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Matthew Sparkes

Matthew Sparkes is an Assistant Professor in Sociology and a Director of Studies and Fellow in the Human, Social, and Political Sciences at Lucy Cavendish College, Cambridge.

Matthew's research is centred on examining neoliberal political economy, its origins and associations with financialisation, and the class, gender and cultural dynamics of these processes. His work makes use of a variety of research methods, and cuts across social science scholarship in sociology, cultural studies, economics, politics, geography, and labour history.

Currently, Matthew's research interests lie in two main strands. The first strand focuses on the way politicians and the media utilise narratives to influence policy, particularly in moments of crises, and the consequences of these processes. The second, and more dominant, strand extends his enquires into social stratification processes within credit markets, and how they shape social inequalities.

Before entering academia, Matthew worked as a Debt Advisor for StepChange Debt Charity. He earned his PhD in Sociology and MA in Social Research at the University of York, and his BA in Sociology from Leeds Metropolitan University.

Mortgage prisoners: regulatory changes and low credit scores have left thousands trapped in a cycle of high payments

May 15, 2024 07:26 am UTC| Insights & Views Economy

There are 8.5 million households in the UK who own a home with a residential mortgage, often with fixed interest rates from two to five years. Usually, when that mortgage deal ends, the borrower will move to another deal...

Credit payment holidays reduced the mental health effects of debt during COVID – new research

May 23, 2023 15:09 pm UTC| Health

Like other countries, the UK implemented a number of initiatives to mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on peoples economic circumstances. While we know these schemes supported household finances, now were...

Economy

Australia’s Stock Market Nears Correction as U.S. Tariffs Shake Investor Confidence

Australias SP/ASX 200 index is on the brink of correction territory, tumbling 9.8% from its all-time high on February 14, driven by escalating trade tensions following U.S. President Donald Trumps new tariffs. As of 03:20...

South Korea Warns of Heightened Currency Volatility Amid U.S.-China Trade War

South Koreas central bank cautioned that escalating tensions in the U.S.-China trade war could prolong market instability, increase capital outflow risks, and amplify dollar-won exchange rate volatility. The Bank of Korea...

Oil Prices Dip Amid Recession Fears, Rising Supply, and Trade War Concerns

Oil prices edged lower in Asian trading Thursday, easing after a recent rebound as concerns over a potential U.S. recession and increasing production weighed on sentiment. Brent crude futures slipped 0.2% to $70.83 per...

Trump Threatens New Tariffs as Global Trade Tensions Rise

Donald Trump escalated global trade tensions by threatening additional tariffs on European Union (EU) goods if the bloc follows through on its planned counter-tariffs. This comes after the U.S. imposed a 25% duty on steel...

Stocks Rally as Tech Rebounds Amid Cooling Inflation and Tariff Uncertainty

The SP 500 climbed 0.4% Wednesday, buoyed by a tech sector rebound after softer-than-expected inflation data. The Nasdaq 100 jumped 1.2%, with NVIDIA (NASDAQ:NVDA) surging 8% as investors capitalized on the recent dip. The...

Politics

Trump’s Bold Tax Plan: No Taxes for Americans Earning Under $150K

U.S. President Donald Trump aims to eliminate taxes for individuals earning less than $150,000 annually, according to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick in a recent CBS News interview. I know what his goal isno tax for...

Mark Carney to Be Sworn in as Canada’s 24th Prime Minister Amid Trade Tensions

Mark Carney will be officially sworn in as Canadas next prime minister on Friday, marking the end of Justin Trudeaus nine-year tenure. The swearing-in ceremony, led by Governor General Mary Simon, is scheduled for 11 a.m....

Duterte’s Defiant Video Message: “I Take Full Responsibility” Amid ICC Arrest

Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has taken full responsibility for his controversial war on drugs as he prepares for a legal battle at the International Criminal Court (ICC). In a video posted on his Facebook...

Trump to Address DOJ on Law and Order Amid Sweeping Changes

U.S. President Donald Trump will visit the Department of Justice (DOJ) this Friday to outline his administrations strategy for restoring law and order, Axios reported. His speech will focus on removing violent criminals...

Hamas Welcomes Trump's Shift on Gaza Displacement Amid Ceasefire Talks

Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem welcomed U.S. President Donald Trumps apparent retreat from his proposal to permanently displace Palestinians from Gaza. Trumps statement on Wednesday, Nobody is expelling any Palestinians...

Science

Leonardo da Vinci’s incredible studies of human anatomy still don’t get the recognition they deserve

Wikimedia, CC BY-SA The mere mention of Leonardo da Vinci evokes genius. We know him as a polymath whose interests spanned astronomy, geology, hydrology, engineering and physics. As a painter, his Mona Lisa and Last Supper...

One of the largest searches for alien life started 30 years ago. Its legacy lives on today

In February 1995, a small research organisation known as the SETI Institute launched what was then the most comprehensive search for an answer to a centuries-old question: are we alone in the universe? This Sunday marks...

South African telescope discovers a giant galaxy that’s 32 times bigger than Earth’s

Inkathazos glowing plasma jets are shown in red and yellow. The starlight from other surrounding galaxies can be seen in the background. K.K.L Charlton (UCT), MeerKAT, HSC, CARTA, IDIA, CC BY You may not know it, but right...

It’s science, not fiction: high-tech drones may soon be fighting bushfires in Australia

Picture this. Its a summer evening in Australia. A dry lightning storm is about to sweep across remote, tinder-dry bushland. The next day is forecast to be hot and windy. A lightning strike tonight could spark a fire that...

Earth is bombarded with rocks from space – but who gets to keep these ultimate antiques?

Every day, about 48.5 tonnes of space rock hurtle towards Earth. Meteorites that fall into the ocean are never recovered. But the ones that crash on land can spark debates about legal ownership. Globally, meteorite hunting...

Technology

WeRide Expands Robotaxi Services in Beijing After Securing Key Permit

WeRide Corp (NASDAQ: WRD) has received approval to launch commercial robotaxi services in Beijing, marking a significant milestone in its autonomous ride-hailing expansion. The newly granted permit allows WeRide to operate...

SpaceX Delays NASA Crew-10 Launch Amid Technical Issue, Stranded Astronauts Await Return

SpaceX postponed the NASA Crew-10 mission set to bring back astronauts stranded on the International Space Station (ISS), citing a technical issue. The launch, originally scheduled for Wednesday night from Kennedy Space...

AI Boom Fuels 10% Growth in Semiconductor Market for 2025, but Challenges Remain

The global semiconductor market is set to grow 9.5% in 2025, driven by soaring demand for AI and data center chips, according to ING analysts. While this growth lags the 11.2% forecast by the World Semiconductor Trade...

TSMC Proposes Joint Venture to Run Intel’s U.S. Foundry with Nvidia, AMD, and Broadcom

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (NYSE:TSM) is in early talks with Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA), AMD (NASDAQ:AMD), Broadcom (NASDAQ:AVGO), and Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) to form a joint venture (JV) to manage Intels...

Salesforce Invests $1B in Singapore to Advance AI and Digital Innovation

Salesforce (NYSE:CRM) is making a major investment in Singapore, pledging $1 billion over the next five years to accelerate artificial intelligence (AI) development and digital transformation. The move reinforces the...