Cardiff School of Education & Social Policy>Research>The Childhood and Youth Research Group

The Childhood and Youth Research Group

Organiser and convenor: Dr Merris Griffiths (MGriffiths4@cardiffmet.ac.uk) and Dr Jo Aubrey (JAubrey@cardiffmet.ac.uk)

Affiliated Research Lead: Dr Merris Griffiths

Group membership (indicative) includes:

  • Dr Jennie Clement
  • Louise Cook
  • Sandra Dumitrescu
  • Dr Edith England
  • Chantelle Haughton
  • Cez James
  • Dr Leanne McCarthy-Cotter
  • Julia Rooney
  • Sian Sarwar
  • Kirsten Stevens-Wood
  • Postgraduate Research Students

This research group aims to: draw together a diverse range of interdisciplinary expertise across a broad spectrum of scholarly activity, to explore, problematize, conceptualise, and transform our understandings of how ‘childhood’ and ‘youth’ are constructed, shaped, and maintained in contemporary society.

Drawing on a number of research areas within and across childhood studies, the humanities, and social policy, the group seeks to encourage interdisciplinary connection-making. Our research, which involves both ‘traditional’ and ‘applied’ work, aims to develop meaningful insights into childhood and youth. Our diverse interests sit within the field of sociology, including social construction, representation, and policy-making, whilst our deliberately broad remit seeks to generate new knowledge by bridging disciplinary boundaries in novel ways.

As part of our commitment to respecting and listening to youth voices, and ensuring that these inspire, inform, and drive our research, our group includes a subpanel of children and young people who act as advisors, peer researchers, and participants. Further, our group is working to develop specialist consultancy, evaluation, and training services for the benefit of various childhood- and youth-related organisations in Wales and beyond.