Thesis and Research Data Repository Leeds Beckett University
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Do We Ever Stop Working? How Capitalism Compromises Our Work-Leisure Balance
No full textMy critical reflection will be highlighting whether there is an increased blurring between work and leisure in our online activity, i.e. how has our personal leisure time online become a means for companies to exploit consumers. This has been made possible through the intensification of technology as technology has been the paramount of contemporary society. The following concepts will be discussed: ‘The Information Society’, ‘The Risk Society’ and ‘Commodification’.</p
Consumerism is Making Us Sick, But That’s Just What Capitalism Wants
No full textConsumer culture emerged in Western capitalist societies in the late 20th century and the centrality of production was replaced with consumption. The rise of consumerism is praised for breaking down social divisions, allowing class distinctions to blur and thus accommodating increased social mobility. The mass production of goods and their increased accessibility to individuals allows the reconstructions of social identities presenting greater choice for individuals (Featherstone, 1990). This is supported by the work of Douglas and Isherwood; the consumption of particular goods is advantageous in helping people create new social relations whereby these products are of common interests. In addition, consumption is also claimed to be beneficial for giving people a sense of satisfaction and excitement in their lives (Featherstone, 1990).</p
The representation of disability in the British press
No full textThe use of the suffix ‘dis’ connotes negativity which often implies misfortunate or unfortunate situation or circumstances. In the case of disability, ‘dis’ connotes the opposite of an individual’s ability. You are either able or not able presenting a binary representation of disabled people. This representation according to Swain is “Cliché, stereotyped and archetypal” (Swain, 2004: 100). Worrell believes that representation of disability is often negative and the effects of these representations have consequences on the social construction of disability. This is more apparent for people with physical disabilities, hearing impairments and cognitive disabilities. First hand accounts articulate social exclusion, stigmatisation and oppression as a result of the complex dynamics of media representations. Worrell however, opines that the media often influences society while the content of media is equally influenced by society (Worrell, 2018).
This research offers an exploration into people’s perceptions of the representations of disability and disabled people in the British press. It will investigate how journalists represent disabled people and the justifications for these representations. A qualitative approach was employed, implementing focus group discussions and semi-structured interviews with people who have experience with disability. Additionally, a directed content analysis was conducted. The study argues that journalists adopt detrimental narratives through the technique of framing; these include patronising tones, sympathetic tones as well as an exclusionary discourse. These perceptions influence the socially constructed identity of disabled people through the way in which journalists frame stories.
The major findings reveal that disabled people are represented in the British press with a; patronising tone, sympathetic tone and exclusion. While the reason they are represented in this way is as a result of; the perceptions of disability and unexpected achievements. The study also demonstrates the reasons that British press write about disability in the way that they do. These factors include; awareness of disability, disability avoidance, lack of understanding about disability, sensationalised stories, editorial pressure and diversity of opinion and biases. These factors influence journalist’s comments and educational content of the British press.
The study also reveals the impact that the stigma of disability has on the rights and the voice of disabled people, promoting marginalisation and inequality. Drawing on the insights generated in this research, the affirmative model that was originally proposed by John Swain and Sally French (2000) could be implemented by journalists. This will allow journalists to write in a way that has a positive impact upon the representations of disability i and validate the experiences of disabled people. Furthermore, the affirmative model would improve the representations of disability and disabled people in the British press and allow journalists to embrace disabled people’s individual identity and differences. This study contributes to the growing body in the research of the representations of disability in the British press and the validity of the affirmative model.</p
Navigating Ourselves Through the White Noise of ‘Risk’
No full text‘Risk has come to dominate individual and collective consciousness in the twenty first century’ (Denney, 2005:1). It is undeniable that throughout history risk has been present. In Premodern times risk was associated with disease, war epidemics and failing harvests (Denney, 2005). Specifically, the dangers posed by demons, the night, lepers and the wrath of God’s punishment (Denney, 2005). In late modernity we are faced with a series of risks which have developed under man made circumstances.</p
Knowledge Economy for Whom? How the Neoliberal Knowledge Economy Creates Risk for Working Class Students
No full textBell (1976) argued that western countries and the U.S are passing from an industrial to a postindustrial period of society, which is described as ‘The Information Society’ (Bell 1976). Bell states that “instead of society based on a labour theory of value… the post-industrial society rests on a knowledge theory of valuethat is to say, value is fundamentally increased, not by labour, but by knowledge” (Bell, 1976: 46). Bell identified key shifts in post-industrial societies employment structures such as the decline of unskilled manufacturing employment and the growth of high skilled, managerial, technical and professional occupations in sectors such as business and education services (Grint & Nixon, 2015). For Bell (1976), the post-industrial society is a knowledge economy because future job growth would be focused in high skilled occupations, which would dictate a massive expansion of higher education to provide the high skilled workers demanded by the new knowledge economy (Grint & Nixon, 2015).</p
Veganism in a Post Modern Society
No full textVeganism is a lifestyle that entails abstaining from the consumption of animal products. Some vegans limit this to their diet. Many, however, expand their practice of veganism to include the abstinence of all non-vegan products. This includes but is not limited to clothing made out of fur, wool and leather as well as toiletries and beauty products that contain animal substances and are tested on animals. In this critical reflection I explore the prevalence of veganism in today’s society, some of the reasons why people may choose this lifestyle and whether or not it is effective in all the ways that people think it is.</p
From Welfare to Workfare - But is it Really Fair?
