Dr Aisha Hutchinson is an applied social scientist with significant practice, research and academic experience. Since completing her PhD on the coping strategies of young women in Mozambique in response to unintended pregnancies she has been involved in several pieces of research aiming to improve the lives of adolescent girls in contexts of humanitarian aid and social development.

Most recently, a post-doctoral fellowship funded by the British Academy has enabled her to examine the impact of displacement on the social processes underpinning child marriage among Syrian refugees in Jordan and Lebanon.

Theoretically Aisha is interested in expressions and negotiations of agency by girls and their families in difficult situations and the role of organisations in empowering and supporting communities in crisis using critical perspectives.

Aisha's research has involved partnerships with a number of academic and third sector organisations in Mozambique, South Africa, Switzerland, Jordan, Lebanon and Australia. Her research informs her teaching and enabled Aisha to support the development of an MA in International Social Work and Social Development.

She is also a qualified social worker with seven years of practice experience.

Research interests

Aisha's research interests include: 

• The nature, role and functioning of International Social Work and Social Development with a particular focus on international child protection and gender-based violence
• The intersections of education and child protection in contexts of humanitarian aid
• Transitions to adulthood for adolescent girls in context of social development and humanitarian aid
• Protection concerns and gender-based violence for adolescent girls in context of social development and humanitarian aid
• Culturally and contextually informed models of risk and protection in child protection globally, especially in contexts of humanitarian aid 

You can view Aisha's publications on her research profile. 

Teaching

Aisha contributes to the BA Social Sciences course and leads the Child Protection modules on the Child Studies MA and International Child Studies MA.

PhD supervision

Aisha is happy to supervise topics on the broad spectrum of:

• Global childhoods
• International social work and social development
• International child protection
• Adolescent girls well-being in development and humanitarian contexts
• Child, early and forced marriage (CEFM)

Aisha has experience in a broad range of methodologies including basic analysis of large scale survey data, small scale surveys, qualitative interviewing, focus groups, participatory methods and Delphi methodology.

Aisha has supervised one student to completion and is currently supervising 2 students - one funded by LISS DTP.