Kate Summers
I am a public and social policy researcher based in the Methodology Department at the London School of Economics. I focus on social security ('welfare benefits') policy and aspects of economic inequality. I am particularly interested in 'bottom up' understandings of policy, lived experience and experiential knowledge, and the construction and expression of attitudes, values and beliefs.I also think about how to improve research methods. I use and develop qualitative methods (including interviews, focus groups and deliberative approaches) and place a strong emphasis on participation in my work, meaning research participants are partners, leaders, or experts in the research process.