Trosolwyg
I am a Senior Lecturer in Social Policy at Cardiff University. I convene the MSc Social and Public Policy, and contribute to teaching at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. I am also Co-Editor of the Journal of Poverty and Social Justice (with Dr Gill Main, University of Leeds).
My primary research interests are the conceptualisation, measurement and analysis of poverty; the capability approach; and social security. I hold a PhD from the London School of Economics and in 2015 I was awarded the Best Paper Prize at the Foundation for International Studies on Social Security (FISS) conference in Hong Kong, China. I am currently leading a Nuffield Foundation-funded project investigating the nature and scale of in-work poverty in the UK and the contribution made by policy to alleviating poverty amongst working families.
I have recently completed a project on in-work poverty in the UK, funded by the Nuffield Foundation. You can access the final report from this research here.
For further information about my research, please visit my personal website.
Supervision
I am interested in supervising PhD students in the areas of:
- Poverty and inequality
- Social security
- Comparative welfare state change
If you are interested in undertaking a PhD with me in these areas, feel free to get in touch (preferably with a 1 or 2 page proposal outlining your ideas).
Editorial Board memberships
- Journal of Social Policy - Jan 2015 – present
- Journal of International and Comparative Social Policy Oct 2012 – present
Cyhoeddiad
2023
- Hick, R. and Stephens, M. 2023. Housing, the welfare state and poverty: On the financialization of housing and the dependent variable problem. Housing, Theory and Society 40(1), pp. 78-95. (10.1080/14036096.2022.2095438)
2022
- Hick, R., Pomati, M. and Stephens, M. 2022. Severe housing deprivation in the European Union: A joint analysis of measurement and theory. Social Indicators Research 164, pp. 1271-1295. (10.1007/s11205-022-02987-6)
- Hick, R. 2022. Austerity, localism, and the possibility of politics: explaining variation in three local social security schemes between elected councils in England. Sociological Research Online 27(2), pp. 251-272. (10.1177/1360780421990668)
- Hick, R., Pomati, M. and Stephens, M. 2022. Housing and poverty in Europe: examining the interconnections in the face of rising house prices. Cardiff University.
- Hick, R. and Marx, I. 2022. Poor workers in rich democracies: on the nature of in-work poverty and its relationship to labour market policies. IZA Institute of Labor Economics. Available at: https://www.iza.org/publications/dp/15163/poor-workers-in-rich-democracies-on-the-nature-of-in-work-poverty-and-its-relationship-to-labour-market-policies
- Stephens, M. and Hick, R. 2022. Comparative housing research. In: Jacobs, K. et al. eds. Research Handbook on Housing and Society. Edward Elgar
- Béland, D., Cantillon, B., Hick, R., Greve, B. and Moreira, A. 2022. Policy legacies, welfare regimes, and social policy responses to COVID-19 in Europe. In: Borner, S. and Seeleib-Kaiser, M. eds. European Social Policy and the COVID-19 pandemic. Oxford: Oxford University Press
2021
- Hick, R. and Murphy, M. P. 2021. Common shock, different paths? Comparing social policy responses to COVID-19 in the UK and Ireland. Social Policy and Administration 55(2), pp. 312-325. (10.1111/spol.12677)
- Moreira, A. and Hick, R. 2021. COVID-19, the Great Recession and social policy: is this time different?. Social Policy and Administration 55(2), pp. 261-279. (10.1111/spol.12679)
- Béland, D., Cantillon, B., Hick, R. and Moreira, A. 2021. Social policy in the face of a global pandemic: policy responses to the COVID‐19 crisis. Social Policy and Administration 55(2), pp. 249-260. (10.1111/spol.12718)
2020
- Alston, J. et al. 2020. Understanding the impact of universal credit on the council tax reduction scheme and rent arrears in Wales: final report. Project Report. [Online]. Cardiff: Welsh Government. Available at: https://gov.wales/sites/default/files/statistics-and-research/2020-07/universal-credit-council-tax-reduction-scheme-and-rent-arrears-wales-final-report.pdf
2019
- Hick, R. and Lanau, A. 2019. Tax credits and in-work poverty in the UK: An analysis of income packages and anti-poverty performance. Social Policy and Society 18(2), pp. 219-236. (10.1017/S1474746418000118)
- Plum, A., Pacheco, G. and Hick, R. 2019. In-work poverty in New Zealand. Auckland: New Zealand Work Research Institute. Available at: https://workresearch.aut.ac.nz/document-library/big-data-reports
2018
- Hick, R. 2018. Inequality, disadvantage and the capability approach: Bridging conceptual framework and empirical analysis. Social Work and Society 16(2), pp. 1-10.
