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The enforced silence:Gaza and the scholasticide of Palestinian academics - parallels, provocations, and pathways for action
No full textThis article interrogates “enforced silence” in higher education as an active, racialised technology of governance that manages speech, polices dissent, and narrows the horizons of legitimate knowledge. Bringing scholarship on institutional racism, decoloniality, and academic freedom into dialogue with analyses of scholasticide, the systematic destruction of education and intellectual life in Palestine, the paper argues that neutrality and professionalism function as administrative veneers that protect institutional reputation while disciplining racialised scholars and erasing Palestinian epistemologies. Palestine operates here as both an acute site of violence and a diagnostic mirror that illuminates a transnational repertoire of epistemic governance: censorship, securitisation, campus injunctions, and weaponised definitions that chill debate and criminalise solidarity. The article extends the concept of scholasticide beyond material destruction to include ideological and institutional assaults on dissent and critical thought, demonstrating how marketised, securitised universities reproduce racial regimes while disavowing complicity. Against this architecture, the paper advances a praxis-oriented framework drawing on critical pedagogy and the Palestinian ethic of Sumud to envision universities as sites of freedom rather than corporate neutrality. It sets out concrete strategies for scholars and institutions, including protections for dissent, refusal of censorious definitions, divestment from complicit partnerships, cross-border classrooms, and recognition of emotional–political labour, to convert witness into transformative action. The article concludes by insisting that academic responsibility is irreducibly collective: education must commit to liberation, not serve domination
Women, shame and stigma:responding to (in)justice through zine
No full textWomen, Shame and Stigma is a zine that has been co-created by academics to communicate and share the connections and commonalities of women’s experiences across a Criminal Justice process. Utlising research findings and lived knowledge of policing, probation, and the prison system, the pages expose the complex continuums of shame and stigma and the gendered nature of systems in inducing and compounding women’s experiences. In making the zine available, the authors have two primary aims. Firstly, to share the experiences of women in a creative and accessible format, enabling readers to visualise the depth of stigmatic and shameful experiences. Secondly, the authors hope to highlight the reflexive experience of this process, driving home its value as a method of knowledge construction and as an act of resistance towards the fast-paced, neoliberal academia that shapes our senses of accelerating time pressures (Sugarman and Thrift, 2020). The accompanying text piece examines and reflects upon the trajectory of the zine, with a view to sharing both the knowledge and experience with others
The application of a Foucauldian approach to tackle school bullying:a critique
No full textBullying remains a serious problem in schools in England and internationally despite the plethora of research, interventions and policies which aim to address it. The majority of research and interventions are based on a traditional approach where school bullying is constructed as involving a clear imbalance of power between individuals. Recently there has been an increase in researchers using a Foucauldian approach where power is not held by individuals but operates through institutional and social norms which influence thoughts and behaviour, and can contribute to bullying. Most of this research has focused on how the school culture contributes to bullying. This article initiates a critical discussion about the extent to which Foucault’s work can be applied to understand and tackle school bullying which previous research has not fully examined. The practical issues discussed include punishment; and conflict between pupils, and between pupils and teachers. Strategies include schools de-centralising decision-making centres for pupils to exercise their voice and pupils being enabled to transform themselves. Foucault has been criticised for not providing clear guidance on how to resist power and focuses primarily on resistance at the individual rather than collective level. However, he provides implications for how individuals can resist power through their relations with others within an institution which many feel dominated. It is concluded that a Foucauldian approach is more nuanced, reflective and flexible than the traditional approach which can consider the influence of inequalities. Further research is needed to develop practical strategies for schools from Foucault’s work
Assessing the effectiveness of a pilot test of a brief art-based mindfulness task on appraisal
No full textMindfulness practice has been proposed as enabling an individual to purposefully increase attention enabling the individual to be more present in the moment, open-minded and accepting. As such mindfulness practice may offer an important mechanism to promote positive psychological health and wellbeing through changes to the stress appraisal process. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of a simple mindfulness drawing task on dimensions of psychology instrumental in appraisal and health. 65 participants were allocated to one of two conditions (Shambala colouring, Control). The mindfulness group was found to report significantly higher levels of observational ability and non-judgement (p < 0.05) amongst several other differences. This work focused upon the claim of effectiveness of a brief mindfulness task to modify mindfulness focused psychological variables
Sustainability reporting regulation within the European Union
No full textThis chapter explores the evolution and framework of sustainability reporting regulations in the European Union (EU), highlighting the transformative journey from voluntary non-financial disclosures to the robust regulatory mechanisms embodied in the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD). It begins by examining the historical context and limitations of the Non-Financial Reporting Directive (NFRD), including its narrow scope and lack of standardisation, which necessitated the CSRD’s introduction. The chapter outlines important principles underpinning EU sustainability reporting, such as double materiality, and emphasises the integration of climate-related frameworks like the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD). It also discusses the growing prominence of climate-related matters in corporate reporting, including mandatory disclosures of Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions and the alignment with the European Green Deal’s net-zero targets. Additionally, the role of digitalisation in sustainability reporting is highlighted through the adoption of the European Single Electronic Format (ESEF) and the European Single Access Point (ESAP). By exploring these developments, it is shown how the CSRD plays a vital role in sustainability reporting
