Anna Barford
Biographic Data
| ID | 327819 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Anna Barford |
| GIVEN NAMES | Anna |
| FAMILY NAME | Barford |
| SIGNATURE | BARFORD A |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Cambridge |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-4250-7171 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 16 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 170 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 16 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2006 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 5 |
A global foreclosure of youth futures: Austerity as a shared process
This response to Santiago del Río et al.’s (2025) exploration of youth precarity in Europe contextualises their findings within broader international dynamics. I highlight how youth precarity is showing signs of convergence acorss low- to high-income countries, despite diverse historical, cultural, and economic contexts. Internationally, austerity can be understood as a ‘shared process’ which is undermining state capacity and intensifying the bar…
Responsibility fixes: Patching up circular economy value chains
Recycled plastics value chains are being collaboratively constructed amid calls for greater responsibility of the corporates driving today’s plastic waste crisis. The resulting ‘responsibility fix’ bolts new arrangements onto linear production processes, offering a mechanism to push linear processes towards circularity, while starting to patch up some of the social and economic injustices associated with waste-picking work within contemporary sys…
Mortgaged futures: Fractured livelihoods and youth debts during Covid-19
The social and economic impacts of COVID-19 have been devastating for many, and collectively young people generally fared worse than older adults, with the impact amongst young people also being highly uneven. Most studies on this topic focus on Global North contexts, with experiences in the Global South being less well understood. Focusing on young people in Nepal and Indonesia who were especially exposed to the fallout from the pandemic (in par…
Disaster Diaries: Qualitative Research at a Distance
The common-place quantification of humanitarian disasters enables rapid and informed crisis responses. In disaster settings, understanding feelings and perceptions regarding individuals' experiences, livelihood disruptions and coping mechanisms can also be valuable for extending and deepening quantitative insight. This paper explores the potential for diary methods to capture extensive, nuanced data from marginalised groups during a disaster, by …
The tattered state: Falling through the social safety net
The past decade of austerity in the UK has accelerated changes in the relationship between citizens and the state. Cuts to welfare spending have resulted in uneven geographical impacts, further distorting the UK society and economy. Analysing specific policies within the new patterns of welfare spending, we argue that austerity policies have compromised the UK state’s promotion of an ethics of care. We distinguish between welfare changes which in…
Climate Change and Young People in Uganda: A Literature Review
The disruptions of anthropogenic climate change are increasingly severe. People living in sub-Saharan Africa are especially exposed to these risks, and amongst them young people. It is well established that climate disruptions have the potential to halt education, displace populations, and wreck infrastructure. This rigorous literature review focuses on climate change in the landlocked East African country of Uganda, demographically the world’s t…
Young people not in Employment, Education or Training (Neet) in Sub-Saharan Africa: Sustainable Development Target 8.6 missed and reset
Sustainable Development Goal 8, Target 8.6, represents a direct commitment to improving the dramatic labour market situation of young people by substantially reducing the proportion of young people Not in Employment, Education or Training (NEET) by 2020. This deadline has now passed, and while progress has been made in most EU countries, the situation of young people categorized as NEET in Sub-Saharan Africa has worsened over the past ten years. …
Challenging inequality in Kenya, Mexico and the UK
The structures that we use to think and talk about inequality influence how we make sense of disparities, and also contribute to political choices and calls for change. While local and national inequalities and perceptions thereof have been widely studied, studies at wider geographic scales are comparatively rare. Here I investigate how teachers in Kenya, Mexico and the UK critique inequality. From group discussions, three main arguments against …
Against the odds: Young people’s high aspirations and societal contributions amid a decent work shortage
Youth experiences of the decent work deficit
The global population Is extraordinarily youthful. This creates great opportunities, and significant challenges. While an estimated 1 billion young people will enter the labour market between 2015 and 2025, only 40% are likely to find jobs under present conditions. Ensuring decent work for all is of pressing importance, so much so that it forms a major part of the United Nations
The depths of the cuts: The uneven geography of local government austerity
Austerity, the sustained and widespread cuts to government budgets, has characterised Britain's public policy since 2010. The local state has undergone substantial restructuring, driven by major budget reductions from central government. Hitherto, few studies of austerity in the UK have considered the interplay of national and local policies. We contribute a fine-grained spatial analysis of local authority budgets, highlighting their socioeconomi…
Geographical Perspectives on Epidemic Transmission of Cholera in Haiti, October 2010 Through March 2013
