Dr Peter Matthews

Senior Lecturer

Sociology, Social Policy & Criminology R.G. Bomont Building, University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA

Dr Peter Matthews

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About me

About me

Peter Matthews (he/him) is a Senior Lecturer in Social Policy. I joined Stirling in 2014 from Heriot-Watt. I completed my doctoral research in 2009, being awarded a PhD in Urban Studies from the University of Glasgow.

Throughout my research career I have had a particular interest in urban policy; urban regeneration; urban inequalities; housing; equalities and diversity; queer theory and lesbian and gay studies. My first degree was in History, and I have been involved in a number of interdisciplinary research projects, and find working at disciplinary interfaces productive and rewarding.

I have supervised four PhDs in my research areas to completion, and welcome enquiries from possible doctoral researchers with interest in these topics.

Research (2)

My research interests mainly focus on inequalities in the urban context and how policy can tackle or exacerbate these. I am interested in socio-economic and class inequalities, as well as inequalities due to sexual orientation, gender, ethnicity or disability. Current research projects include a focus on using administrative data to understand patterns of inequality in neighbourhood cleanliness and maintenance; and unpacking how the heteronormative norms of social and welfare policy impact on the lived experience of LGBT+ service users and service providers.

In terms of methodologies, in my research I have coproduced research with service users, and I have explored the impacts this has on knowledge production. I have also worked closely with social scientists with quantitative and statistical skills and knowledge, to further research in my key research areas.

Projects

Welfare access, assets and debts of LGBT+ people in the UK
PI: Dr Peter Matthews
Funded by: The Nuffield Foundation

Developing an Intervention to Manage Benzodiazepine Dependence and High Risk Use in the Context of Escalating Drug Related Deaths: A feasibility study
PI: Professor Catriona Matheson
Funded by: Chief Scientist Office

Outputs (52)

Outputs

Book Chapter

McCall V, Rolfe S, Matthews P, Wallace A, Manyika G, Iafrati S, Clark C & Munro M (2022) The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on UK housing policy: how do we rebuild the foundations of the ‘wobbly pillar’?. In: Jolly A, Cefalo R & Pomati M (eds.) Social Policy Review 34: Analysis and Debate in Social Policy, 2022. Social Policy Review, 24. Bristol: Policy Press, pp. 71-93. https://doi.org/10.51952/9781447365815.ch004

Book Chapter

Matthews P (2020) Representation: Public Servants in Public. In: Sullivan H, Dickinson H & Henderson H (eds.) Palgrave Handbook of the Public Servant. Cham, Switzerlnd: Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-03008-7_111-1

Book Chapter

Graham H, Hill K, Matthews P, O'Brien D & Taylor M (2019) Connecting Epistemologies and the Early Career Researcher. In: Fenby-Hulse K, Heywood E & Walker K (eds.) Research Impact and the Early Career Researcher. Abingdon: Routledge, pp. 106-126. https://www.routledge.com/Research-Impact-and-the-Early-Career-Researcher-Lived-Experiences-New/Fenby-Hulse-Heywood-Walker/p/book/9781138562073

Research Report

Satsangi M, Theakstone D, Matthews P, Lawrence J, Rummery K, Mackintosh S, Baghirathan S & Boniface G (2018) The housing experiences of disabled people in Britain. Equality and Human Rights Commission Research Report Series. Equality and Human Rights Commission. https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/en/publication-download/housing-experiences-disabled-people-britain

Policy Document

Matthews P & Poyner C (2017) Your tenants are gay, get over it! [Social housing and LGBT+ people – a guide for social landlords]. University of Stirling. Stirling. https://www.stir.ac.uk/research/public-policy-hub/policy-briefings/

Policy Document

Matthews P & Poyner C (2017) Homelessness support for LGBT+ people. University of Stirling. Stirling. https://www.stir.ac.uk/research/public-policy-hub/policy-briefings/

Book Chapter

Connelly S, Vanderhoven D, Durose C, Matthews P, Richardson L & Rutherfoord R (2017) Translation Across Borders: Connecting the academic and policy communities. In: Facer K & Pahl K (eds.) Valuing interdisciplinary collaborative research: Beyond impact. Connected Communities. Bristol: Policy Press, pp. 173-190. https://policypress.co.uk/valuing-interdisciplinary-collaborative-research; https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt1t895tj.15

Book Chapter

Matthews P & Livingstone N (2017) Liminal Spaces and Theorising the Permanence of Transience. In: Henneberrry J (ed.) Transience and Permanence in Urban Development. Chichester: Wiley, pp. 31-45. http://eu.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-1119055652,subjectCd-AR82.html; https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119055662.ch3

Edited Book

Bevir M, McKee K & Matthews P (eds.) (2017) Decentring Urban Governance: Narratives, Resistance and Contestation. Routledge Studies in Governance and Public Policy. New York and London: Routledge. https://www.routledge.com/Decentring-Urban-Governance-Narratives-Resistance-and-Contestation/Bevir-McKee-Matthews/p/book/9781138229372

Book Chapter

Matthews P, Astbury J, Brown J, Brown L, Connelly S & O'Brien D (2017) Evaluating legacy: the who, what, why, when and where of evaluation for community research. In: Facer K & Pahl K (eds.) Valuing interdisciplinary collaborative research: Beyond impact. Connected Communities. Bristol: Policy Press, pp. 43-62. https://policypress.co.uk/valuing-interdisciplinary-collaborative-research

Book Chapter

Connelly S, Vanderhoven D, Durose C, Richardson L, Matthews P & Rutherfoord R (2016) Translation across borders: exploring the use, relevance and impact of academic research in the policy process. In: O'Brien D & Matthews P (eds.) After Urban Regeneration: Communities, Policy and Place. Connected Communities. Bristol: Policy Press, pp. 181-198. https://policypress.co.uk/after-urban-regeneration#book-detail-tabs-stison-block-content-1-0-tab2; https://doi.org/10.1332/policypress/9781447324157.003.0012

Book Chapter

Matthews P & O'Brien D (2015) Introduction. In: O'Brien D & Matthews P (eds.) After Urban Regeneration: Communities, policy and place. Connected Communities. Bristol: Policy Press, pp. 1-6. http://www.policypress.co.uk/display.asp?k=9781447324164

Book Chapter

Matthews P & O'Brien D (2015) Connecting community to a post-regeneration era. In: O'Brien D & Matthews P (eds.) After Urban Regeneration: Communities, policy and place. Connected Communities. Bristol: Policy Press, pp. 27-44. http://www.policypress.co.uk/display.asp?k=9781447324164

Book Review

Matthews P (2014) Shaping places: urban planning, design and development. Review of: Shaping Places: Urban Planning, Design and Development, David Adams & Steve Tiesdell, London, Routledge, 2012, 368 pp., ISBN 9780415497978. Housing Studies, 29 (1), pp. 168-169. https://doi.org/10.1080/02673037.2012.752633

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