Precarious and vulnerable work:the experiences of applied sport psychologists
No full textThis article analyzes the vulnerable and precarious nature of applied sport psychology practice. Adopting a longitudinal approach over an 18-month period, data were collected through 41 semi-structured interviews with six applied sport psychologists working across soccer, swimming, and athletics. Interviews took place at 6–8 week intervals, and transcripts were iteratively analyzed with Kalleberg’s theorization of precarity and Kelchtermans’ writings around vulnerability adopted as the primary heuristic devices. Four themes were identified, highlighting how: (a) “precarious employment conditions”; (b) “constrained decision making”; (c) “challenges to demonstrating impact”; and (d) “contrasting beliefs of appropriate practice” typified practitioners’ applied experiences. Our findings and analysis advance discussions about the precarious nature of applied sport psychology work by recognizing some of the inherent structural vulnerabilities that characterize the role. Insights developed from this research have important implications for the profession, including the preparation, development, employment and ongoing support of its workforce
Authentic assessment, adult learning and meaningful curriculum design:reflections on apprenticeship development and teaching practice on a criminology, investigation and policing programme
No full textThis paper explores how authentic assessment and adult learning principles can shape meaningful curriculum design within higher education criminology and policing programmes. It reflects on how degree apprenticeship development has influenced pedagogy and professional learning for adult learners
Enhancing diversity and professionalism in policing through multiple entry routes and Higher Education
No full textThis paper examines the impact of diverse entry pathways and higher education on enhancing professionalism and diversity within the policing profession. Considering historical challenges in representation, it argues that retaining and fully utilising varied entry routes, including degree apprenticeships, non-degree paths, and graduate programs, is essential for attracting a diverse applicant pool. By analysing recruitment data from all 43 police forces in England and Wales, the study identifies inconsistencies in adopting these pathways. It highlights the influence of higher education on officers' critical thinking, ethical reasoning, and community engagement. The findings suggest that police forces employing multiple recruitment routes can build a workforce that reflects their communities, fostering trust, legitimacy, and effective law enforcement. This paper advocates for a coordinated approach to recruitment, ensuring that diverse entry routes are consistently applied to achieve a professional and inclusive police force capable of navigating modern policing demands
Exploring the well-being of early career teachers:staying afloat and fixing the boat during COVID-19?
No full textThe COVID-19 pandemic had a major impact on schools, leading to far-reaching and rapid responses by those in the sector. This included the cohort of student-teachers who were training to teach during the 2019–2020 academic year. Due to a national UK lockdown in the spring and summer of 2020, this cohort of individuals were unable to undertake school placements where they would gain the majority of their classroom experience before starting as qualified teachers. This paper reports on data we collected in a British Academy funded study from members of the cohort as they started their first year of teaching, to try to understand the impact of the loss of practical classroom teaching whilst training and to understand the extent of the impact this had on their well-being as they entered an unfamiliar and stressed sector. The results from the analysis suggest that this cohort of newly qualified teachers were meeting multiple challenges, which in some cases had a reported impact on their well-being. However, where they were well supported, and where strong professional relationships were developed, and performative measures were reconsidered, these challenges were more than compensated for by the resources individuals could draw on to ensure their continued development and positive well-being. However, there are still questions to answer as to how this cohort will react as schools return to performative, accountability-driven contexts, approaches to education that this cohort have had little experience of
Of kitemarks, metrics and politics:caught between institutional EDI objectives and a desire for an inclusive institution
No full textIn this paper I consider Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) work in UK Universities through the political philosophy work of Jacques Ranciere. I draw on this work to distinguish between EDI work which has a policing function to uphold the status quo and that which has a political or activist function to bring about sustained positive change. While Ranciere's work helps us distinguish different types of EDI work, it does not necessarily help us understand how to move towards the latter. In order to explore this the paper draws on the work of Sara Ahmed to operationalise Ranciere’s distinction and set my lived experience across several institutions into context. I conclude that EDI work in universities mostly serves a policing function and is driven by the desire to achieve and maintain kitemarks and awards. It therefore often benefits institutions more than the people within them and is more about evidencing commitment to EDI than about EDI itself. Nonetheless, through 3 examples of approaches to work which include a focus on workload allocations, supporting of innovation and diversity in teaching and allocation of roles within departments, I show that resistance through activism, Ranciere’s politics, can and must be possible even though it comes at a cost and is not always wholly successful