Dr Amanda Arbouin

In her role as the Director of the social enterprise, RACE Consultancy, Amanda is dedicated to enhancing black experiences of education. Within a social justice agenda, she collaborates with universities, students and community organisations offering:

• Research to help meet the needs of black learners, professionals and service users

• Academic support for postgraduate students, particularly those researching race

• Community engagement such as speaking at events and collaborative projects

• Education resources for decolonising the academy and black history month.

Her first book publication, Black British Graduates: Untold stories, draws upon sociological theories to examine the educational journeys and career outcomes of a group of British graduates of African Caribbean parentage. The book is the first to document the life chances of black graduates in the UK and makes a significant contribution to understanding race, class and gender in education and employment. It is a key text for courses in Education Studies, sociology of education and teacher training. It is also important reading for educators, policymakers and community activists, with a genuine commitment to social justice for black learners in schools and higher education.

Amanda is currently researching a follow up book with the working title, Black British Professionals. The project revisits the original participants to examine their experiences of career progression as black professionals in a UK context.

Dr Arbouin has more than 20 years of experience teaching and researching in higher and further education. Before joining Bishop Grosseteste University, she taught Education Studies at Nottingham Trent University and University of Derby, as well as Sociology of Education at University of Warwick. Prior to that, she spent several years teaching information technology and research software to adults from a range of academic and non-academic backgrounds in college and industry. In addition to this, she has undertaken project management, research and consultancy for organisations including Jamaica National Children’s Home and University of Nottingham.

Amanda completed her PhD in the Sociology Department at University of Warwick. Her research draws upon educational and sociological theories including critical race theory, black feminist theory, intersectionality and reproduction theory.

She has undertaken research for the University of Nottingham, for Telia (UK) Limited and for Richards and Associates. Her current research interests include:

• Social justice and the conditions that facilitate educational ‘success’ and inclusion
• Sociology of Education encompassing the structuring effects of ‘race’/ ethnicity, social class and gender
• Social science research methodology including qualitative and quantitative approaches and techniques

Opportunities to carry out postgraduate research towards an MPhil or PhD exist and Dr Arbouin is happy to take enquiries from research students wishing to explore research in and around her areas of interest.

Dr Arbouin is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and a member of professional networks including Black British Academics and Women in Academia Support Network.

She is also the Interim Co-Chair of the Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner’s Community Listening Group. (CLG), which was created to ensure that the needs and concerns of racially marginalised communities are understood and met more effectively by the police force. It is comprised of a number of professionals and activists from those communities, and has an ongoing dialogue with the Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner and the Nottinghamshire Police. As a volunteer, Amanda’s understanding of race contributes to improving communications between the Nottinghamshire Police and the local African (black) and Asian communities.

Arbouin, A, 2018. Black British Graduates: Untold stories. London: UCL Institute of Education Press.

Arbouin, A, 2018. ‘How UK higher education institutions (HEIs) can positively impact minoritized learners’. UCL IOE Press, 2 November 2018. Online https://www.ucl-ioe-press.com/2018/11/02/uk-higher-education-institutions-heis-can-positively-impact-minoritized-learners/

Arbouin, A, 2018. ‘Serendipity and Stepping Stones: being Black and British in university’. UCL IOE Press, 18 May 2018. Online https://www.ucl-ioe-press.com/2018/05/18/serendipity-and-stepping-stones-being-black-and-british-in-university/

Arbouin, A, 2020. Race and Education: Decolonising the education system. Paper presented at Let’s Talk About Race!, Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Network, Online Event, 17 June 2020.

Arbouin, A, 2018. Black British Graduates: Untold Stories. Keynote presented at International Colloquium on Black Men in Education, Dublin, Ireland, 24-26 October 2018.

Arbouin, A, 2017. Black British Male University Graduates. Paper presented at International Colloquium on Black Men in Education, Toronto, Canada, 3-6 October 2017.

Arbouin, A, 2017. Racism in Education. Paper presented at Women Against Racism, Nottingham Contemporary, 30 September 2017.

Arbouin, A, 2017. Black Women and Precariatisation: The educational trajectories of British African Caribbean graduates. Paper presented at The Precariatisation of Women’s Lives in the UK, Sheffield Hallam University, 30 June 2017.

Arbouin, A, 2016. Black Women in Education: The intersection of race, class and gender. Paper presented at Nottingham Community Voluntary Services, 19 November 2016.

Arbouin, A, 2016. Education. Paper presented at Reimagining the Disciplines: Black Scholars in Critical Dialogue, Birkbeck, University of London, 13 September 2016.

Arbouin, A, 2016. Learning to Achieve: An intersectional analysis of black higher education experiences. Paper presented at the Reframing Intersectionality in Critical Race Theory conference, Birmingham City University, 14-17 June 2016.

Arbouin, A, 2013. Intersectionality: Understanding the Experiences of British African Caribbean Women in Higher Education. Paper presented at the Troubling Gender: The Question of Multiple Identities Conference, University of Sheffield, May 2013.