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Representing and Resisting Maternal Melancholy in Buchi Emecheta’s Second-class Citizen and The Joys of Motherhood
No full textThis chapter examines the representation of – and resistance to - maternal melancholy in two of Emecheta’s novels, Second-Class Citizen (1974) and The Joys of Motherhood (1979), which explore the lives of female characters as wives and mothers in (post)colonial Nigeria and as migrants in Britain. Combining postcolonial trauma theory (Craps 2013, Visser 2015, Atkinson 2017) and African-feminist theories of motherhood (Arndt, 2002, Oloruntoba-Oju and Oloruntoba-Oju 2013, Fongang 2015), I examine Emecheta’s depiction of her female characters’ experiences of and reactions to motherhood and its losses – including infant mortality, involuntary childlessness, and the loss of sustaining communal bonds. The novels demonstrate how dramatic socio-cultural shifts from colonialism to independence, from rural village life to urban dwelling, emigration from postcolony to metropolitan centre all impact women’s ability to negotiate and mitigate the challenges and losses of motherhood. I argue that Emecheta’s work evinces an affective and ideological ambivalence towards motherhood and that her characters’ ‘recovery’ from maternity-related traumas remains partial. There is, moreover, a persistence of negative emotional affect based on sex-based oppression across colonial, postcolonial and diasporic contexts, which is not fully mitigated by discourses of self-recovery, improvement and fulfilment, but which nevertheless contributes to the texts’ resistant and productive qualities
Representing and Resisting Maternal Melancholy in Buchi Emecheta’s Second-class Citizen and The Joys of Motherhood
No full textThis chapter examines the representation of – and resistance to - maternal melancholy in two of Emecheta’s novels, Second-Class Citizen (1974) and The Joys of Motherhood (1979), which explore the lives of female characters as wives and mothers in (post)colonial Nigeria and as migrants in Britain. Combining postcolonial trauma theory (Craps 2013, Visser 2015, Atkinson 2017) and African-feminist theories of motherhood (Arndt, 2002, Oloruntoba-Oju and Oloruntoba-Oju 2013, Fongang 2015), I examine Emecheta’s depiction of her female characters’ experiences of and reactions to motherhood and its losses – including infant mortality, involuntary childlessness, and the loss of sustaining communal bonds. The novels demonstrate how dramatic socio-cultural shifts from colonialism to independence, from rural village life to urban dwelling, emigration from postcolony to metropolitan centre all impact women’s ability to negotiate and mitigate the challenges and losses of motherhood. I argue that Emecheta’s work evinces an affective and ideological ambivalence towards motherhood and that her characters’ ‘recovery’ from maternity-related traumas remains partial. There is, moreover, a persistence of negative emotional affect based on sex-based oppression across colonial, postcolonial and diasporic contexts, which is not fully mitigated by discourses of self-recovery, improvement and fulfilment, but which nevertheless contributes to the texts’ resistant and productive qualities
From physically active to physically inactive:Understanding the experiences of a familial carer's loss of self
No full textLevels of physical activity (PA) for carers are lower than non-carers (Carers UK, 2022). Literature indicates that these levels are lower than carers would like (Carers UK, 2019) and are due to participation barriers such as guilt, lack of time and fatigue (Horne et al., 2021). According to Horne et al. (2021), a greater understanding of these barriers is needed, as PA interventions for carers can offer important health benefits (e.g., Danucalov et al., 2015).This chapter presents a unique and insider perspective of these barriers to PA by offering an insight into how the caring role impacted on the social and physically active identity of a carer, who had previously enjoyed a positive relationship with PA. The carer in this research was the participant, co-researcher and second author, allowing for a reflective co-constructed analysis of his caring experiences.<br/
A ‘community in the county’? Sir John Sandys and social mobility in later medieval Hampshire.
