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This paper examines staff perspectives on institutional representations of a range of areas of diversity and inclusion in a key post-compulsory education sector: that of UK Higher Education (HE). The paper focuses on comparing representational statements made by institutions with the reality of their lived experiences as perceived by staff. The paper first reviews literature around key issues of promoting and progressing in these areas, and how these areas are represented by institutions and the sector as a whole. It presents and discusses data from a survey (n = 300) to show strong agreement with representational statements as mirroring those of institutions, yet statistically significant differences between representations and the reality of lived experiences, particularly in relation to the lived experiences of staff. These data are discussed in the light of progress made by institutions, and the challenges faced in translating representations into real lived experience. Suggestions for institutions and policy makers are made to help better align reality with these representations in the UK Higher Education sector and, theoretically, for post-compulsory education sectors elsewhere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The academy in Britain has witnessed the rise of a "decolonial turn", which ironically is set against the backdrop of persistent racial disparities amongst staff and students within higher education. Taking the cases of the disciplines of history and geography and drawing from qualitative interviews and focus groups among students and academics in these disciplines, this paper examines "decolonising" as– (a) a "new" language being articulated by various actors within the neoliberal university; and (b) an emergent praxis at the levels of learned societies, university departments and beyond, to address racialized inequalities and coloniality. This paper outlines some key tensions and challenges faced by "decoloniality" at both conceptual and practical levels, and overall suggests the need for an anti-racist collaborative effort to make meaningful "decolonial" changes within higher education in Britain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper makes available to the broader educational community the instruments which have been originally designed and validated within the European project CLIL for all: Attention to diversity in bilingual education (ADiBE) to determine how diversity is being catered to across a broad array of CLIL contexts in European Secondary Education (Austria, Finland, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom). They include three sets of questionnaires, interviews, and observation protocols and are qualitative and quantitative instruments whose design has been based on the latest research and which have undergone a carefully controlled double-fold pilot process for their validation (external ratings approach and pilot phase with a representative sample of 264 subjects). The questions included in the three sets of instruments are initially characterized, together with their format and main categories. The paper then details the steps undertaken for their research-based design and the double-fold pilot process followed for their validation. The questionnaires and interview and observation protocols are then presented in a format which is directly applicable in any CLIL classroom in order to determine the accessibility of bilingual programs for all types of achievers and to identify the chief difficulties and best practices in promoting inclusion in bilingual education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Against a backdrop of increasing cultural visibility of people who identify across, between or beyond the categories of male and female, young people have been positioned within the wider social imaginary as radical trailblazers for a new, progressive gender order. This paper provides original insights that empirically ground and interrogate such claims. Drawing on findings from focus group interviews held with 136 young people (aged 16–24) in the UK, the paper demonstrates how young people's understandings and narrations of gender diversity both support and contest linear progress narratives. We show how young people position their acceptance of gender diversity in contradistinction to older generations. However, this narrative of generational progress was undermined and complicated by tensions and ambiguities within young people's talk. Our findings suggest that, alongside being accepting of gender diversity, young people also experience confusion and misunderstanding which may mean that they are more comfortable with stable and binary forms of gender diversity. Moreover, some young people express ideological resistance to gender diversity, informed by wider debates around 'identity politics'. Overall, we stress the importance of situating young people's gender talk amidst multiple discursive constellations through which increasingly politicised struggles around the meanings of 'gender' are currently playing out. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Racism is often perceived as a conscious choice an individual makes to abuse another, or an explicit statement that a group of people are inferior to another. Less often is racism construed as a product of institutional culture. This inability to accurately depict the problem has stunted the ability of lawmakers to craft legislation that will adequately combat racism. This paper explores attempts in the recent past that have provided remedies for those subject to racism rather than addressing its systemic causes. S149 of the Equality Act in the United Kingdom bucked this trend by obligating public authorities to take proactive steps to eliminate discrimination. This paper examines the challenges the provision has faced, explores how it could work to prevent racism in the coming years, and argues that it remains important today. