Social Sciences

The United Nations’ strategies to increase gender equality in the field of human rights have increased our knowledge of the situation of women, but in the meantime the variety of violations has become invisible. This is one of the findings of a doctoral dissertation in international law written by Sari Kouvo of the School of Economics and Commercial Law at Göteborg University , Sweden.

Since its inception in 1945 the UN has been one of the foremost international players for human ri

The Olympiad kick off marks the return of the Games to their ancient birthplace. In Ancient Greece the land’s best athletes would test their skills in events like wrestling, and running. However, one constant of the Olympics is the significance of sporting superstars. Philosopher Dr Angie Hobbs from the University of Warwick contends that some top athletes fulfil a vital social function, as they can provide happiness, hope, inspiration, release from care and a sense of national identity.

The trend for young people to continue in education and postpone independence is creating problems for them and parents, according to new research sponsored by the ESRC.

A study led by Professor Gill Jones, at Keele University, found that with the age of independence now effectively 24, there are difficulties both for parents with limited financial resources and other responsibilities, and for young adults who want to be able to make and act on their own decisions. By offering o

Family businesses can be dynamic engines of local economic growth in rich economies, but if a few wealthy families control many of the large businesses in the country where you live, chances are the economy is in the dumps.

Using statistical measures, a University of Alberta business professor and his colleague have shown a correlation between extensive family control of the large business sector and struggling economies in the countries where they are based. Their research has b

Senior citizens living alone and independently in apartments should interact often with others—both friends and family members—if they want to maintain their ability to communicate, a new University of Michigan study showed.

A lifestyle with organized activities seems to provide the best social opportunities for the elderly, said Deborah Keller-Cohen, a U-M professor of women’s studies and linguistics.

Much is known about the association between declines in cognitive f

How do men and women in the UK work and live together in the 21st Century? How do they compare as children and how do parents shape their upbringing? What choices do we make academically, what are male and female attitudes towards family and relationships? How do men and women share childcare, and what career paths do they choose, or have forced upon them? And how do the two genders compare in retirement?

The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) has just awarded some of the co