About us

The Vulnerability & One Parent Family Network (VOPFN) is the first to create a shared forum for historians, archivists and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) working on one-parent families in the OECD countries of England, Scotland, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. Through participatory research it draws upon the collective insights and expertise of this group to explore the similarities and differences between these NGOs and the role of history in contemporary and future one-parent family policy and experience.

Our Research Team

We have a highly skilled cross discipline international team on our project - find out more about our members below.

Janet Greenlees

Reader in Health History
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Glasgow Caledonian University
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Research Profile

The Vulnerability & One Parent Family Network (VOPFN)

A shared forum for historians, archivists and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) working on one-parent families in the OECD countries of England, Scotland, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand.

Lindsey Earner-Byrne

Professor of Contemporary
Irish History
‍
Trinity College

Research Profile

Victoria Benson

Chief Executive Officer
Gingerbread
‍
‍
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Research Profile

Linda
Bryder

Professor in History

University of Auckland
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Research Profile

Jenny
Davidson

CEO

Council of Single Mothers & their Children
‍

Research Profile

Livi Dee

Early Career Researcher,

School of History, Anthropology, Philosophy and Politics

Queen's University Belfast
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Research Profile

Terese
Edwards

Chief Executive Officer

National Council for Single Mothers & their Children

Research Profile

Tanya Evans

Professor in Family History & Cultural Heritage

Macquarie University
Sydney
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Research Profile

Jeannot Farmer

Author, MAA Representative

Movement for Adoption Apology

Research Profile

Deirdre
Foley

Historian of Modern Ireland

Trinity College Dublin
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Research Profile

Kristin
Hay

Tutor in Economic and Social History

University of Glasgow
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Research Profile

Ciara
Kerrigan

Ciara Kerrigan
Assistant Keeper I - Special Collections

NLI

Research Profile

Karen
Kiernan

Chief Executive Officer

One Family
‍

Research Profile

Laura
Kelly

Professor
Historian of Modern Ireland  
University of Strathclyde

Research Profile

Leanne
Mccormick

Senior Lecturer in Modern Irish Social History (Ulster University)
Director of the Centre for the History of Medicine in Ireland

Research Profile

Satwat Rehman


One Parent Families Scotland
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Research Profile

Pat
Thane

Professor in Contemporary British History

King's College London
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Research Profile
OUR AIMS

1
To connect nineteenth- and twentieth-century historians, archivists, and third-sector partners from the OECD countries of Ireland, England, Scotland, New Zealand and Australia working on and/or with one-parent families [OPF] and single mothers, in order to exchange existing knowledge, generate new networks, advance interdisciplinary research in the field, and feed into policy and public awareness campaigns.
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Dashboard mockup

2

To explore the relationship between these NGOs and their clients, in view of the fact that these charities are largely run by and for one-parent families.

4

To consider the meaning and evolution of the concept of vulnerability, particularly in relation to one-parent families

3

To analyse the role of gender, race, religion, social attitudes and policy in the history and contemporary realities of one-parent families, in particular the extraordinary dominance of female-headed one-parent families in all of these countries since 1800.

5

To reflect on how historians, archivists, and NGOs could jointly inform future one-parent-family policy and experience.
V.O.P.F.N

The One Parent Family and Vulnerability Network is a cross collaborative research project with specialisms from all over the world.

useful links
Glasgow Caledonian UniversityTrinity College DublinGingerbreadCouncil of Single Mothers and their Children
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