Bringing the Social Sciences to life at Bangor

Sixth formers from across north Wales have had the chance to get ‘hands on’ with the social sciences at an event at Bangor University.

Over 100 pupils attended the School of Social Sciences’s Festival Day on Wednesday, 9th November, where Bangor staff and students guided them through a series of interactive sessions covering sociology, criminology and health and social care.Pupils are welcomed to the event by Head of School, Professor Martina Feilzer

The aim of the event was to introduce pupils to the latest research shaping these disciplines, and to even make their own contribution to current studies.

And while their teachers would usually tell them to put their smartphones away, the use of mobiles was actively encouraged here, with the use of Welsh across digital platforms being one of the topics under examination.

Undercover policing, rural crime, wealth inequality and discrimination were some of the other subjects under consideration, with group activities designed to nurture pupils’ research, presentation and data analysis skills.

Head of School Professor Martina Feilzer said: “We wanted to use this day to bring research in the social sciences to life, and to show young people what we do, how this is relevant to them, and how they can implement research in their own studies.

“It was a fun day of being involved in, and learning about social sciences research.”

Sponsored by the ESRC, it was one of three events put on by Bangor University as part of the ESRC’s UK-wide Festival of Social Sciences.

The others consisted of a photography and poetry competition on the theme of ‘Perspectives’, open to anyone over the age of 18; and a sixth-form conference on poverty, which focused on aspects including food, energy, families, children and young people, housing and education.

Publication date: 11 November 2016