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Ruth Patrick

Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Liverpool

I joined the School of Law and Social Justice in 2016 as a Postdoctoral Researcher.

Prior to that, I was based at the University of Leeds where I completed a PhD exploring the lived experiences of welfare reform. My research interests encompass social welfare, poverty, welfare conditionality and disability, as well as methodological interests in participatory approaches and qualitative longitudinal research.

To date, my research has been concerned with foregrounding lived experiences of social welfare and poverty, and contrasting these lived experiences with the dominant political and media narratives. Using the lens of social citizenship, it is possible to examine the extent of the disjunct between citizenship as it is conceptualised from above and how it is lived and experienced from below. Methodologically, I have been engaged in participatory research - most notably via the Dole Animators project - and have a particular interest in qualitative longitudinal research.

Looking forward, I am keen to develop new opportunities for participatory, co-produced research that recognises and works with the expertise by experience of those living in poverty and with the consequences of welfare reform.

New welfare reforms put extra pressure on single parents to enter paid work

Apr 02, 2017 02:33 am UTC| Insights & Views Health

Parents of children as young as three will now be expected to seek paid employment if they want to receive state benefits as part of a package of welfare reforms implemented in April 2017. These changes prioritise work in...

Economy

U.S. Stock Futures Steady as Iran Reviews U.S. Ceasefire Proposal

U.S. stock index futures held relatively steady on Wednesday evening after Iran signaled it was reviewing a ceasefire proposal put forward by Washington aimed at ending the ongoing Middle East conflict. The cautious market...

Oil Prices Climb as Iran Reviews U.S. Peace Proposal Amid Middle East Tensions

Oil prices edged higher during Asian trading on Thursday as conflicting signals over potential Middle East de-escalation kept energy markets on alert. Brent crude futures for May delivery rose 0.8% to $103.02 per barrel,...

Gold Prices Climb as Middle East Ceasefire Talks Stir Market Optimism

Gold prices edged higher on Wednesday as cautious optimism surrounding potential U.S.-Iran ceasefire negotiations lifted sentiment across global markets. Spot gold climbed 0.7% to $4,504.58 per ounce, while U.S. gold...

Middle East War Rattles Global Markets as Oil Tops $100 and Dollar Surges

Asian equity markets struggled to find clear direction on Thursday as investors navigated a rapidly shifting geopolitical landscape in the Middle East. Iran signaled conditional willingness to consider a U.S.-backed...

Federal Reserve Balance Sheet Reduction: Brookings Research Outlines Possible Path Forward

New research from the Brookings Institution suggests the Federal Reserve could shrink its balance sheet through a combination of regulatory adjustments, payment system reforms, and more active market interventions without...

Politics

Trump Seeks Quick End to U.S.-Iran Conflict Amid Ongoing Middle East Tensions

President Donald Trump has privately told close advisers that he wants to avoid a drawn-out war with Iran and is pushing for a swift resolution to the ongoing conflict, according to a Wall Street Journal report published...

Iran-U.S. Negotiations: Tehran Reviews American Peace Proposal Amid Ongoing Gulf Conflict

Irans foreign minister confirmed Wednesday that Tehran is examining a United States peace proposal aimed at ending the escalating Gulf war, though officials stressed this falls short of direct negotiations between the two...

FEMA Reinstates $1 Billion Disaster Prevention Grant Program After Court Order

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has announced the resumption of a key disaster prevention initiative after facing legal challenges that forced the reversal of its earlier cancellation. The agency is once again...

Taiwan Arms Deal on Track Despite U.S.-China Summit Uncertainty

Taiwans Defense Minister Wellington Koo confirmed Thursday that the next major U.S. arms sale to the island remains on schedule, revealing that Taipei has already received a formal letter of guarantee from Washington...

G7 Foreign Ministers Gather in France Amid Global Tensions and U.S. Policy Uncertainty

Foreign ministers from the worlds top Western democracies have convened in France this week for a high-stakes two-day summit at the historic 12th-century Abbaye des Vaux-de-Cernay, located roughly 40 kilometers southwest...

Science

SpaceX Pivots Toward Moon City as Musk Reframes Long-Term Space Vision

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has revealed a significant shift in the companys near-term space exploration strategy, announcing that SpaceX is now prioritizing the development of a self-growing city on the Moon rather than focusing...

SpaceX Prioritizes Moon Mission Before Mars as Starship Development Accelerates

Elon Musks SpaceX is shifting its near-term space exploration strategy, choosing to prioritize a return to the Moon before pursuing missions to Mars, according to a recent Wall Street Journal report citing sources familiar...

NASA and SpaceX Target Crew-11 Undocking From ISS Amid Medical Concern

NASA has confirmed that the agency, in coordination with SpaceX, is targeting no earlier than 5 p.m. Eastern Time (2200 GMT) on Wednesday, January 14, for the undocking of the SpaceX Crew-11 mission from the International...

Neuralink Plans High-Volume Brain Implant Production and Fully Automated Surgery by 2026

Elon Musks brain-computer interface company Neuralink is preparing for a major expansion, announcing plans to begin high-volume production of its brain implant devices and transition to a fully automated surgical procedure...

Jared Isaacman Confirmed as NASA Administrator, Becomes 15th Leader of U.S. Space Agency

The U.S. Senate has officially confirmed billionaire private astronaut Jared Isaacman as the new NASA administrator, making him the 15th leader in the agencys history. The confirmation, which took place on Wednesday, marks...

Technology

Reflection AI Eyes $25 Billion Valuation in Massive $2.5 Billion Funding Round

Nvidia-backed artificial intelligence startup Reflection AI is in advanced discussions to secure $2.5 billion in fresh funding, with negotiations pointing to a staggering pre-money valuation of $25 billion, according to a...

Nanya Technology Shares Surge 10% After $2.5 Billion Private Placement from Sandisk and Cisco

Shares of Taiwan-based memory chip manufacturer Nanya Technology soared to their daily limit of 10% on Thursday morning following the companys announcement of a major $2.5 billion private placement deal backed by prominent...

SK Hynix Eyes Up to $14 Billion U.S. IPO to Fund AI Chip Expansion

South Korean memory chip giant SK Hynix has submitted a confidential filing for a U.S. stock market listing in 2026, with sources indicating the move could raise as much as $14 billion. The company intends to offer...

Meta Ties Executive Pay to Aggressive Stock Price Targets in Major Retention Push

Meta Platforms made a significant move this week by granting restricted stock units and stock options to several of its most senior leaders, including Chief Financial Officer Susan Li and Chief Technology Officer Andrew...

SpaceX IPO Filing Expected This Week as Valuation Could Surpass $75 Billion

Elon Musks SpaceX is reportedly moving closer to going public, with plans to submit its initial public offering prospectus to regulators as early as this week or next, according to a report by The Information citing a...