- Hick, R. and Lanau, A. 2018. Moving in and out of in-work poverty in the UK: an analysis of transitions, trajectories and trigger events. Journal of Social Policy 47(4), pp. 661-682. (10.1017/S0047279418000028)
- Hick, R. 2018. Enter the Troika: The politics of social security during Ireland's bailout. Journal of Social Policy 47(1), pp. 1-20. (10.1017/S0047279417000095)
2017
- Hick, R. and Burchardt, T. 2017. Inequality, advantage and the capability approach. Journal of Human Development and Capabilities (10.1080/19452829.2017.1395396)
2016
- Hick, R. 2016. Material poverty and multiple deprivation in Britain: the distinctiveness of multidimensional assessment. Journal of Public Policy 36(2), pp. 277-308. (10.1017/S0143814X14000348)
- Hick, R. 2016. The coupling of disadvantages: material poverty and multiple deprivation in Europe before and after the Great Recession. European Journal of Social Security 18(1), pp. 2-29. (10.1177/138826271601800101)
- Hick, R. 2016. Between income and material deprivation in the UK: in search of conversion factors. Journal of Human Development and Capabilities 17(1), pp. 35-54. (10.1080/19452829.2015.1076772)
2015
- Hick, R. 2015. Three perspectives on the mismatch between measures of material poverty. British Journal of Sociology 66, pp. 163-172. (10.1111/1468-4446.12100)
2014
- Hick, R. 2014. Poverty as capability deprivation: conceptualising and measuring poverty in contemporary Europe. Archives Europeennes de Sociologie European Journal of Sociology Europaisches Archiv fur Soziologie 55(3), pp. 295-323. (10.1017/S0003975614000150)
- Hick, R. 2014. On 'consistent' poverty. Social Indicators Research 118(3), pp. 1087-1102. (10.1007/s11205-013-0456-y)
- Hick, R. 2014. From Celtic Tiger to crisis: progress, problems and prospects for social security in Ireland. Social Policy and Administration 48(4), pp. 394-412. (10.1111/spol.12067)
2013
- Hick, R. 2013. Poverty, preference or pensioners? Measuring material deprivation in the UK. Fiscal Studies 34(1), pp. 31-54. (10.1111/j.1475-5890.2013.00176.x)
2012
- Hick, R. 2012. The capability approach: insights for a new poverty focus. Journal of Social Policy 41(2), pp. 291-308. (10.1017/S0047279411000845)
2009
- Gough, O. and Hick, R. 2009. Employee evaluations of occupational pensions. Employee Relations 31(2), pp. 158-167. (10.1108/01425450910925300)
- Gough, O. and Hick, R. 2009. Ethnic minorities, retirement planning and Personal Accounts. International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy 29(9/10), pp. 488-497. (10.1108/01443330910986270)
2008
- Arthur, L., Brennan, J., Hick, R. and Kimura, M. 2008. The context of higher education and employment: comparisons between different European countries. Project Report. [Online]. London: Centre for Higher Education Research and Information, Open University. Available at: http://www.open.ac.uk/cheri/documents/reflex_report_2.pdf
- Gough, O. and Hick, R. 2008. Retirement planning in the United Kingdom. In: Reddick, C. G. and Cogburn, J. D. eds. Handbook of Employee Benefits and Administration. Public Administration and Public Policy Vol. 144. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, pp. 161-178.