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper sets out a case to decolonize journalism curricula to produce civic-minded journalists who are better prepared to report on multicultural societies. Through the examination of reading lists and module descriptions on UK accredited journalism degrees it is revealed, that the subject is dominated by journalism experiences grounded in western nations and that non-white perspectives are largely neglected. There is a discussion of what decolonizing the curriculum entails and a critique of journalism practice in the UK. Finally, there are recommendations to make journalism curricula inclusive based on findings from a project to narrow the attainment gap at De Montfort University. While there have been calls to make journalism education more international in its outlook, the terminology decolonizing is specifically used to denote the undoing of colonial legacies in creating ethnically and racially divided societies. There is a call to educate trainee journalists about racism and structural racism, and the ways it advantages some groups and disadvantages others. This would enable journalists to challenge longstanding biases and omissions that restrict the audience's understanding of politics, histories and societies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper uses Bourdieu’s concept of ‘field’ as a tool to examine higher education participation in England in the context of diversified and differentiated provision. Admissions practices for courses in two institutions offering tertiary and higher education demonstrate how the official rules of the game shape the experience of students moving into and through HE on vocational and alternative routes. These examples suggest that rules created for the ‘selective’ part of the HE field can have perverse effects on other parts of the field, creating barriers rather than bridges for students seeking to participate in HE via alternative routes. The paper concludes by considering the strengths and limitations of using Bourdieu’s tools for understanding diversification in HE. Does using Bourdieu lead to the inevitable conclusion that diversity is a form of diversion, directing a proportion of the population through an easily accessible, but ultimately less rewarding path, or can Bourdieu’s tools suggest possibilities for transformation and change? [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper uses analysis of interview transcripts and notes from participant observation to explore white reactions to the introduction of diversity management in a large public sector workplace in Glasgow. The paper analyses white talk about racial equality in a social context where the shaming, exclusion and demonization of disadvantaged groups including migrants, asylum seekers and the poor have ensured that issues of entitlement and race are highly charged. It is suggested that in such contexts diversity management is being wielded as a new kind of civility by middle-class people invested in the objectification of poor whites. This represents a form of class conflict over belonging within the body of whiteness that risks reinforcing rather than redressing racial resentments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Issues of accessibility, diversity, and inclusion are becoming increasingly important for MICE managers around the globe and need to be considered in terms of both event attendees and employees/meetings professionals. The UK MICE sector is facing an unprecedented period of disruption in relation to the recent COVID-19 pandemic and the uncertainty of Brexit, the impacts of which may have far-reaching consequences in terms of equality and diversity. Drawing on in-depth interviews with 13 stakeholders - meeting planners, venue managers, entrepreneurs and member organization leaders - this paper considers how issues of accessibility, diversity, and inclusion are playing out in the changing landscape of the UK meetings industry. Findings suggest that although the MICE sector is paying increasing attention to the importance of accessibility, there is evidence of persistent inequality and marginalization on the grounds of gender, age, 'race' and (dis)ability. We question if a focus on diversity remains a priority in economically, politically, and socially unsettled times, and what this may mean for an inclusive future for the UK meetings industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper maps the main dimensions of differentiation among institutions and ‘faculties’ (subject areas within institutions) of higher education in the United Kingdom. It does so through a principal components analysis based on the characteristics of applicants and entrants. A single status dimension accounts for a quarter of the variation, and is associated with the social class, educational background, age (under 21) and non-local origin of students. This dimension is very stable over time and across England, Wales and Scotland. It is robust in the face of alternative specifications. The paper argues that this institutional hierarchy is deeply embedded in wider social structures and reflects the social reproduction role of higher education. Other, somewhat less stable dimensions, are associated with students' ethnic background and domicile. