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Professor Nick Mai researched the mobilities and vulnerabilities of young men, women and transgender people, including minors, working in the sex industry in the UK, EU and internationally. His findings show that most young migrants decide to work in the sex industry, which they consider less exploitative than other sectors. They also show that anti-trafficking initiatives exacerbate the vulnerability of migrant sex workers by enforcing restrictive migration policies and the criminalisation of sex work. Mai's research impacted on public debates, policymaking and services, which as a result now recognize trafficking as distinct from sex work and specifically target the needs of migrant sex workers.
The research of Dr Rebecca Langlands (Department of Classics, University of Exeter) into sexual identities, choices and behaviours both ancient and modern has informed a pioneering approach to improving young people's well-being and sexual health. Working with schools, museums and charities, this methodology, which involves showing young people historical `erotic' objects from museum holdings, has had a positive impact on young people's mental and physical wellbeing, personal identity, social skills, personal resilience, confidence, sexual health and life chances. Its success has attracted further investment, and influenced sex education policy discussion. It has also enhanced the role of regional museums in effecting social change and well-being, informed debate on the relationship between the health and cultural sectors, created new economically beneficial partnerships, and shaped museum policy.
Sexual health is a key national and local priority, estimated to cost the NHS more than £700 million a year. The research of Professor Kate Fisher into sexual behaviour and personal identity has informed a pioneering approach to improving young people's well-being and sexual health. Working with schools, museums and charities, this methodology, which involves showing young people `erotic' objects from museum holdings, has had a positive impact on young people's mental and physical wellbeing, personal identity, social skills, personal resilience, confidence, sexual health and life chances. Its success has attracted further investment, and influenced sex education policy discussion. It has also enhanced the role of regional museums in effecting social change and well-being, informed debate on the relationship between the health and cultural sectors, created new economically beneficial partnerships, and shaped museum policy.
James Davidson's research has overturned a decades-old consensus about the nature of sexual identity and same sex relations in Ancient Greece. The research has been communicated to wider publics through print and online media, popular publications and public events. The public interest in and recognition of the research testify to the impact of the research on the public's consciousness. It has particular resonance for GLBT communities who have embraced the arguments put forward as justifications for same sex marriage equality.
Public and political discussion identifies monogamy as serving a litmus test of relationships - where cheating is deemed a violation of relationship expectations. Anderson has opened up this restrictive discourse in several countries and especially in on-line communities. Through his book, The Monogamy Gap and its extremely wide-ranging dissemination, Anderson has extended the range of public discourse and called into question the idea that cheating must cause damage. Reactions to this work range from the angrily dismissive to those that welcome such research as liberating. The intensity of this debate has significantly impacted perceptions of monogamy, its desirability and social function.
Prof. Robert Wintemute has presented his comparative law research on sexual orientation discrimination to the European Court of Human Rights or ECtHR (through written and oral arguments on behalf of intervening non-governmental organisations or NGOs), and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights or IACtHR (through oral and written evidence as an expert witness). His research has helped to persuade these Courts to adopt landmark judgments that greatly improve legal protection of the rights of same-sex couples and parents in the 47 countries with combined populations of over 800 million people that are parties to the European Convention on Human Rights (EConHR), and the 23 countries with combined populations of over 550 million people that are parties to the American Convention on Human Rights (AConHR).