Ronnie & Abi come together in this week’s episode to discuss Abi’s research in the context of Liverpool’s current circumstances: including having now entered tier 3 lockdown restrictions. Our conversation explores the relationship between central and local government, amid calls that this is a second round of ‘managed decline’, also the geographical inequalities which have come to characterise Britain, and how Abi’s work speaks to the consequences of the current political and social climate on Liverpool.

The latter half of the episode then moves to a conversation about what’s next for the podcast. Where we’ll be thinking about what ‘Doing a PhD in a pandemic’ really means. We touch upon topics we'll be discussing in ‘Series 2’, including our experiences of changing research methods, writing during lockdown and our lives beyond the PhD – amongst many other issues!

You can read more of Abi’s work here https://theconversation.com/liverpool-close-to-bankruptcy-how-decades-of-stigma-have-pushed-the-city-into-financial-ruin-138742. You can get in touch via email: [email protected], or Twitter @abioconnor_

Plus, we’d love to hear from you if you're interested in doing an episode on the podcast or if you have any ideas topics you’d like to suggest for us to discuss, do please drop us a message.

In this week’s episode Abi is joined by Richie Kirwan, a PhD student in the Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences at Liverpool John Moores University. Richie’s work looks to understand the influence of diet and exercise on muscle mass in older people, exploring how this can affect heart health.

In the episode Richie discusses his research and the arguments made in his most recent article which identifies the health implications of lockdown. We then apply Richie’s findings to understanding the difficulties currently being faced in the Liverpool City Region, discussing the question of space for exercising during lockdown and the financial restraints faced by individuals, families and the local authority when looking to improve health and well-being.

The article referenced in this episode is available to read here https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11357-020-00272-3. You can get in touch with Richie via email on [email protected], via Twitter @bm_nutrition or via Instagram @be_more_nutrition.

You can get in touch with Abi via Twitter: @abioconnor_ or email: [email protected]. Please let us know if you'd like to be involved in the podcast!

In the first of our inter-institutional episodes, Abi is joined by Lucy Dowdall, a PhD Student in the Environmental and Biological Sciences Department at Liverpool John Moores University.

Listen to us discuss Lucy’s research, which explores the ‘natural capital’ approach to the management of the Upper Mersey Estuary. Lucy explains why we should be conserving spaces like this, explaining the importance of the estuary to the Liverpool City Region. Looking towards future, we discuss ways to create ‘win win’ situations – which respond to pressing issues, including housing shortages, whilst also preserving the estuary and all of its benefits.

Lucy can be contacted via email on [email protected] or via her Twitter: @DrDowdall.

You can get in touch with Abi via Twitter: @abioconnor_ or email: [email protected]. Please let us know if you'd like to be involved in the podcast! 

Chloe Spence, a PhD student in the Management School, joins Abi to talk about her PhD Research which explores mental health service delivery, specifically drug addiction services for women.

In this episode we talk about changes to mental health service delivery which have been implemented during the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the long-term viability of services going digital. Specifically, Chloe talks about Let’s Keep Talking, a free local telephone service which has recently been launched in Liverpool.

You can contact Chloe via email on [email protected]. Her MRes dissertation, an evaluation of Goleudy, a Welsh tenancy support and mental health service, is available to read here: https://goleudy.org/application/files/5415/9419/9088/MRes_Dissertation_Unpublished_University_of_Liverpool.pdf

You can get in touch with Abi via Twitter @abioconnor_ or email on [email protected]

Abi is joined by Tilly Clough, a PhD student in Liverpool’s Law School. Tilly’s research explores the charitable status of independent schools and whether this status can be justified. In this episode Tilly discusses the differential access to resources between independent and state schools discussing how this perpetuates inequalities, particularly in the context of the move to online teaching at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tilly’s article on Private School Policy Reform is available here: https://www.privateschoolreform.co.uk/opinion/tilly-clough. Tilly’s piece on the Impact of COVID-19 on Educational Inequality and the Attainment Gap is available here:  https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/law/research/european-childrens-rights-unit/campaigns/covid-19/

You can follow Tilly on Twitter @tilly_clough or contact her via email on [email protected]

You can get in touch with Abi via Twitter @abioconnor_ or email on [email protected]

In this episode Abi is joined by Olly Kennedy, a PhD student in the Management School. Olly’s research focuses on social value and combatting modern slavery in global supply chains. Olly discusses the need to ensure our understanding of modern slavery transcends that which is perpetuated by the media – the idea that modern slavery is a problem, but one which happens elsewhere. Specifically, Olly discusses the proposed £8.8billion Economic Recovery Plan for the Liverpool City Region, providing up to 28,000 jobs in the construction industry and the implications this may have with regards to casualised and precarious labour.

Olly’s co-authored Policy Briefing is available here: https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/media/livacuk/publicpolicyamppractice/covid-19/Policy,Brief,004,Coordinating,Public,Procurement.pdf

You can find Olly on Twitter @ollywkennedy or contact him via email on [email protected]

You can get in touch with Abi via Twitter @abioconnor_ or email on [email protected]

In the first episode of the series Abi talks to Ronnie Hughes, a fellow Sociology PhD student and also the co-producer, with herself, of this series of podcasts. Here Ronnie discusses his PhD research on Utopia in relation to the present and local context, drawing on his experiences as one of the founding members of Granby Four Streets Community Land Trust  (amongst many other community organisations) to explore how life might look like in the Liverpool City Region as the local economy and society begin to rebuild following lockdown.

You can find Ronnie on Twitter @asenseofplace1, and follow his blog, which explores all things Liverpool: https://asenseofplace.com

You can get in touch with Abi via Twitter @abioconnor_ or email on [email protected]

In this short intro to Series One SaRC postgraduate research lead Abi O'Connor discusses the purpose of the series and talks about what can be expected from upcoming episodes. Abi’s research is a sociological exploration of the political economy of stigmatisation in Liverpool and the impacts this has on governance and policy. Her most recent publication is available at https://theconversation.com/liverpool-close-to-bankruptcy-how-decades-of-stigma-have-pushed-the-city-into-financial-ruin-138742.

Find more information on Abi’s work here: https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/sociology-social-policy-and-criminology/research/postgraduate-research-students/abigail-oconnor/

Abi’s Twitter is @abioconnor_ or you can contact her via email on [email protected]