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Dave Griffiths

Senior Lecturer Sociology, Social Policy & Criminology, University of Stirling
My research focuses on social connections and social advantage. I'm interested in the processes by which people become, and stay, advantaged, which raises issues of elites, social mobilities and social inequalities.My main analytical tools are social network analysis and social survey methods. I'm particularly interested in the way that existing large-scale social surveys can be operationalised as social network datasets.

I have worked on the ESRC-funded project Is Britain Pulling Apart? which looks at the changes over time in social distance between different groups in the UK. This builds upon a previous ESRC-funded project, Social Networks and Occupational Structure, in which we examined patterns of connections between occupational groups.

Other research interests include elite theory and governance (my PhD, and a subsequent ESRC-funded Postdoctoral Fellowship, looking at the networks of quango board members), social capital more generally and exploring how people's social ties and connections influence their opportunities and life choices. I'm particularly interested in stratification effects and understanding how the socially advantage can utilise their connections to consolidate their position

Get rid of private schools? We'd be better tackling inequalities between state schools

Aug 15, 2019 17:39 pm UTC| Insights & Views Law

Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson is the 20th Etonian to become prime minister of the UK. Most of his cabinet is composed of privileged, privately educated people, with two-thirds of his ministers among the 7% of the...

Economy

Oil Prices Surge Above $109 as Strait of Hormuz Crisis and U.S.-Iran Tensions Escalate

Global oil prices soared Friday, posting strong weekly gains as tensions between the United States and Iran continued to intensify and the Strait of Hormuz remained effectively closed, fueling fears of a prolonged global...

Gold Prices Post Worst Weekly Drop Since March as Strong Dollar and Fed Rate Hike Bets Pressure Metals

Gold prices tumbled sharply on Friday, recording their biggest weekly decline since mid-March as a stronger U.S. dollar and growing expectations of Federal Reserve rate hikes weighed heavily on the precious metals market....

Powell Named Fed Chair Pro Tempore as Trump Prepares to Install Kevin Warsh

The Federal Reserve Board announced Friday that Jerome Powell will serve as chair pro tempore until Kevin Warsh is officially sworn in as the next leader of the U.S. central bank. The move comes as President Donald Trump...

Dollar Surges as Fed Rate Hike Expectations Grow Amid Inflation and Global Bond Sell-Off

The U.S. dollar extended its rally for a fifth consecutive session on Friday, posting its strongest weekly performance in more than nine months as investors increased expectations for further Federal Reserve interest rate...

UK Stocks Slide as Labour Leadership Tensions and U.S.-China Talks Shape Markets

British stocks closed lower on Friday as political uncertainty surrounding the U.K.s ruling Labour Party pressured investor sentiment and weakened the pound for a fourth straight session. The FTSE 100 dropped 0.61%, while...

Politics

Taiwan Says U.S. Arms Sales Remain Key to Regional Stability

Taiwan reaffirmed on Saturday that U.S. arms sales remain vital to maintaining peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region after President Donald Trump said he had not yet decided whether to approve a new weapons...

Amazon Faces Class-Action Lawsuit Over Trump Tariff Price Hikes

Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) is facing a proposed class-action lawsuit after consumers accused the company of inflating product prices due to tariffs later ruled unlawful by the U.S. Supreme Court. The case, filed in...

Alberta Separatist Movement Faces Major Legal Setback Ahead of Referendum Push

Albertas separatist movement has suffered a significant blow after a provincial court ruled against a petition campaign seeking a referendum on Alberta independence from Canada. The decision creates new uncertainty for...

ICC Arrest Drama Deepens as Philippine Senator Bato Dela Rosa Escapes Amid Senate Gunfire

Philippine politics plunged deeper into turmoil after Senator Ronald Bato Dela Rosa reportedly escaped authorities following a dramatic confrontation involving gunfire inside the Senate complex in Manila. The controversial...

Ukraine Begins Major POW Swap as 205 Soldiers Return from Russian Captivity

Ukraine has successfully brought home 205 service personnel from Russian captivity in the first phase of a large-scale prisoner exchange with Russia, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy confirmed on Friday. The operation marks a...

Science

Trump Administration Releases New UFO Files and Apollo Mission Records

The U.S. Defense Department has released dozens of previously classified UFO-related files following an order from President Donald Trump, sparking renewed debate over unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) and government...

China vs. NASA: The New Moon Race and What's at Stake by 2030

The space race is back and this time, its a direct competition between the United States and China for dominance on the lunar surface. NASAs Artemis II mission recently made history when four astronauts flew farther into...

NASA Artemis II: First Crewed Moon Mission Since Apollo Takes Four Astronauts on 10-Day Lunar Journey

NASAs Artemis II mission launched Wednesday, marking humanitys return to crewed lunar exploration for the first time since the Apollo era. Carrying four astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft, this historic 10-day mission...

NASA's Artemis II Mission: First Crewed Lunar Journey Since Apollo

NASA's Artemis II Crew Arrives in Florida for Historic Moon Mission

The four astronauts chosen for NASAs Artemis II mission have touched down at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, marking the beginning of final launch preparations for the first crewed lunar journey in over 50 years. NASA...

Technology

SpaceX Shareholders Approve 5-for-1 Stock Split Ahead of Potential IPO

A majority of SpaceX shareholders have reportedly approved a 5-for-1 stock split proposed by the companys board, according to a Bloomberg News report published Friday. The decision comes as interest continues to grow...

FTC Antitrust Probe Targets Arm Holdings Over Chip Licensing Practices

Arm Holdings Plc (NASDAQ: ARM) is reportedly under formal investigation by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) over concerns tied to its semiconductor licensing business, according to Bloomberg. The probe marks a...

Applied Materials Forecasts Strong Q3 Revenue as AI Chip Demand Accelerates

Applied Materials posted record fiscal second-quarter revenue on Thursday and issued a stronger-than-expected forecast for the third quarter, fueled by rising global investment in artificial intelligence infrastructure and...

Anthropic Nears $30 Billion Funding Round at $900 Billion Valuation

AI startup Anthropic is reportedly close to securing a massive $30 billion fundraising deal that would value the company at approximately $900 billion, according to a Financial Times report published Friday. The new...

Nvidia’s China AI Chip Sales Remain Frozen Despite U.S. Approval

Nvidias efforts to expand AI chip sales in China remain stalled even after the U.S. approved several Chinese technology giants to purchase the companys H200 processors. Although around 10 Chinese firms, including Alibaba,...