No full textA study of the remarkable rise of John Sandys, knight-adventurer, Hampshire landed gentry and the significance of heiresses. The paper was read to the History department research seminar in October 2018 and is in press with Southern History
Fostering Belonging Through Compassionate Care in Education
No full textEducationalists have a long history of supporting children and young people who have experienced challenges in their lives. However, with ever-increasing societal changes, many are rethinking their approaches to the mental health and wellbeing of their pupils. Some have responded by focusing more on compassionate leadership and nurturing and trauma-informed approaches. The chapter provides an overview of some of the contemporary issues impacting the health and wellbeing of children and young people, including how the global pandemic of Covid-19 has facilitated new understanding. There will be a focus on how experiences of trauma, abuse and adversity can affect development and behaviour. The terms and intervention methods currently in vogue will be considered. There will be a focus on the importance of compassionate leadership that facilitates a whole setting response and the importance of self-care
From physically active to physically inactive:Understanding the experiences of a familial carer's loss of self
No full textLevels of physical activity (PA) for carers are lower than non-carers (Carers UK, 2022). Literature indicates that these levels are lower than carers would like (Carers UK, 2019) and are due to participation barriers such as guilt, lack of time and fatigue (Horne et al., 2021). According to Horne et al. (2021), a greater understanding of these barriers is needed, as PA interventions for carers can offer important health benefits (e.g., Danucalov et al., 2015).This chapter presents a unique and insider perspective of these barriers to PA by offering an insight into how the caring role impacted on the social and physically active identity of a carer, who had previously enjoyed a positive relationship with PA. The carer in this research was the participant, co-researcher and second author, allowing for a reflective co-constructed analysis of his caring experiences.<br/
Measurement Models for Group-Peer Assessment of Project-Based Learning in Software Engineering
No full textOver two decades we have been developing and testing alter-native frameworks for Group-Peer-Assessment (GPA) in software engineering education. The focus lies on skills as-sessed through observation of students’ behavior and/or ex-amination of the results of project assignments. Assessment for such instructional types is not covered satisfactorily by traditional approaches. Assessment at the group as well as individual level must be able to cope with multiple quality criteria on scales of various types, and multiple assessors responsible for assessing distinct quality aspects. We offer two-parameter scoring models for GPA, by which individual student scores are derived from a group score and mutual peer ratings. The two parameters are: (1) a constraint on the spread of student scores and (2) the relative impact of peer ratings. GPA imposes no artificial restrictions on group size, type or number of quality criteria, or other context-specific aspects of GPA. We briefly describe our experience with GPA for software engineering courses at a university in the U
Justice for Nature : a Rawlsian Approach
No full textThis chapter explores the evolving legal and philosophical concept of the Rights of Nature, focusing on its implications for environmental justice in England and Wales. Drawing on constitutional rights theory, environmental ethics, and Rawls’ Theory of Justice, it examines how nature can be recognized as a legal rights-holder, moving beyond traditional anthropocentric frameworks. The chapter traces the development of this idea from early Indigenous worldviews and key legal milestones, such as Ecuador's 2008 constitution, Bolivia's 2010 Law of the Rights of Mother Earth, and New Zealand’s legislation recognizing the rights of rivers. Proportionality is a central theme, as it is often used in human rights law to balance competing rights. The chapter demonstrates how proportionality can be adapted to resolve conflicts between human rights, corporate interests, and the Rights of Nature. It further explores how an amended Rawlsian framework – especially the concepts of the original position, veil of ignorance, and difference principle – can be applied to conflicts involving nature as a a rights holder. The application provides a fair framework for decision-making that prioritizes the most vulnerable stakeholders, including ecosystems and species.Through hypothetical case studies involving state development, corporate activities, and inter-ecosystem conflicts, the chapter illustrates the practical application of these principles in balancing human and ecological rights. It concludes by highlighting the need for legal systems to evolve and recognize nature’s rights as fundamental to ensuring justice and sustainability in the face of ongoing environmental challenges. With justice for nature denied, the world faces a perilous future.<br/
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