Articles
- Hick, R. and Stephens, M. 2023. Housing, the welfare state and poverty: On the financialization of housing and the dependent variable problem. Housing, Theory and Society 40(1), pp. 78-95. (10.1080/14036096.2022.2095438)
- Hick, R., Pomati, M. and Stephens, M. 2022. Severe housing deprivation in the European Union: A joint analysis of measurement and theory. Social Indicators Research 164, pp. 1271-1295. (10.1007/s11205-022-02987-6)
- Hick, R. 2022. Austerity, localism, and the possibility of politics: explaining variation in three local social security schemes between elected councils in England. Sociological Research Online 27(2), pp. 251-272. (10.1177/1360780421990668)
- Hick, R. and Murphy, M. P. 2021. Common shock, different paths? Comparing social policy responses to COVID-19 in the UK and Ireland. Social Policy and Administration 55(2), pp. 312-325. (10.1111/spol.12677)
- Moreira, A. and Hick, R. 2021. COVID-19, the Great Recession and social policy: is this time different?. Social Policy and Administration 55(2), pp. 261-279. (10.1111/spol.12679)
- Béland, D., Cantillon, B., Hick, R. and Moreira, A. 2021. Social policy in the face of a global pandemic: policy responses to the COVID‐19 crisis. Social Policy and Administration 55(2), pp. 249-260. (10.1111/spol.12718)
- Hick, R. and Lanau, A. 2019. Tax credits and in-work poverty in the UK: An analysis of income packages and anti-poverty performance. Social Policy and Society 18(2), pp. 219-236. (10.1017/S1474746418000118)
- Hick, R. 2018. Inequality, disadvantage and the capability approach: Bridging conceptual framework and empirical analysis. Social Work and Society 16(2), pp. 1-10.
- Hick, R. and Lanau, A. 2018. Moving in and out of in-work poverty in the UK: an analysis of transitions, trajectories and trigger events. Journal of Social Policy 47(4), pp. 661-682. (10.1017/S0047279418000028)
- Hick, R. 2018. Enter the Troika: The politics of social security during Ireland's bailout. Journal of Social Policy 47(1), pp. 1-20. (10.1017/S0047279417000095)
- Hick, R. and Burchardt, T. 2017. Inequality, advantage and the capability approach. Journal of Human Development and Capabilities (10.1080/19452829.2017.1395396)
- Hick, R. 2016. Material poverty and multiple deprivation in Britain: the distinctiveness of multidimensional assessment. Journal of Public Policy 36(2), pp. 277-308. (10.1017/S0143814X14000348)
- Hick, R. 2016. The coupling of disadvantages: material poverty and multiple deprivation in Europe before and after the Great Recession. European Journal of Social Security 18(1), pp. 2-29. (10.1177/138826271601800101)
- Hick, R. 2016. Between income and material deprivation in the UK: in search of conversion factors. Journal of Human Development and Capabilities 17(1), pp. 35-54. (10.1080/19452829.2015.1076772)
- Hick, R. 2015. Three perspectives on the mismatch between measures of material poverty. British Journal of Sociology 66, pp. 163-172. (10.1111/1468-4446.12100)
- Hick, R. 2014. Poverty as capability deprivation: conceptualising and measuring poverty in contemporary Europe. Archives Europeennes de Sociologie European Journal of Sociology Europaisches Archiv fur Soziologie 55(3), pp. 295-323. (10.1017/S0003975614000150)
- Hick, R. 2014. On 'consistent' poverty. Social Indicators Research 118(3), pp. 1087-1102. (10.1007/s11205-013-0456-y)
- Hick, R. 2014. From Celtic Tiger to crisis: progress, problems and prospects for social security in Ireland. Social Policy and Administration 48(4), pp. 394-412. (10.1111/spol.12067)
- Hick, R. 2013. Poverty, preference or pensioners? Measuring material deprivation in the UK. Fiscal Studies 34(1), pp. 31-54. (10.1111/j.1475-5890.2013.00176.x)
- Hick, R. 2012. The capability approach: insights for a new poverty focus. Journal of Social Policy 41(2), pp. 291-308. (10.1017/S0047279411000845)
- Gough, O. and Hick, R. 2009. Employee evaluations of occupational pensions. Employee Relations 31(2), pp. 158-167. (10.1108/01425450910925300)
- Gough, O. and Hick, R. 2009. Ethnic minorities, retirement planning and Personal Accounts. International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy 29(9/10), pp. 488-497. (10.1108/01443330910986270)
Book sections
- Stephens, M. and Hick, R. 2022. Comparative housing research. In: Jacobs, K. et al. eds. Research Handbook on Housing and Society. Edward Elgar
- Béland, D., Cantillon, B., Hick, R., Greve, B. and Moreira, A. 2022. Policy legacies, welfare regimes, and social policy responses to COVID-19 in Europe. In: Borner, S. and Seeleib-Kaiser, M. eds. European Social Policy and the COVID-19 pandemic. Oxford: Oxford University Press
- Gough, O. and Hick, R. 2008. Retirement planning in the United Kingdom. In: Reddick, C. G. and Cogburn, J. D. eds. Handbook of Employee Benefits and Administration. Public Administration and Public Policy Vol. 144. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, pp. 161-178.
