About Us

Our vision

Right now, many people in our society unfairly find themselves at the bottom of the pile, facing multiple and often intersecting forms of injustice on the basis of their race, gender, health, age, income, migrant status and other factors. The Centre for Communities and Social Justice (CaSJ) critically reflects on the relationships between power and social injustice; investigates how local, community-focused processes can transform societies; and identifies solutions to harness social inclusion as a driver for social change. By disrupting dominant narratives on inequality and social justice, ultimately, we want our interdisciplinary and intersectional research to empower marginalised and under-represented individuals and groups, human and nonhuman, both here in the UK and around the world, and to create a more equal yet diverse, inclusive and democratic society.

We aim to:

• Drive positive social change and achieve social justice with marginalised voices
• Create spaces for advocacy in different areas of justice ranging from racial to gender migrant, health and environmental and multi-species justice. This includes theorising contemporary modes of community participation, connectedness and social justice.
• Engage widely with community organisations, NGOs, policymakers, students, activists, and local and central government to identify where and when social justice, or possibilities for it, can be advocated for and how this is socially recognised.
• Foster a network of skilled researchers who work thematically, collaboratively and horizontally in support of – and in partnership with – marginalised individuals and groups.
• Provide research training for our members, including PGR students, in creative and participatory methodologies with community and public sector partners. This includes co-design and co-delivery of projects, co-evaluation of policy and practice, and co-production of research outputs.
• Advance pedagogic research and research-informed teaching and encourage the involvement of students in live research enquiries in partnership with the Undergraduate Research Hub.

“The Centre for Communities and Social Justice welcomes a more collaborative, democratic and caring approach. So, being a member gives me an opportunity to align the kind of research I do to my values and principles.”

(Dr Giulia Zampini, Associate Professor in Criminology and Social Policy)

Who we are

We believe that the best way to drive beneficial social change is by tackling aspects of justice from different disciplinary perspectives. Indeed, cross-cutting, cutting-edge research is often essential to address the complex, multidimensional global challenges confronting us in the twenty-first century. The CaSJ therefore brings together an interdisciplinary network of researchers working within sociology, social policy, criminology, law, human geography and community theatre and performance. Regardless of expertise and background, all members see their research as a form of activism to support marginalised human and nonhuman groups and communities.

Partners

The Centre for Communities and Social Justice works closely with a wide variety of external partners. These include migrant organisations, such as Lewisham Refugee and Migrant Network; civic engagement organisations, such as Citizens UK; advocacy groups, such as the National Sexual Entertainment Venue Coalition and Harm Reduction Malta; and arts and cultural organisations such as the Criminal Justice Arts Alliance’s research network.

We also collaborate with the Royal Borough of Greenwich and other local authorities, as well as with healthcare providers, such as the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust, and the Victorian Institute for Forensic Mental Health in Melbourne (Australia). Research has also been conducted in collaboration with United Nations Population Fund on access to reproductive health in crisis situations.

We have forged partnerships with many other higher education institutions in the UK and worldwide, among them the University of Bergamo (Italy), the University of West Finland, the University of Malmö (Sweden) and the University of Delhi (India), British University of Egypt and the University of Minas Gerais (Brazil), as well as City University New York and Princeton University (USA).

Our members also collaborate closely with other Research Centres within the University of Greenwich, including: the Centres for Transformative and Global Justice; Creative Futures; Research in Language and Heritage; Spatial and Digital Ecologies; Sound and Image as part of the Institute for Inclusive Communities and Environments. Our members also collaborate with the Natural Resources Institute and the Institute for Lifecourse Development.

Funding

The CaSJ’s work is supported by, among others, the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), EU Horizon, the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and the Welsh Government. Our members have also delivered evaluation and consultancies for UN Women, the Criminal Justice Alliance, the Royal Borough of Greenwich, the South London and Maudsley NHS Trust, the West London NHS Trust, Health Education England, the Wildlife and Countryside Link and Natural England. We are seeking funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the British Academy and the Leverhulme Trust.