About Me

From September 2013 I am embarking on a four year ESRC-sponsored PhD in Social Policy at the University of Kent. I am working under the supervision of Dr Ben Baumberg, a leader in the field of disability, welfare and social policy. Previously I studied History and Politics at Cardiff University and Social Policy at the London School of Economics.

My doctoral research explores the relationship between work and health, developing on a study conducted by Waddell and Burton (2006) which asked 'is work good for health and well-being?' The authors found that, by and large, people benefited from work in terms of health and well-being. Consequently, Waddell and Burton's research has been repeatedly cited in policy documents as a justification for welfare reforms which push people in to the labour market.

My research is taking Waddell and Burton's analysis a step further and asking to what extent people benefit equally from work. In recent years, research in to health inequalities (notably by Professor Michael Marmot of UCL), has found that any work is not good for health, rather it should be decent work. Evidence also exists to show that in some cases, work can be worse for health than unemployment, notwithstanding the very poor health and well-being reported by the unemployed.

On a wider level, I hope to promote discussion about alternative social and economic directions which go beyond neoliberalism - a doctrine which myself (and many others) believe puts the free market and the vast inequalities it creates above human well-being.


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