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Babylon's a Burning:an analysis of race-related rioting in the UK
No full textThis article provides a critical analysis of race-related urban rioting in the United Kingdom [UK], arguing that such disturbances are rarely spontaneous eruptions of violence but the outcome of enduring structural inequalities, institutional racism, and political and economic exclusion. Drawing on historical and sociological research, the paper traces a continuum of civil unrest from early twentieth-century port-town riots to the 2024 far-right disturbances and the 2011 England riots. It places the centrality of racially biased policing particularly through practices such as the 'sus law' and stop-and-search and of structural disadvantage in shaping community-police tensions. The article also explores the role of populist political discourse, youth criminalisation, educational exclusion, and the media in reproducing racialised narratives around disorder. Emphasising the intergenerational continuity of racialised marginalisation, it argues for a reconceptualisation of urban rioting as a form of resistance shaped by structural injustice and political disenfranchisement. The study concludes that without substantive reforms to education, policing, media representation, and socio-economic policy, the cycle of grievance and subsequent episodes of riotous assembly will likely continue at given points in time within the UK. This article contributes to scholarly debates on race, inequality, and the state, positioning British urban riots within broader global patterns of racialised conflict and resistance
Digital bonds:a gamers’ perspective on the role of online gaming communities in fostering social interaction and identity
No full textThis study explores the social dynamics and communal experiences of gamers within online gaming clans, highlighting the transition from solitary play to social interaction in digital spaces. Through an ethnographic approach and qualitative interviews with active gamers, we investigate the significance of joining a clan, the formation of identities, and the multifaceted nature of communication within these communities. Findings reveal that acceptance into a clan elicits feelings of joy and belonging, akin to traditional social activities, while the anonymity provided by online interactions fosters open expression and the development of unique social bonds. Communication within these communities encompasses both game-related and non-game-related discussions, highlighting their multifaceted nature as social spaces. The adoption of unique language and codes among clan members enhances their sense of belonging. Notably, we explore the concept of ‘imagined communities’ illustrating how gaming transcends demographic boundaries, creating a global network of individuals united by shared passions
Initial Teacher Education in England:outlining the field
No full textITE has been through a radical and wide-ranging shift over the past five years in England. This is after a period of more general instability since at least 2010. This book will explore some of the core issues which underpin both the nature and purpose of ITE as well as explaining the nature and impacts of the recent policy changes which have changed the ITE landscape. Therefore, the book will begin by explaining the purpose and structure of initial teacher education and why it is an important part of the wider school ecosystem. This will act as a basis for contextualizing the nature of England’s ITE system in comparison to those of international partners. How is it different? How is it similar and why? There will then be a longer, historical view of the English system, describing and highlighting the major trends in ITE and the major policy and sectoral changes which have led to the current system. These discussions will then allow us to explore how England can be identified as an outlier in terms of the characteristics and policies dictating the English system and how we evaluate this difference. Can we learn anything form other countries, are they able to learn anything from us? The final element in the book will then consider some of the issues facing the ITE sector, including continued recruitment issues, pressures and opportunities impacting those who work in ITE, and the degree to which the sector is incoherent or at the forefront of ITE reform.This book will play an important role in locating ITE in the current educational landscape, by looking at its immediate history, the issues which are currently important in dictating its role, and the challenges it faces, all within a wider international context. This is important as this book will act as the foundation for a new series exploring issues in ITE by a number of educational academics, and as such will not only set the context for his series but will also pose a number of important questions.<br/
Disability stylistics and contrasting depictions of physical disability in contemporary fiction
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Artificial campaigns and the intelligence of capitalism