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) has noted that a higher percentage of black and minority ethnic (BME) students fail or take longer to complete their social work degrees, compared with the white majority student population. In response to this and related evidence, a national study was carried out in 2013 to explore this phenomenon and ways to support BME students in social work education in Scotland. BME students from five Scottish universities were interviewed, along with lecturers from six Scottish Universities, and practice educators from around Scotland. The background to the study is discussed and a review of the literature on race, whiteness, diversity and a strengths-based perspective is provided. The methodology of the study is explained, followed by a presentation of some of the key findings covering the themes of cultural difference, discrimination and valuing student strengths. To prepare social work students to practice in a culturally diverse and culturally aware workforce the paper argues for framing of social work education within a strengths-based perspective, of valuing diversity and other knowledges and for this approach to be embedded within a critique of both race and whiteness. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The increasing ethnic diversity of the UK has been mirrored by growing public awareness of multicultural issues, alongside developments in academic and government thinking. This paper explores the contested meanings around ethnic identity/ies in community settings, drawing on semi-structured interviews with staff from Children's Centres and allied agencies conducted for a research project that examined the relationship between identity and the participation of parents/carers in services in northeast England. The research found that respondents were unclear about, especially, white ethnic identities, and commonly referred to other social categorizations, such as age, nationality, and circumstances such as mobility, when discussing service users. While in some cases this may have reflected legitimate attempts to resist over-ethnicizing non-ethnic phenomena, such constructions coexisted with assumptions about ethnic difference and how it might translate into service needs. These findings raise important considerations for policy and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines how universities reconcile the need to project themselves as successful global competitors with the need to respond to national policy expectations, particularly around equality. It does so through a comparative analysis of the language used in the publicly available documents of universities in England and New Zealand. While a discourse of ‘distinctiveness’ is employed across the board by universities to denote superiority, there are differences in the extent to which differently ranked universities signify their preparedness fully to embrace economic priorities. The analysis reveals the sidelining of ‘equality’ and its replacement by a discourse of ‘diversity’ and ‘potential to succeed’ which is more compatible with elitism than with social justice. The language of ‘distinction’ and ‘diversity’, it is argued, supports a logic of accumulation - for both institutions and students - in which those who are already advantaged are likely to reap the greatest rewards from a competitive educational market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the United Kingdom (UK), Higher Education Institutions share with other educational providers the duty to provide reasonable adjustments for students who disclose disabilities. The role of academic administrators in the operationalisation of legislation-driven policy related to disability within the university context is overlooked within empirical and theoretical literature, and explicit recognition of the administrative role is often reduced to descriptions of bureaucratic processes and training requirements. This paper makes an empirical and theoretical contribution by explicitly recognising the unique operational and personal practices of educational administrators as they undertake disability-related work. Drawing upon a larger ethnographic study that employed observation, in-depth qualitative interviews and discourse analysis, the findings start to reveal the subtle interactional practices that administrators undertake during their everyday work with people disclosing of a disability; these revelations offer indicators for future staff training and development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Minoritised individuals (people identifying as belonging to groups experiencing socially constructed power inequalities) frequently experience mental health inequalities. Mental health services have often, intentionally or inadvertently, perpetuated these inequalities due to historic and ongoing systemic discrimination. To reduce inequalities, mental health services must address ongoing systemic discrimination and improve cultural-sensitivity of clinical staff. One method of improving clinician cultural-sensitivity is through reflective practice groups. This project evaluates a staff Equality Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) reflective space within a community psychological therapies team. A mixed methods approach of survey feedback and semi-structured interviews was used. Staff found the reflective space beneficial for improving their clinical skills relating to issues of EDI and helpful for their own wellbeing. Staff also found the EDI reflective space both acceptable and feasible and were keen to attend future sessions. However, some clinicians highlighted challenges relating to fear of judgment and evaluation from others. Findings are discussed in relation to the growing body of evidence of the usefulness of staff reflective spaces in healthcare generally, and provide specific support for the implementation of EDI reflective spaces. Guidance for developing an EDI staff reflective space for healthcare staff are discussed, alongside limitations and possible future research directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article assesses whether multiculturalism, interculturalism and cosmopolitanism find themselves in tension or, rather, coexist in