Andrew Mcilvaney

I am a PhD Researcher funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), South Coast Doctoral Training Partnership.

My doctoral research examines how young people in England experience romantic heartbreak within the current social policy landscape. In a time of economic uncertainty, austerity measures and the aftermath of Covid-19, young people face increased precarity in accessing education, stable income and housing. My thesis explores how these socio-economic challenges intersect with relationship breakdowns, impacting mental health and aspiration. Through open-ended qualitative methods, I aim to generate insights into how heartbreak influences life trajectories and to offer recommendations for educators, policymakers and youth services to better support young people in forming and maintaining romantic relationships.

My research interests extend to digital cultures and intimacies, gender roles in romantic relationships, youth policy and lived experience, relationships and sex education in England (RSE), participatory narrative research methods, young people in the austerity era, Covid-19 and the on-going cost-of-living-crisis.