No full textDuring and soon after the UK general election of 2024 social media users expressed their disdain for the outgoing Conservative government by using the newly available image creation AI apps Shutterstock, Midjourney and Chatbot. Notwithstanding the plethora of comments on the Conservatives’ mismanaged and at times disastrous campaign, a series of artificially generated images were posted on social media platforms mainly on X, Reddit and Instagram depicting prominent Conservative politicians doing jobs and performing tasks generally associated with low paid and migrant labour. Under the titles “AI Re-imagines Tory Politicians in Regular Life”, “AI has the created the politician as an immigrant”, and “Tories without the privilege” this series of images show former ministers and senior Conservatives as Deliveroo riders, janitors, bar staff, street cleaners, and refugees among other recognisable social roles and professions allegedly below the high status of a politician. By deploying cultural and media sociology (Alexander, 2003) as a distinctive method of analysis and drawing on the theoretical elaborations of Marx’s “division of labour” and Hayek’s “connectionism” the paper makes three distinctive yet interconnected arguments. First, this series of AI generated images communicates in a strong and dismissive manner the low social status associated with employment in the gig economy. Second, the ethnic background of Conservative politicians reinforces the dominant political thinking and popular belief that essential service jobs are and should only be performed by immigrants. Third, AI is not designed to imitate biological intelligence but the intelligence of labour and social relations
What constitutes a women’s recovery from addiction?:examining lived experiences and recovery capital of women from diverse European backgrounds
Get PDFThe majority of research on addiction recovery has been based on male samples using traditional, structured methods and interviews. This study brings the voices of women from diverse European countries to bring in authentic lived experience voices into the research and showcase their perspectives on what constitutes their recovery journey and how these sources are intertwined. This study employs the Photovoice method as a participatory, arts-based approach to examine recovery experiences of 17 women from diverse backgrounds in the UK, Sweden, and the Balkans, engaging participants throughout the research process. By engaging women with histories of substance addiction in discussing their photographs and linked narratives, we identified 11 themes that illuminate recovery complexities. Our findings highlight the interplay between personal, social, and community recovery capital, revealing the significant influence of gender-specific challenges and stigma. The collaborative nature of this study generated lived experience insights into recovery capital and enhanced visibility and participation, underscoring the method’s potential in capturing nuanced recovery dynamics. Recognizing that recovery is not a straightforward process and often involves ongoing barriers, the study adds diverse women's perspectives to the literature, emphasizing the importance of developing effective gendered and culturally-sensitive approach to support systems
Interdisciplinary perspectives on generative artificial intelligence adoption in Higher Education:a theoretical framework review
No full textThe ongoing integration of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) within higher education (HE) signifies a pivotal shift in pedagogical paradigms, demanding comprehensive theoretical and practical considerations. This paper critically examines the multifaceted adoption of GenAI in HE by reviewing interdisciplinary theoretical frameworks from psychology, computer science, and pedagogy. It highlights the insufficiency of traditional technology acceptance models, which predominantly address cognitive and rational decision-making processes, and advocates for the inclusion of emotional and ethical dimensions often overlooked in existing frameworks. By synthesizing research across various disciplines, this review identifies significant gaps and proposes an integrated theoretical model to effectively understand and guide GenAI adoption. The proposed framework emphasizes the need for robust, empirically supported methodologies that accommodate the complex, dynamic nature of GenAI applications. This paper not only contributes to academic discourse by providing a comprehensive review of existing literature but also sets a foundation for future empirical studies aimed at refining GenAI integration strategies in HE, ensuring they are ethically aligned and educationally effective
A grammatical investigation of miracles
No full textWittgenstein claims that religious belief does not stand on evidence, that only those with a religious point of view can see an event as a miracle, and that experiencing a miracle can influence a person towards religious belief. This has the unusual outcome that a miracle can lead a person to God, but a miracle cannot be evidence of God. This also faces two challenges. First, if miracles can only be seen from a religious point of view, then suggesting that a miracle can influence a person towards religion implies that a person can see a miracle before having a religious point of view. Second, if religious belief is not based on evidence, then those who report believing because of evidence are confused about their beliefs in a way we would not expect. I argue that these are not challenges to Wittgenstein’s account but symptoms of our misunderstanding of grammar and his distinction between relative and absolute miracles
