As a member of the Cathedrals Group of Universities, Bishop Grosseteste University is committed to improving the life and educational opportunities of its members and working for the benefit of the wider community. Education and the possibilities it produces for transformation make it, according to the late Nelson Mandela ‘the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world’. Education is a core building block of society and is central to how communities are structured and work now and for the societies and communities we will build for tomorrow. The ambition of a fair and just society must be all members of that society are given the support needed to ensure everyone has a genuine opportunity to realise their potential; be accorded respect; and valued as an individual of worth within an inclusive system. This is social justice.
The purpose of this research cluster is to:
- develop understanding of the concept of social justice and the intersectionality of discrimination
- challenge inequality and promote social justice
- explore the ways in which social justice is promoted in diverse settings as a means of identifying and developing best practice
- research how social justice is denied to some as a means of determining ways to eliminate harmful practices wherever they may occur
- collaborate with students both in completing research and producing outputs wherever possible.
- identify, foster and develop links within BGU and beyond and generate outputs at multiple levels
- support cluster members at different stages in their careers to create BLOGs; shorter articles; longer 4* high profile internationally recognised papers; books; newspaper commentaries; and everything in between to promote the work of the cluster
- consider how research and academic debate can impact local, national and wider agendas
The Chair is Dr Sheine Peart and the current staff members are listed below:
Research Cast UK - The Podcast for Social Justice Research
Podcast 1:
Dr Nyree Nicholson is a Programme Leader on the Professional Studies work-based programmes in Education, Early Childhood and Childhood and Youth pathways. The title of her doctoral research was “Supporting children with identified speech, language and communication needs at two-years-old: voices of early years practitioners”. Nyree utilised a narrative hermeneutic methodology with conversational interviews to explore the lived experiences of fifteen early years practitioners.
Samantha Hoyes is a senior lecturer in Early Childhood Studies and is currently part way through her PhD. Her focus is on working motherhood in the 21st Century and how working mothers make sense of their identities. Applying a post-structuralist feminist approach, Sam has utilised photo elicitation interviews to explore working mothers lived experiences. Sam's sample will consist of 10-15 working mothers living in Lincolnshire with a child/ children aged 0-5 years at the time of data collection. She is currently around halfway through her initial data collection.
In this podcast, Nyree and Sam discuss the methodological approaches taken in the research process and share the ethical considerations they encountered throughout the research process.
For any more question or queries please contact Samantha.hoyes@bishopg.ac.uk and nyree-anne.nicholson@bishopg.ac.uk
Podcast 2: Research Cast UK, the podcast for social justice research.
In each episode a different host will open up a conversation with their guest to explore their interests and insights in addressing inequality, promoting equity, and driving social change. From interviews with leading researchers to stories from people’s lived experiences and activism, we aim to inform, inspire, and ignite conversations that matter. .Join us as we, challenge the norms, and amplify the voices striving for a more socially just world.
Other News
Clare Lawrence, Associate Professor, Participatory Autism Research, discusses the range of communication strategies needed to effectively support diverse students in contemporary education. Click here for more.
Dr Amanda Arbouin, Honorary Senior Fellow in Education Studies at Bishop Grosseteste University, was involved in a project to help fight racism and advance equity in adult social care. Click here for more.
Further to this, in this book, Dr Arbouin breaks new ground in documenting the learning and employment of black graduates in the UK. Ten British graduates of African Caribbean heritage review their education, both compulsory and post-compulsory, and their careers. They relate how they navigated the obstructions and microaggressions encountered while pursuing academic qualifications and discuss their choices of employment.
Amanda speaks at the Stephen Lawrence Research Centre Teaching to Transform conference. Click here to watch her speech and click here to read the executive summary which is part of a larger research project that documents the impact of the Stephen Lawrence Research Centre’s (SLRC) Teaching to Transform initiative.
