living and life events

Understanding society: findings 2012

Second annual publication of findings from Understanding Society, the UK Household Longitudinal Study. 'Understanding society' is a major social science investment in longitudinal studies with potentially huge long-term implications for social science and other research and for the understanding of the UK in the early twenty-first century. It provides valuable new evidence about the people of the UK, their lives, experiences, behaviours and beliefs, and enables an unprecedented understanding of diversity within the population.

Life opportunities survey: wave one results, 2009/11

Report that presents a summary of the latest information collected from the full wave one of the Life Opportunities Survey (LOS), for which fieldwork was conducted across Great Britain between June 2009 and March 2011.

A report based on the interim results - year one of the first wave of fieldwork - was published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) in December 2010. The findings in this report replace the findings presented in the interim report.

Enriching opportunities: unlocking potential: searching for the keys

The Enriched Opportunities Programme is an intervention developed by the ExtraCare Charitable Trust and Bradford Dementia group that aimed to improve the well-being and activity of people with dementia living in long-term care. The programme included five key elements: specialist expertise; individualised assessment and case work; activity and occupation; staff training; management and leadership. This research evaluates the impact of the intervention on residents and tenants and on the staff caring for them.

Building public support for eradicating poverty in the UK

Public support is needed to ensure that the government and other organisations take action to tackle poverty in the UK. The perception of poverty is often misguided, with people believing that it is a result of laziness, or an inevitable part of modern life.

The aim of this research is to identify ways of changing such perceptions and building public support for addressing the problem.

Review of Research on Vulnerable Young People and Their Transitions to Independent Living

A literature review carried out by the University of Edinburgh in August 2007 which found that most young people move on from being looked after at 16 or 17 years; this tends to be an abrupt transition which has been referred to as 'accelerated and compressed', further impacting on other aspects of their lives such as education, relationships and health and well-being.

The changing needs of people with sight loss

Presents the findings from a research study which identifies and explores the changing support needs of people with sight loss from the clinical, visual function and quality of life perspectives. Data were derived from biographical narrative interviews and a visual function questionnaire with people with sight loss, and semi-structured interviews with professionals involved in the delivery of specialist visual impairment services.

Opportunity and aspiration: two sides of the same coin?

The JRF's recent public consultation revealed a strong sense of unease about some of the changes shaping British society. This Viewpoint continues the discussion about modern 'social evils' on the theme of 'inequality'. Chris Creegan argues that until we can reconcile the problems of excessive individualism, consumerism and greed at the heart of contemporary society, life opportunities will continue to be lost, limited and wasted.