The current epidemic of El Tor cholera in the Caribbean republic of Haiti is one of the largest single outbreaks of the disease ever recorded. The prospects are that the epidemic will continue to present challenges to workers in public health medicine, epidemiology, and allied fields in the social sciences for years to come. This article introduces geographers to the environmental context of the Haiti cholera epidemic, the principal data sources …
Re-evaluating self-evaluation. A commentary on Jen, Jones, and Johnston (68: (4, 2009)
The inequality hypothesis: Thesis, antithesis, and a synthesis
Health impacts of an environmental disaster: A polemic
At this early point in the 21st century a major concern that we face is the future possible effects of people-induced global warming. The predicted effects are severe, but argued by some to be avoidable if we act now. Here we consider the dimensions of another disaster: one for which not only the causes, but also their horrific consequences, are current worldwide. The implicit question is 'why are we more worried about future disasters than those…
Life expectancy: Women now on top everywhere
During 2006, even in the poorest countries, women can expect to outlive men
The depths of the cuts: The uneven geography of local government austerity
Austerity, the sustained and widespread cuts to government budgets, has characterised Britain's public policy since 2010. The local state has undergone substantial restructuring, driven by major budget reductions from central government. Hitherto, few studies of austerity in the UK have considered the interplay of national and local policies. We contribute a fine-grained spatial analysis of local authority budgets, highlighting their socioeconomi…
The tattered state: Falling through the social safety net
The past decade of austerity in the UK has accelerated changes in the relationship between citizens and the state. Cuts to welfare spending have resulted in uneven geographical impacts, further distorting the UK society and economy. Analysing specific policies within the new patterns of welfare spending, we argue that austerity policies have compromised the UK state’s promotion of an ethics of care. We distinguish between welfare changes which in…
Against the odds: Young people’s high aspirations and societal contributions amid a decent work shortage
Young people not in Employment, Education or Training (Neet) in Sub-Saharan Africa: Sustainable Development Target 8.6 missed and reset
Sustainable Development Goal 8, Target 8.6, represents a direct commitment to improving the dramatic labour market situation of young people by substantially reducing the proportion of young people Not in Employment, Education or Training (NEET) by 2020. This deadline has now passed, and while progress has been made in most EU countries, the situation of young people categorized as NEET in Sub-Saharan Africa has worsened over the past ten years. …
Disaster Diaries: Qualitative Research at a Distance
The common-place quantification of humanitarian disasters enables rapid and informed crisis responses. In disaster settings, understanding feelings and perceptions regarding individuals' experiences, livelihood disruptions and coping mechanisms can also be valuable for extending and deepening quantitative insight. This paper explores the potential for diary methods to capture extensive, nuanced data from marginalised groups during a disaster, by …
Mortgaged futures: Fractured livelihoods and youth debts during Covid-19
The social and economic impacts of COVID-19 have been devastating for many, and collectively young people generally fared worse than older adults, with the impact amongst young people also being highly uneven. Most studies on this topic focus on Global North contexts, with experiences in the Global South being less well understood. Focusing on young people in Nepal and Indonesia who were especially exposed to the fallout from the pandemic (in par…
Challenging inequality in Kenya, Mexico and the UK
The structures that we use to think and talk about inequality influence how we make sense of disparities, and also contribute to political choices and calls for change. While local and national inequalities and perceptions thereof have been widely studied, studies at wider geographic scales are comparatively rare. Here I investigate how teachers in Kenya, Mexico and the UK critique inequality. From group discussions, three main arguments against …
Geographical Perspectives on Epidemic Transmission of Cholera in Haiti, October 2010 Through March 2013
The current epidemic of El Tor cholera in the Caribbean republic of Haiti is one of the largest single outbreaks of the disease ever recorded. The prospects are that the epidemic will continue to present challenges to workers in public health medicine, epidemiology, and allied fields in the social sciences for years to come. This article introduces geographers to the environmental context of the Haiti cholera epidemic, the principal data sources …
Life expectancy: Women now on top everywhere
During 2006, even in the poorest countries, women can expect to outlive men
Health impacts of an environmental disaster: A polemic
At this early point in the 21st century a major concern that we face is the future possible effects of people-induced global warming. The predicted effects are severe, but argued by some to be avoidable if we act now. Here we consider the dimensions of another disaster: one for which not only the causes, but also their horrific consequences, are current worldwide. The implicit question is 'why are we more worried about future disasters than those…
The inequality hypothesis: Thesis, antithesis, and a synthesis
Re-evaluating self-evaluation. A commentary on Jen, Jones, and Johnston (68: (4, 2009)
Geographical Perspectives on Epidemic Transmission of Cholera in Haiti, October 2010 Through March 2013
