Festival to explore how our working lives are changing

Cardiff University’s world-leading social science research will be celebrated in a three-week-long festival.

The Festival of Social Science will take place from 18 October to 5 November and provides an opportunity to celebrates and showcase the outstanding social science research taking place at Cardiff University.

This year’s theme, Our Working Lives, invites the public to explore how work is changing and what that means for individuals, communities, and society.

This year, nine engaging talks and workshops will be delivered by researchers at Cardiff University and their external partners. The researchers taking part are from a wide range of disciplines including economics, architecture, social sciences, marketing, creative and cultural industries, geography, and modern languages.

Some events discuss the transformation of work in response to technological developments and the growing use of artificial intelligence. Events will explore how these changes are affecting job roles, workplace culture, and employment opportunities. Discussions will also highlight the increasing demand for better working conditions and fair access to high-quality jobs.

The festival also features events on topics such as censorship, forgiveness, and environmental sustainability. The Festival of Social Science aims to connect people with cutting-edge research in a way that is engaging, accessible, and relevant to their lives.

Professor David Cowan, ESRC Strategic Lead for Cardiff University said: “The social sciences offer innovative ways of examining themes and deliver ideas well beyond the old fashioned 'chalk and talk' method.  When we were thinking about our programme, we encouraged our academics to think about innovative ways of delivering their research.”

Several of the events are taking place in Cardiff University’s flagship social sciences hub sbarc|spark, which is home to SPARK - the world's first social science research park. SPARK brings together 16 interdisciplinary research groups to address issues that affect us all and is collaborating with over 100 partners across every continent of the world, including 50 in Europe.

All events are free to attend and open to a wide range of audiences, from students and professionals to members of the public. Most will be held in Cardiff University buildings, which are located within walking distance of major transport links including train stations and bus

The Festival of Social Science is an annual celebration of research and knowledge about humans and society and celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2022. It’s an opportunity for anyone to explore topics relating to social science, from health and wellbeing to crime, equality, education and identity, through over 300 nationwide events run by researchers from 41 UK universities.

The festival is led and funded by the UKRI Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), which supports research and training in social science subjects. Part of the research that ESRC funds is focused on improving the experience of work. Since work is a major part of most people’s lives, ESRC is committed to understanding how it can be made better for everyone.