health conditions/disabilities and those who provide their unpaid care. The research aims to achieve this through the analysis of three existing, high-quality large-scale social survey datasets, which include Scottish data. Louise’s data analysis will explore how employment outcomes in Scotland are influenced by direct experience of disability/long-term health conditions and as an unpaid carer. This analysis will be compared against current policy initiatives to identify potential areas for improvement.