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Our group of family demographers investigates changes in the life course in the UK and in international comparison. In the UK, we study partnership formation, childbearing, and relationship quality. This work provides a better understanding of how factors such as housing, welfare receipt, and education influence leaving home, partnership and childbearing decisions. Understanding how society can support families is particularly important in the context of economic uncertainty, the housing crisis and the recent Covid-19 pandemic. 

Our group is responsible for carrying out the as part of an international comparative programme. These data will provide more evidence to support Government social policies. 

We also have a strong interest in studying family change around the world. Our work examines the emergence of cohabitation throughout Europe, the US, and Australia. We look at the association between different types of partnership and outcomes such as well-being, health, and sleep. We are examining fertility decline in Ukraine in the context of conflict and population displacement. We also have a strength in studying African family health and demography in the context of high levels of HIV and poverty. 

An additional area of research is on the voluntary sector. Our work considers the impact of austerity on voluntary organisations and the services they provide. We study geographical differences in the number of voluntary organisations and how they complement social welfare and wellbeing.  

Our group is part of the Fertility and Family strand of the Centre for Population Change and is funded by the , , , NIHR and the . We are in partnership with organizations such as the , , , and the .

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