Will Norman is the Head of Research at the Young Foundation|, one of the world's leading centres for social innovation, social enterprise and public policy.
Will has a PhD in anthropology from LSE and carried out his doctoral fieldwork in Mozambique. He was the winner of the 2005 African Studies Association Audrey Richards Prize for his thesis 'Politics, Migration and Transfrontier Conservation in the Mozambican Villages of the Mozambique-South Africa Borderland.'
After leaving LSE, Will co-founded ESRO (Ethnographic Social Research)| - a consultancy firm that specialises in applying ethnographic research methodologies to organisations across the public, private and voluntary sectors. At ESRO Will worked on a range of projects for clients ranging from Microsoft, Unilever, Vodafone and Nokia to local authorities, the HMRC, Royal College of Nursing, Home Office and CAFOD.
At the Young Foundation Will is interested in applied anthropology and specialises in ethnographic research methodologies. Will was part of team who worked on the foundation's Unmet Needs programme and co-wrote the influential Sinking and Swimming report. He is current leading three research projects looking at worklessness in Birmingham, the role of civil society plays in building community resilience and an ethnography of night working in the UK.
In addition to his research role, Will oversees two of the Young Foundation's practical initiatives, the UpRising| youth leadership programme and Maslaha| – a web-based information service for British Muslims. The Young Foundation is looking to spin these projects off as separate organisations and Will is responsible for the business development as well as managing day-to-day operations.
Will also provides career advice and seminars for anthropology students looking for work outside academia.
Selected Publications
2009 Sinking & Swimming: Understanding Britain's unmet needs. London: Young Foundation
2009 Meet the parents: Stories of teenage pregnancy and parenthood in Lewisham. London: Young Foundation