The university is delighted to be participating once again in the ESRC Festival of Social Science, an annual, UK-wide, free celebration of the social sciences.

The 2021 Festival will run from Monday 1 November to Tuesday 30 November, with a number of our events themed around social science and the environment, to reflect the COP26 climate change conference taking place from 31 October-12 November. It will also be covering a huge range of other topics such as the social and economic effects of the pandemic.

This year Nottingham researchers will be leading on nine events as part of the Festival programme, on topics ranging from sustainable tourism; the post-Covid, post-Brexit Midlands economy; forced marriage and climate change; and equality, diversity and inclusion in working lives.

Talks, workshops and panel discussions include:

Wednesday 3 November 2021, 1pm
Forced marriage and climate change
Book here

Research, particularly focusing on South Asia and East Africa, shows interesting links between different types of extreme weather events (e.g. floods, landslides and droughts) and increasing rates of forced marriage. As climate change makes these extreme weather events more frequent, and more severe, this link puts in further jeopardy the global community’s goal of ending forced marriage by 2030. Better understanding of the links, however, could contribute to better, more sustainable efforts and interventions aimed at ending forced marriage, and at improved disaster-relief efforts which take into account the potential link to forced marriage.

Tuesday 9 November 2021, 11am – 1pm
Another queer world is possible 
Book here

Bringing together filmmakers, curators and activists who were involved in the Imagining Queer Bandung project to introduce and critically reflect on the project, this session will also explore alternative and decolonised ways of imagining and mapping the queer world.

Thursday 11 November 2021, 1pm – 2pm
The Impact of Covid-19 on People at Risk of Forced Marriage in the UK
Book here

Before the pandemic, the UK forced marriage unit dealt with an average of 1350 cases per year. This dropped in 2020 to just over 750. Relatedly, calls to the national helpline about forced marriage dropped significantly as restrictions increased in various “lockdowns” and the introduction of more stringent “Tier” restrictions across England. In this talk, Dr McCabe will explore the reasons there might be for these drops, and whether this represents a decrease in cases, or is a sign that people in need of help were less able to access it.

Friday 12 – Sunday 14 November 2021, from 11am – 4pm each day
The University Getaway: A Sustainable Tourism Space
Find out more

A holiday without leaving campus? Come visit the university getaway! This is a place to relax, recharge, and explore what makes a sustainable tourist. Sip a squash, write a postcard, and snap a selfie. Leave only footprints (and perhaps some painting) and take only photos (plus pick up some plastic). We are open to welcome visitors 11am – 4pm Fri/Sat/Sun. Stay as long as you like. Join in as many tourism themed activities as you wish. No booking necessary.

Tuesday 23 November 2021, from 3pm – 5pm
Growing Green Films: Young filmmakers building a sustainable industry
Book here

This event brings together educators and advocates for green media production with young and indie filmmakers to discuss the future of greener film production, and how aspirants, students, and new creators can make a change for a more sustainable productions and industry. Attendees will hear about green production initiatives and resources in the UK and the experiences of award-winning indie filmmakers in creating environmental content.

Tuesday 30 November 2021, from 1pm – 2pm
What’s Next for the Midlands’ Economy after Covid and Brexit?
Book here

This session will present new research findings on the impact of Brexit and Covid on the Midlands’ economy, paying particular attention to the services sector. It is based on a new report to be launched in November 2021 for the UK in a Changing Europe written by Professor Sarah Hall and Dr Martin Heneghan.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion At Work sessions

Five webinars on equality, diversity and inclusion based on research in the Organisational Behaviour & HRM Department at Nottingham University Business School. The webinars will be 60-minutes long and will include a 20-minute talk, a 20-minute panel discussion with University of Nottingham alumni and industry practitioners, and a 20-minute audience Q&A. It will be presented on MS Teams.

Tuesday 9 November, from 5pm – 6pm
Webinar One – Work-life Balance: Meanings and Inequalities
In this session Professor Tracey Warren will ask: what does the term ‘work-life balance’ actually mean? Then she will consider what inequalities exist in how people balance their work-lives and whether these are deepening or easing, including during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Book here

Thursday 11 November, from 12pm – 1pm
Webinar Two – Gendered Constructions of Risk in the Financial Sector
Dr Jane Nolan and Professor Laurie Cohen will consider the case of the financial sector, where it is often assumed that there are behavioural differences between women and men in their relation to risk and uncertainty. But do these perceptions really represent the working lives of women in the sector? We discuss some of these ideas drawing on insights from interviews with women working in investment and asset management.
Book here

Friday 19 November, from 2pm – 3pm
Webinar Three – How is Covid-19 impacting women’s and men’s working lives in the UK?
Dr Luis Torres will examine the social impacts of Covid-19 on the UK’s labour force through a gendered lens to better understand gender inequalities in working lives in the UK. Based on the analysis of the Labour Force Survey releases from 2019 onwards, this webinar will examine the social impacts of Covid-19 on the UK’s labour force with emphasis in gender, ethnicity, class and their intersections.
Book here

Thursday 25 November, from 2pm – 3pm
Webinar Four – Ageism at work: What does it mean? Who is affected? How can it be addressed?
Dr Simona Spedale Latimer will explore ageism and how it affects the workplace. Based on past and current research, this session will explore common perceptions of ageism at work and will reflect on the more insidious ways in which age stereotypes permeate organisational practices and influence behaviours in the workplace (and beyond!).
Book here

Tuesday 30 November, from 2pm – 3pm
Webinar Five – Inclusion in the Digital Workplace post Covid-19
Covid-19 has brought to surface the need for digital transformation in the workplace, new skills for human resources, but also new ways of managing crises. At the same time, however, it has highlighted the importance of cultivating and promoting inclusive leadership, management and organisations. This webinar, from Dr Andri Georgiadou and Dr Arzu Kırcal Şahin, will discuss the challenges organisations face if people are excluded from the corporate culture.
Book here