Social Science Research Unit (SSRU)
Research Interests
The Unit has three substantive research interests, two methodological interests, a general orientation to international collaborations and a commitment to contribute actively to the scientific development of longitudinal studies.
Substantive: (1) Health inequalities; (2) Life course; (3) Social gerontology.
Methodological: (a) Life grid method of collecting retrospective data; (b) CASP measure of positive quality of life at older ages.
To give an example:
At present Dr Netuveli is engaged in an international comparative study of quality of life at older ages in the countries of Western, Central and Eastern Europe and Russia and United States of America, relating these findings to theories of welfare state regimes. At the same time, he is conducting pilot studies in other countries.
With the help of Dr Noriko Cable (UCL) and a summer vacation intern student, Eimi Howse, he translated the CASP questionnaire into Japanese and, with Eimi’s help, is conducting a pilot study among older citizens in Japan. Dr Netuveli also has translated the CASP questionnaire into Malayalam, his own first language, and with the help of Professor Ipe Verghese (Calicut), is conducting a pilot survey of older citizens in Kerala.
The results of his programme of research will provide the first beginnings of a truly international picture of quality of life at older ages.
Key collaborations
JN Morris (LSHTM).
ESRC Network on Capability and Resilience, particularly: Mel Bartley and Amanda Sacker (UCL), Scott Montgomery (Karolinska), Richard Wiggins (CLS), Richard Mitchell (Edinburgh).
International Centre for Health and Society, particularly: Richard Wilkinson (Nottingham), Donald Acheson, Eric Brunner, Yvonne Kelly, Meena Kumari, Michael Marmot (UCL).
European Science Foundation Programme on Health Inequalities, particularly: Johannes Siegrist (Duesseldorf), Johan Hallqvist (Karolinska), Thierry Lang (Toulouse), Archana Singh-Manoux (Paris), Pekka Martikainen (Helsinki), Giussepe Costa (Turin), John Lynch (McGill), Martin Bobak, Tarani Chandola, Hynek Pikhart (UCL) .
Office for National Statistics, particularly: Louisa Blackwell, Kevin Lynch, Madhavi Bakekal, Christopher White, Myer Glickman and ex-members Seeromanie Harding (Glasgow), Michael Rosato (Belfast) and Bola Akinwale and Angela Donkin (DWP).
National Centre for Social Research, particularly: Kate Cox and Carli Lessof.
Advisory Positions
Institute of Actuaries Scoping Study on Mortality.
Office for National Statistics informal advisory committee on 2001 Decennial Supplement on Occupational Mortality.
Northern Ireland Longitudinal Study.
Swiss National Science Foundation Centre on Etiological Study of Adjustment and Mental Health.
Canadian Research Network on Ethnic Minority, Immigrant and Refugee Seniors.
National Child Development Study, British Cohort Study 1970, Millennium Cohort Study.
Interns and Visiting Scholars
The Unit is interested in interns and visiting scholars who share its research interests; we do not have additional funds for this purpose, so regretfully you will need to be self-financing.
