The Festival of Social Sciences, organised by the University of Stirling, returns with the theme Our Working Lives.
The festival will run in person and online from October 18 to November 8 across Stirling, Alloa and Glasgow. The festival features seven free public events this year, aiming to share social science with local communities.
The keynote event will take place on November 5 on the University of Stirling campus. This event will be hosted by the organiser, Dr Tom Montgomery, and is titled “Can Digital Workers Switch Off?” This is based on the right to switch off, which originally was included in the Employment Rights Bill, expected to be implemented in 2026, though now is likely to be its own statutory Code of Practice.
As working from home has become an essential part of the work life in recent years, Dr Montgomery stated: “This event will be a forum to generate a new wave of debate on the right to switch off, which would allow employees to decline correspondence from their employer sent during personal time, except in exceptional circumstances.”
This will be the third time the University of Stirling has organised the Festival of Social Sciences, with its well-thought-out programme being supported by the Stirling Social Science Impact Acceleration Account (IAA). IAA promotes Stirling University’s collaborations with partners and communities.
A member of the team organising the festival, Dr Hannah Graham of the University of Stirling said: “This year’s calendar of events is innovative, interactive and exploratory, with a theme – our working lives – which we know resonates with everyone. Following on from last year’s huge success, we look forward to another exciting programme that encourages thinking, learning, debate and fun.”
This festival is possible due to funding by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and is part of the UK-Wide ESRC Festival of Social Science 2025.
Featured Image Credit: University of Stirling