Monographs
- Hick, R., Pomati, M. and Stephens, M. 2022. Housing and poverty in Europe: examining the interconnections in the face of rising house prices. Cardiff University.
- Hick, R. and Marx, I. 2022. Poor workers in rich democracies: on the nature of in-work poverty and its relationship to labour market policies. IZA Institute of Labor Economics. Available at: https://www.iza.org/publications/dp/15163/poor-workers-in-rich-democracies-on-the-nature-of-in-work-poverty-and-its-relationship-to-labour-market-policies
- Alston, J. et al. 2020. Understanding the impact of universal credit on the council tax reduction scheme and rent arrears in Wales: final report. Project Report. [Online]. Cardiff: Welsh Government. Available at: https://gov.wales/sites/default/files/statistics-and-research/2020-07/universal-credit-council-tax-reduction-scheme-and-rent-arrears-wales-final-report.pdf
- Plum, A., Pacheco, G. and Hick, R. 2019. In-work poverty in New Zealand. Auckland: New Zealand Work Research Institute. Available at: https://workresearch.aut.ac.nz/document-library/big-data-reports
- Arthur, L., Brennan, J., Hick, R. and Kimura, M. 2008. The context of higher education and employment: comparisons between different European countries. Project Report. [Online]. London: Centre for Higher Education Research and Information, Open University. Available at: http://www.open.ac.uk/cheri/documents/reflex_report_2.pdf
Ymchwil
My primary research interests are:
- the conceptualisation, measurement and analysis of poverty and deprivation;
- the capability approach;
- social security, and
- comparative welfare state studies.
Projects
Principal Investigator, ‘‘The best route out of poverty? A study on in-work poverty and policy in the UK’, Nuffield Foundation, £47,459 (2016-2017).
Principal Investigator, ‘Getting the measure of poverty in the Philippines and Vietnam’, ESRC Impact Acceleration Account – Global Challenges Fund, £5,905 (2016).
Co-Applicant, ‘New Paradigms of Social Protection’, GW4 Alliance, £7,525 (2016).
Principal Investigator, ‘Retrenching Social Security in Ireland: The role of the IMF as a policy actor, 2010-2013’, British Academy Small Grants Scheme, £2,373 (2014-15).
Team Leader and Principal Investigator, Independent Review on the Commissioning and Provision of Social Services to Older People in the City & County of Swansea, City & County of Swansea, £25,629 (2014).
Principal Investigator, ‘The politics of UK Government welfare reform’, Cardiff Undergraduate Research Opportunities Programme (CUROP) [internal Cardiff University competition for funding for research assistance], £1,360 (2014).
Addysgu
I teach Social Policy at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. At present, I make contributions to:
Undergraduate
SI0260 – Poverty and Social Security in the UK (Stage 2, Convenor)
SI0247 - International and Comparative Social and Public Policy (Stage 3)
Postgraduate
- International and Comparative Social and Public Policy (M Level)
Bywgraffiad
Anrhydeddau a dyfarniadau
Enillydd - Sefydliad Astudiaethau Rhyngwladol ar Nawdd Cymdeithasol (FISS) / Gwobr Papur Gorau Intersentia 2015. Teitl Papur: Cyplysu Anfanteision: Tlodi Materol ac Amddifadedd Lluosog yn Ewrop cyn ac ar ôl yr Argyfwng. [Dyfarnwyd gwobr am y papur gorau a gyflwynwyd yng nghynhadledd FISS 2015 yn Hong Kong, Tsieina].
Aelodaethau proffesiynol
Editorial Board member - Journal of Comparative and International Social Policy
Associated Editorial Board Member $acirc; Sociological Research Online
Fellow - Higher Education Academy
Member - Social Policy Association
Referee for Journal of Social Policy; Journal of International and Comparative Social Policy; Sociological Research Online; Social Indicators Research; Journal of Institutional Economics; Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education; International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy; Cahiers de la Recherche sur l$acirc; Education et les Savoirs