Matt Barnes

Dr. Matt Barnes is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Sociology and Criminology at City, University of London, where he also serves as Director of the City Q-Step Centre, promoting quantitative methods in social science education. He holds a PhD in Social and Policy Sciences from the University of Bath, an MSc in Social Statistics from the University of Southampton, and a BSc in Mathematics with Sociology from Plymouth University.

• PhD in Social and Policy Sciences, University of Bath, UK
• MSc in Social Statistics, University of Southampton, UK
• BSc (Hons) Mathematics with Sociology, Plymouth University, UK

His research focuses on poverty, disadvantage, and social exclusion in the UK, with a strong emphasis on the secondary analysis of large-scale social surveys such as Understanding Society, the Family Resources Survey, and the Labour Force Survey. He specializes in quantitative methodologies, longitudinal data analysis, and statistical modeling of social inequality.

Dr. Barnes’s recent publications reveal a consistent focus on multidimensional poverty, child and older adult well-being, housing quality, and the dynamics of worklessness. His work often examines how socioeconomic disadvantage interacts with health, education, and housing, using complex datasets to inform social policy. A key theme across his research is the critique of policy-based evidence, particularly in programs like the Troubled Families initiative, where he highlights methodological flaws in linking disadvantage with antisocial behavior.

• Short- and long-term determinants of social detachment in later life
• The duration of bad housing and children's well-being
• Poverty typologies in Scotland
• Child poverty transitions
• Work-life balance and atypical employment
• Understanding landlords and the private rental sector

Dr. Barnes has received research funding from the British Academy, Independent Age, Department for Education, and the Scottish Government. His awards and recognition stem primarily from competitive grants and policy impact rather than formal prizes.

He supervises PhD students including Nhlanhla Ndebele and Merili Pullerits, focusing on quantitative analysis of social inequality. His prior professional experience includes roles as Research Director at NatCen Social Research, part-time analyst at the Cabinet Office’s Social Exclusion Task Force, and Research Officer at the University of Bath. He is an active contributor to public discourse, with media appearances, blog posts, and keynote lectures on poverty measurement and social exclusion.