No full textThe welfare states role was based on protection and providing provisions for citizens when it was first created (Gordon, 1998). However, this has shifted dramatically and increased neoliberal input has been one of the driving forces for these changes (Grover and Soldatic, 2013). This critical reflection will explore neoliberalism’s effect on some of the most vulnerable people in society, those with disabilities. One of the main focusses here will be on policies aimed at placing people back into work. This will open discussions of a shift from the Welfare State, to a Workfare State based on regulation (Finn, 2001. Carter and Rayner, 1996). The basis of this reflection will be to explore the ideas around increased regulation of the disabled, through neoliberalism in the United Kingdom. However, due to the mobilisation of neoliberalism over the world there may be similarities in the welfare regimes of differing societies (Grover and Soldatic, 2013).</p
Preface and Editorial
No full textSociology sets out to develop the sociological imagination of those who study it, allowing us to think critically and reflexively about the social world around us and make sense of the relationship between our personal experiences and wider society. This approach to interrogating the world is embodied in this collection of critical reflections written by students on the BA (Hons) Sociology degree here at Leeds Beckett University. The essays in this volume underline both the breadth of the subject and its power to shed light on the familiar and the taken for granted. They tackle a wide range of issues, including risk, surveillance, neoliberalism, the quantification of the self, the commodification of information, and consumption. The application of theory as an interrogative and explanatory tool in many of the chapters in this volume demonstrates the central role it plays Sociology.This collection is a testament to both the students and staff of the Sociology degree. For the students, each of the reflections emphasises the knowledge and skills they have developed individually – in applying the tools of the social sciences to analyse and interpret current trends and developments and, just as importantly, communicating incisive, critical commentary; the end product is also a collective editorial effort. Each essay also underlines the strong commitment the course team have to developing students as active producers of knowledge and the support that they provide as part of this to enable them to develop their intellectual skills and abilities.I hope that readers of these reflections enjoy the perspectives offered, and are themselves further challenged, encouraged or inspired to reflect on the contemporary social world.</p
The Resilience of Four Secondary School Teachers: A Narrative Inquiry
No full textThe aim of this study on teacher resilience has been to explore why some secondary school teachers in England choose to remain in teaching when a significant number decide to leave (Burghes et al., 2009). A similar attrition rate for both the USA (Yost, 2006) and other OECD countries has been evidenced (DfE, 2015; OECD, 2005b; 2011; 2016). There is considerable research on why some teachers may leave the teaching profession, but there is much less literature on why other teachers choose to remain, especially from teachers with long service. My research aims to explore, through the personal narratives of four resilient long service teachers why this might be, and it has implications for school leaders, pupil attainment, policy makers, and of course, both pre-service and in-service teachers. The study goes on to critically analyse four themes which overlap with the author’s own experience as a former teacher, as well as with literature. The final chapter makes a number of recommendations which may benefit a range of stakeholders, not the least of which are teachers themselves. Throughout this study the concept of teacher professional identity emerges as a framework which offers considerable promise to those investigating the resilience of teachers, and it is suggested that the manifestation of a professional identity which enables teachers to construct, reconstruct and manage multiple identities over time will be crucial to their ongoing resilience if they are to continue to function effectively in the future.</p
How Does ‘Black Mirror’ Represent Contemporary Aspects of Surveillance and the Dystopian Outcomes It Can Produce?
No full textNosedive is one of the many episodes of “Black Mirror” (2016) that is most notable for depicting a twilight zone to look into the near future; it also explores the dystopian outcomes in a world of new technologies of surveillance, control and social stratification. The episode portrays a woman who lives in a society arranged by technologies where, through mobile devices and iris recognition, every citizen is rated on a scale of one-to-five according to their social interactions they encounter in their everyday life. Visible to others, an average score is generated through an accumulation of the ratings, and this determines an individual’s socio-economic position. As for the lead character, she illustrates that self-censorship also comes with unavoidable control from the outcome of her social positioning from her score, such as where she can live or who she can have relations with.</p