Former MA Social Policy students co-author research paper in leading international social science journal

After completing their masters, Aidan and Stella were recruited to the British Academy funded project, ‘Covid and the Coalfield: Vaccine Hesitance in Wales and Appalachia’, led by Dr Chris Saville, School of Psychology and Sports Science, to examine vaccine hesitancy in de-industrialising and post-industrial communities. The project involved quantitative and qualitative methods and Aidan and Stella carried out qualitative interviews online with people living in the Appalachian and Welsh coalfield areas.
 
The paper, published in the journal Social Science and Medicine, explores the links between the social consequences of coalmining decline and barriers to vaccine uptake. 

PI Chris Saville said, ‘I was really impressed by how quickly Aidan and Stella picked up the project and what a great job they did with the interviews. Their course had obviously prepared them well.’ 

Also working with Aidan and Stella on the project, Dr Robin Mann added: ‘Carrying out research interviews in the middle of the pandemic wasn't easy but they handled the task with great skill. It was a pleasure working with them on the project.’

MA Social Policy Course director, Dr Hefin Gwilym, commented, ‘Stella and Aidan were outstanding MA Social Policy students. Stella has since started her PhD in Social Policy and Sociology. She successfully competed for the Vice Chancellor's Scholarship for international students. Her research is on Universal Basic Income (UBI) with special reference to Africa'.

Covid and the Coalfield: Vaccine Hesitance in Wales and Appalachia: https://www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/documents/3747/Covid-and-the-Coalfield.pdf

Social Science and Medicine: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277953623006524