The current epidemic of El Tor cholera in the Caribbean republic of Haiti is one of the largest single outbreaks of the disease ever recorded. The prospects are that the epidemic will continue to present challenges to workers in public health medicine, epidemiology, and allied fields in the social sciences for years to come. This article introduces geographers to the environmental context of the Haiti cholera epidemic, the principal data sources …
The depths of the cuts: The uneven geography of local government austerity
Austerity, the sustained and widespread cuts to government budgets, has characterised Britain's public policy since 2010. The local state has undergone substantial restructuring, driven by major budget reductions from central government. Hitherto, few studies of austerity in the UK have considered the interplay of national and local policies. We contribute a fine-grained spatial analysis of local authority budgets, highlighting their socioeconomi…
Youth experiences of the decent work deficit
The global population Is extraordinarily youthful. This creates great opportunities, and significant challenges. While an estimated 1 billion young people will enter the labour market between 2015 and 2025, only 40% are likely to find jobs under present conditions. Ensuring decent work for all is of pressing importance, so much so that it forms a major part of the United Nations
Climate Change and Young People in Uganda: A Literature Review
The disruptions of anthropogenic climate change are increasingly severe. People living in sub-Saharan Africa are especially exposed to these risks, and amongst them young people. It is well established that climate disruptions have the potential to halt education, displace populations, and wreck infrastructure. This rigorous literature review focuses on climate change in the landlocked East African country of Uganda, demographically the world’s t…
Young people not in Employment, Education or Training (Neet) in Sub-Saharan Africa: Sustainable Development Target 8.6 missed and reset
Sustainable Development Goal 8, Target 8.6, represents a direct commitment to improving the dramatic labour market situation of young people by substantially reducing the proportion of young people Not in Employment, Education or Training (NEET) by 2020. This deadline has now passed, and while progress has been made in most EU countries, the situation of young people categorized as NEET in Sub-Saharan Africa has worsened over the past ten years. …
Challenging inequality in Kenya, Mexico and the UK
The structures that we use to think and talk about inequality influence how we make sense of disparities, and also contribute to political choices and calls for change. While local and national inequalities and perceptions thereof have been widely studied, studies at wider geographic scales are comparatively rare. Here I investigate how teachers in Kenya, Mexico and the UK critique inequality. From group discussions, three main arguments against …
Against the odds: Young people’s high aspirations and societal contributions amid a decent work shortage
The tattered state: Falling through the social safety net
The past decade of austerity in the UK has accelerated changes in the relationship between citizens and the state. Cuts to welfare spending have resulted in uneven geographical impacts, further distorting the UK society and economy. Analysing specific policies within the new patterns of welfare spending, we argue that austerity policies have compromised the UK state’s promotion of an ethics of care. We distinguish between welfare changes which in…
Disaster Diaries: Qualitative Research at a Distance
The common-place quantification of humanitarian disasters enables rapid and informed crisis responses. In disaster settings, understanding feelings and perceptions regarding individuals' experiences, livelihood disruptions and coping mechanisms can also be valuable for extending and deepening quantitative insight. This paper explores the potential for diary methods to capture extensive, nuanced data from marginalised groups during a disaster, by …
Responsibility fixes: Patching up circular economy value chains
Recycled plastics value chains are being collaboratively constructed amid calls for greater responsibility of the corporates driving today’s plastic waste crisis. The resulting ‘responsibility fix’ bolts new arrangements onto linear production processes, offering a mechanism to push linear processes towards circularity, while starting to patch up some of the social and economic injustices associated with waste-picking work within contemporary sys…
Mortgaged futures: Fractured livelihoods and youth debts during Covid-19
The social and economic impacts of COVID-19 have been devastating for many, and collectively young people generally fared worse than older adults, with the impact amongst young people also being highly uneven. Most studies on this topic focus on Global North contexts, with experiences in the Global South being less well understood. Focusing on young people in Nepal and Indonesia who were especially exposed to the fallout from the pandemic (in par…
A global foreclosure of youth futures: Austerity as a shared process
This response to Santiago del Río et al.’s (2025) exploration of youth precarity in Europe contextualises their findings within broader international dynamics. I highlight how youth precarity is showing signs of convergence acorss low- to high-income countries, despite diverse historical, cultural, and economic contexts. Internationally, austerity can be understood as a ‘shared process’ which is undermining state capacity and intensifying the bar…
Economics (12 works) · Political science (12 works) · Sociology (9 works) · Economic growth (7 works) · Development economics (6 works) · Employment and Welfare Studies (6 works) · Geography (6 works) · Psychology (6 works) · Computer Science (5 works) · Inequality (5 works)