About

Silvia Behrens is a mixed-method researcher on the Ailsa McKay Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at the WiSE Centre for Economic Justice at Glasgow Caledonian University. She completed her PhD in Social Policy at the University of Strathclyde, where she investigated the impact of perception and identity on young people’s activism in the UK. With a background in Political Science (BA) and Cultural Studies (MA), Silvia is interested in political participation, migration, economic (in)equalities and gender, as well as foreign policy and international development. At WiSE, Silvia continues to research young people’s political participation from a gendered and intersectional perspective and contributes to ongoing research projects on women’s economic empowerment and caregiving in same-sex couple households. Silvia is an Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (AFHEA). Her professional experience in policy and policy research includes internships with the EU Secretariat at the Scottish Government and the International Development Committee at the House of Commons.

Research Interests

Citizenship, Comparative Politics, Democracy, Development, European Union, Gender, Human Rights, Integration, International Relations, Policy Analysis, Political Economy, Political Psychology, Representation, Social Movements, Political Sociology, Family, Feminism, Identity, Immigration, Qualitative, Quantitative, Education, NGOs, Policy Change, Policy Implementation, Political Activism, Activism, Policy-Making, Political Cultures, Refugee, Youth

Current/Upcoming Events

Standing Groups and Research Networks

• Gender and Politics
• Participation and Mobilisation
• Teaching and Learning Politics