Stay Home Stories: Rethinking the Domestic During the COVID-19 Pandemic

About the project

This research recognised the intrinsic domestic dimension of the personal, political and public health response to the pandemic. Researchers documented and analysed the ‘stay home stories’ of adults, young people and children living in diverse homes and households in the UK. They investigated the politics discourse and media coverage of home, as well as the work undertaken by artists and museums, to understand the changing social, political and cultural meanings it has in light of the pandemic.

Key policy recommendations include:

  • A greater awareness of, planning for, and support of different kinds of households (e.g., LGTBQI+, co-habitation, single people) on the part of policy makers and UK government when formulating restrictions.
  • Recognition of the importance of community, migrant-led and faith organisations in pandemic recovery by strengthening coordination and consultation frameworks between these organisations and the UK government.
  • Foregrounding access to green spaces within policies on physical and mental health, neighbourhood cohesion and children’s welfare.