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Applying evidence from Psychology to UK Public Policy: Our beginner's journey
The ongoing impact of the Covid 19-pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis is disproportionately affecting working-class communities and those with less access to economic resources. Government policy is publicly focused on a policy to ‘level up’ such inequalities. While an ongoing Equality Act Review, concerned with rising reports of class-based prejudice and discrimination, is recommending that social class should be added into the Equality Act (2010) as a protected characteristic.
As social and critical psychologists, we would argue that any government serious about improving and levelling up the lives of the public would need to ensure that policies are based on in-depth, high-quality evidence on how we see the world and how this shapes our practices and visa versa. To provide such evidence regarding social class, we formed an across U.K. group of psychologists with expertise in social class. This project had two main goals, the first one was to report a review of the diverse evidence on psychological contributors to social class-based prejudice and discrimination (classism) and the psychological consequences for those who experienced it. A second goal was to report any evidence-based implications for a revised Equality Act that protected social class.
To achieve our goals, we needed a national partner to provide media and policy insight support and a publisher for the report. So, we applied for and won (!) the British Psychology Society (BPS) 2021 senate campaign competition and straight away we had that partner. Next, focussing on implications for potential legislative change required a legal eye and quickly found our very own expert on U.K. social-economic rights in our Leeds Beckett University, Leeds Law School (thank you Seamus Byrne!). At some point it dawned on us that, while we could take solace in delivering a clear and comprehensive review report, when communicating with policy makers in all other forms we didn’t have the same luxury of 11,000+ words! We had to get to the nub of our arguments fast and shift from our entrenched practice of using complex terms. It was interesting how lost we felt at times without the word-space and the use of our technical terms. We also lacked extensive media experience, some of us, including me, were intimidated by some forms of media. We started to work with different expert media teams who patiently asked for media such as ‘natural’ 90 second videos, filmed on our phones. Some of us didn’t have a camera phone while others temporarily hid away after a particularly mortifying request for a ‘TikTok’ video. But we did make videos and we did a reasonable job, despite the excruciating discomfort felt at times!
Finally, after a rigorous peer review process which made us wonder if we would fall at the last hurdle, the whole team jumped in and our report was completed.
Alive with nervous energy we began our pre-report ‘tour’. We spoke at BPS section and division events and gained experience at answering the challenging questions to come. The London School of Economics held a policy event hosted jointly by the Department of Psychological and Behavioural Science and the BPS. We were invited to join their expert panel to give talks and discuss the evidence from the psychology of social class for protecting social class in law. Here we were thrown reality checks from MPs – It would be tough to enthuse the government to start the monumental task of overhauling the Equality Act (2010). We also received heartfelt support and quite moving offers of help. Finally, the tour ended at the House of Commons where we attended the Equality Act Review – 12 years on event, and I was invited to give a sneak preview of our report. A packed room of policy makers busily offered support and threw thoughtful, informed feedback and sometimes naming more challenges to face. MPs arrived and left and arrived again as the UK Cabinet resigned around us, the Secretary of State for levelling up was sacked and TV crews fizzed with energy and lively speculations about the timing of a Prime Minister resignation. We also narrowly missed a photo opportunity with an impressive PM impersonator who was carrying a leaving brief case while repeatedly waving a sad goodbye.
Dr Bridgette Rickett, Dr Maxine Woolhouse and Professor Paula Reavey
This part of our project journey is now over. Our report titled ‘Psychology of social class-based inequalities: Policy implications for a revised (2010) UK Equality Act’ is published on the 20th of July 2022 by the British Psychology Society. This timely, first of its kind report will be published in a volatile political U.K. climate littered with obstacles to tackling social class-based discrimination and inequalities and the damaging psychological consequences of these for our society. To continue to enable a strong evidence basis for public policy change aimed at tackling such inequalities, we have learnt that intra- and inter-disciplinary collaborations will create a more sustainable, broader, practice and evidence-informed framework for change.
Please get in touch if you feel you can help in this endeavour.
Bridgette - Lead of the Psychology of Social Class: UK Policy Implications (POSCUPI)
Dr Bridgette Rickett
Dr Rickett was formerly head of subject at Leeds Beckett University.
