She/Her/Hers/Herself
Website: https://profiles.cardiff.ac.uk/research-staff/jonesk99
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Lead supervisor:
Dr Kate Moles 
Other supervisor(s):
- Dr Charlotte Bates
Start date: October 2022 (Full time)
Award: General
Subject Pathway:
Sociology / Science and Technology Studies
Thematic Cluster:
Society and Well-Being Cluster
How children and young people from the West Midlands made sense of the COVID-19 pandemic and UK lockdowns.
COVID-19 severely impacted the global population resulting in numerous national lockdowns and millions of deaths. The subsequent UK lockdowns forced the population to stay indoors, resulting in declines in mental health, financial instability, and fear of infection. Current research is beginning to explore the impacts of COVID-19 and the UK lockdowns, but minimal focus is on children's and young people's experiences.
This project will explore children’s and young people’s experiences of the lockdown in the United Kingdom and begin to understand how they made sense of the situation. Due to the lack of research on this area in the West Midlands, this project approached 19 children and young people (aged 11-15) who were living in the West Midlands during the UK lockdowns.
I used creative research methods such as drawing, writing, collaging, and LEGO, allowing children to express their thoughts and feelings creatively. These methods were chosen because they are child-friendly and encourage children and young people to express their views in their own ways, hoping to minimize misinterpretation and highlight their voices in conversations about moving forward with the COVID-19 virus.