Social science research centres
There are a number of research centres across the University working in the area of social science. Here is just a sample:
In June 2008, Reading's 'The Liberal Way of War' was the victor in a national competition for a large-scale Leverhulme Programme Award to study 'Security and Liberty'. From 2008-13 fourteen scholars from four Schools (Politics, Law, History, and Modern Languages) will study the ways in which liberal states have reconciled themselves to fighting wars. Such states can only sustain the will to fight if they are able to portray their military actions as being consistent with their liberalism. One way of achieving this difficult objective is to treat the zone of conflict as a kind of privileged space in which the usual rules do not apply. But technological developments (instantaneous communication) and ideological shifts (growing insistence on a rights-based order) are making it hard to preserve the old distinction between the zone of conflict and the home society. The Programme brings together military strategists, political and cultural historians, political scientists and theorists, and international lawyers in order to study this development. From 2009-12, the team will be joined by nine Associates who will undertake Leverhulme–funded PhDs. Enquiries are welcome from students in any established field who wish to join the team or to work alongside it. To discuss the programme please contact Professor Alan Cromartie
Based in the Univesity's School of Law, this Forum aims to further a dialogue between scholars working within the broad discipline of law in history, and between such scholars and archivists and librarians. As the name implies, it seeks to provide a forum for the promotion of their work and a space within which scholars and archivists from a range of backgrounds can discuss ideas and share knowledge and experience. The Forum is convened by Dr Charlotte Smith and Dr Stephen Banks.
Human geography staff in the Departmetn of Geography represent one of the largest and most dynamic groups of internationally recognised experts researching the Geographies of Children, Youth and Families. Their research focuses on the UK, Africa and the Caribbean and includes:
Social exclusion/ inclusion and identities
Mobilities
Families and intergenerational relationships
Disability, health and illness
For information about all the research work undertaken in Human Geography, please go to the website of the Human Environments Research Group