Dr James Kaufman
| Biography | Dr Jim Kaufman is a University Fellow in Social Policy at the University of Salford, based in the Centre for Research on Inclusive Society (CRIS). His research explores the intersections of welfare reform, inequality, and climate justice, with a particular focus on how social policy can contribute to fair and democratic transitions in the face of ecological crisis. He leads work on eco-social policy innovation in Greater Manchester, co-developing participatory approaches to tackling carbon and wealth inequality with local authorities, civil society organisations, and communities. Jim’s research is rooted in methodological innovation and a commitment to public engagement. He was a core team member on the Covid Realities and Changing Realities projects, which used participatory methods to document life on a low income during the pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis. He is co-author of A Year Like No Other (Bristol University Press, 2023), winner of the Social Policy Association book award, and has published in Social Policy & Administration and major edited collections on conditionality, street-level bureaucracy, and participatory practice. He is active in national and international networks on sustainable welfare and climate justice, and contributes to shaping emerging research agendas through workshops, policy briefings, and co-produced outputs. He is especially interested in democratic innovation, lived experience as evidence, and the challenges of governing in an age of disruption. |
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| Research Interests | Dr Jim Kaufman’s research focuses on the relationship between social policy, inequality, and democratic governance in times of crisis. His core interests include: •Eco-social policy: exploring how welfare systems can support fair and sustainable transitions in response to climate change and ecological limits. •Social security and conditionality: examining the impacts of welfare reform, particularly marketisation and behavioural conditionality, on frontline services and lived experience. •Participatory and ethnographic methods: using co-production, deliberative processes, and lived experience data to inform policy design and evaluation. •Democratic innovation and legitimacy: investigating how new participatory tools—such as citizens’ juries and digital platforms—can navigate political conflict and build public trust in climate and welfare transitions. •Policy responses to crises: analysing how welfare systems have adapted to major disruptions such as the 2008 financial crash, the Covid-19 pandemic, and the cost-of-living crisis. Overall, his work aims to reimagine the role of social policy in supporting just transitions—foregrounding equity, voice, and institutional resilience in the governance of systemic change. |
| Teaching and Learning | Dr Jim Kaufman contributes to teaching and learning across the areas of social policy, poverty, participatory research, and applied research methods. He has extensive experience teaching at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels, including supervision of dissertations, curriculum development, and inclusive pedagogy. His approach emphasises critical engagement, real-world relevance, and the use of participatory and creative methods to support student learning. In the 2025 academic year, Jim will contribute to the new MA in Enabling Social Change, delivering sessions on child poverty as part of the modules Understanding Social Change and Making Change Happen. He will also take a lead role on the new MSc in Applied Social Research Methods, convening the core module Supporting Research: Developing Leadership and Impact, which focuses on research leadership, collaboration, and public engagement. Jim is committed to creating inclusive learning environments and draws on both academic and professional experience to support students from diverse backgrounds. His teaching is informed by his own research on welfare reform, lived experience, and co-production, and he integrates these themes into both content and pedagogy. |