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Primordial black holes in Randall-Sundrum: cosmological signatures
No full textWe reconsider primordial black hole physics in Randall-Sundrum Type-II
universes,
focusing on constraints from cosmological and astrophysical observables.
We pay particular attention to
scenarios
that allow
the entirety of dark matter to be in the form of
higher-dimensional primordial black holes.
This is possible for a range of AdS radii and black hole masses.
Observable constraints are generally modified due to the
changes in the higher-dimensional gravitational sector,
and
come from low-energy
e
±
emission, microlensing, and
possibly from contributions to unresolved radiation backgrounds.
We discuss constraints from the cosmic microwave background
due to injection of Hawking quanta into the
intergalactic medium.
Finally, we comment
on recent discussions on the compatibility of higher-dimensional black holes and the KM3-230213A event.</p
Fighting for funding, working-class women’s transitions to sociology doctoral education: ‘significant academic others’, economic and social capital
No full textWhile scholarship exploring the financial barriers for working-class students of UK higher education (UKHE) has explored undergraduate, and to a lesser extent postgraduate, taught levels, academic understandings of working-class students at the doctoral level are scarce. Addressing this lacuna, this paper draws on interviews with thirteen working-class former doctoral women students to explore working-class transitions to doctoral education, considering the role of economic and social capital in enabling or constraining their journeys. This paper conceptualises the term ‘significant academic other’ to theorise a specific form of academic social capital that, within the field of UKHE, provides access to hot knowledge (Ball and Vincent Citation1998) (doctoral funding opportunities) and thus the accrual of cultural capital that enabled the working-class students to access doctoral funding - making doctoral study possible. It calls for future research to explore how ‘significant academic others’ are drawn upon as a source of capital facilitating working-class students’ entry to doctoral study.</p
Safer spaces for black children in care in England: identity and voice
No full textThis research report, funded by Barnardo’s SEEN, explores the lived experiences of Black children in care (children under 18 years) and young people who have left care (children above 18), focusing on the creation of safe spaces where their voices, identities and needs are truly recognised and supported. The report places participants at the centre, amplifying their voices and valuing their perspectives to inform policy and practice improvements.Research shows that care placements for Black children in Britain often fail to meet their racial and ethnic identity needs (Cheruvallil-Contractor et al. 2024). Institutional neglect, limited cultural competence and systemic racism contribute to gaps in wellbeing and identity support (Bernard and Harris 2016; Gupta and Featherstone 2015; Cane et al. 2024). These issues extend beyond care settings into schools and community services, where racial profiling, adultification and disproportionate exclusions persist (Bernard and Carlie 2021; Lammy 2017). Despite recognition that ‘one size does not fit all’ in social care, practice remains inconsistent. Black children continue to face barriers in expressing their identities and accessing culturally and religiously sensitive support (Black Care Experience Report, 2021). Negative experiences within and beyond placements frequently lead to children and young people feeling unsafe (Cheruvallil-Contractor et al. 2024; Cane et al. 2024).The Barnardo’s SEEN-funded Safer Spaces for Black Children in Care research project brought together academics from the universities of Coventry and Sussex to address this issue by accessing and amplifying the voices of Black children in care and young people who have left care. This team used life history narratives interspersed with creative methodologies to understand the experiences from the perspectives of these young people. The team conducted five focus group discussions with 33 children and young people, aged between 10 and 21 years old, who self-identified as Black but who had a variety of ‘Black’ backgrounds, intersectional identities and care experiences.The findings indicate that young people experience and articulate Black identity in complex and multifaceted ways. Their gender, cultural heritage, faith, migration pathways (if relevant), age and other characteristics all shape how young people develop and articulate their sense of self, as well as crucially how and if they seek support in relation to their identity. The Black British-born young people we spoke to were generally more assertive about their met and unmet identity needs, including hair and skin care, or experiences of prejudice and discrimination. Participants who arrived in the UK as Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children often expressed deep gratitude for the English care system. After long and traumatic journeys, frequently involving war, violence, exploitation or trafficking, they viewed England (and the care system) as a place of sanctuary where they finally gained safety, care and support. Their gratitude, combined with a limited understanding of England’s structural and cultural context (including around racism), especially when compared to British-born Black children, shaped how they experienced and responded within the care system and often hindered their ability to advocate for themselves.Black safe spaces provide physical security and enable authentic cultural expression free from discrimination on account of any aspect of a young person’s identity, where young people can explore their ethnic heritage and develop an understanding of their own identity vis-à-vis their heritage. Their cultural and emotional safety requires empathetic adults who listen, understand and care. Conversely, unsafe spaces emerge when carers fail to respect racial, cultural or religious identities – manifesting in neglect of hair/skin care, silencing cultural practices, labelling/ stereotyping and lack of representation. According to the children and young people we spoke to, racism, religious discrimination and microaggressions often go unchallenged in unsafe spaces. Whereas safety raises confidence and boosts wellbeing, systemic unsafety undermines trust, wellbeing and the ability to fully express identity in care settings.For the purposes of this report, safe spaces are defined as spaces for Black children and young people journeying through care that support their specific needs while in care placements. These are inclusive spaces, without judgement or cause for harm, allowing negotiation and representation (Hunter 2008). However, this is not always a place where all matters are resolved; instead these spaces facilitate continual and messy processes of negotiating relationships and identities. Thus, the idea of a safe space itself is problematic for Black children and young people, who need to feel safe and protected without needing to negotiate their safety. Their safety should be guaranteed.Across all focus groups, children and young people described adapting or masking aspects of themselves, through code-switching (temporary adjusting of behaviour to fit white-dominant environments and expectations), modifying behaviour or suppressing cultural pride. This was so that they could negotiate their belonging or safety in various spaces. This practice erodes confidence and authenticity. Frequent placement moves and high staff turnover further undermine relational consistency and reinforce feelings of disposability. Participants reported rarely being taken seriously or listened to regarding their lived realities and needs.Children and young people emphasised the need for authentic engagement, direct involvement in care planning and cultural humility across all levels of service delivery. The experiences of Black children in care do to an extent mirror those of other children in care, and much of what children told us they wanted (including consistency of support and making sure children’s voices are listened to in care planning) are themes that are consistent with other research with care-experienced children and young people (Barnardo’s 2021). However, what was evident from our conversations was that many Black children in care faced additional barriers, making it all the more important to ensure that they receive appropriate and sensitive care.</p
Enhanced Theory of Change - Online Global Summer Internships Intervention
No full textNo description supplied</p
Enhanced Theory of Change - Junior Research Associates Intervention
No full textNo description supplied</p