UK politics. This is done through the analysis of recent policy and civil society documents, complemented with semi-structured interviews with race equality organizations. Results suggest a complementary relationship between these normative perspectives, with interculturalism and multiculturalism jointly shaping the central government's policy as well as the discourse of civil society organizations. As for cosmopolitanism, it manifests itself primarily in civil society's support for a more humane system for asylum seekers, as well as in the endorsement of EU intervention in the governance of cultural diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the ideology of social justice through links between equality and equity within Early Years and what remain the challenges for leadership. Questionnaires and interviews in English multi-cultural and mono-cultural schools with Early Years age phases were conducted. The findings showed that the ideology of social justice, equality and equity was interpreted differently in each Early Years setting. The multi-cultural schools used a variety of activities to embed social justice principles that involved their diverse communities more to enrich the curriculum in contrast to the mono-cultural schools. In mono-cultural schools however, leadership had to be more creative in promoting equality and equity, given the smaller proportion of their diverse pupil and staff population. Our conclusions suggest that most schools are struggling initially with implementing the current changes in Early Years, therefore their vision for permeating this curriculum with an equality and equity focus is at the early stages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To understand levels of support for differences between families in terms of sexuality and mode of family formation across three countries.Background: Previous research has found that attitudes towards family diversity continue to improve over time, although differences remain.Methods: Subjects were 1605 people living in Australia, the United Kingdom or the United States who completed a questionnaire which sought to explore levels of support for a diverse range of family forms and modes of family formation.Results: Religiosity, political leanings and beliefs about the importance of genetic relatedness were all correlated with level of support. Gender of participant was a predictor of level of support. Cluster analysis indicated three clusters (unsupportive, neutral and supportive) for level of support, for which both sexuality and parent status were predictors.Conclusion: Findings highlight the normative status of reproductive heterosex, and demonstrate the considerable value accorded to genetic relatedness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article demonstrates the ambivalence of diversity in the cultural industries, and racial capitalism more broadly. Based upon an empirical study of the production of writers of colour in UK trade publishing, the article highlights how diversity acts as a form of racial governance but is also a source of anxiety for the dominant culture. Opening with an overview of critical approaches to diversity, we then introduce the study, based upon in-depth interviews with 113 people, which explores how publishers make sense of diversity, which includes moral and economic arguments. While publishers are convinced that both the moral and economic cases for diversity are aligned, we argue that they exist in a tension, which results in mostly reductive outcomes for minoritized authors. But the article also highlights how diversity potentially disrupts the liberal sensibilities of the dominant culture, especially their sense of publishing as meritocratic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As recent statistics confirm, the advertising industry lives up to its image of being a preserve of the young: Less than 10% of all advertising practitioners in the US, UK and Australia are over the age of 45. But what are the social processes and discursive formations that create and sustain this skewed age profile? Based on 26 in-depth interviews with older advertising professionals and the thematic analysis of recent ageism-related coverage in advertising industry news media publications, we illustrate (1) how this age inequality is understood, represented and negotiated by practitioners and industry observers, and (2) how the dynamic interplay between individual identifications, organisational practices, and social structures (re)produces what we refer to as 'ambiguous ageism' – an entrenched and opaque marginalisation process which disadvantages older advertising practitioners, but in which they are also at the same time often complicit in. By conceptualising and applying a relational, multi-level perspective for investigating age inequality in the creative industries, we offer new insights into the empirical realities of creative work and provide a framework that can guide further research into the dialectics between ageing and organisational life in the creative industries and beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the sub-national diversity in activation quasi-markets in the United Kingdom (UK). Through comparison of four active labour market programmes in Great Britain and Northern Ireland between 2008 and 2014, the article clarifies and maps intra-UK diversity in employment service governance and unpacks the shifting configurations of market structures in each jurisdiction to reveal a temporally and spatially distinct patterning of marketisation. Drawing on Gingrich's approach to analysis and classification of quasi-market variation, the article proposes that between 2008 and 2014, Great Britain rapidly evolved a provider-directed activation market. In contrast, the activation market structure in Northern Ireland, up to late 2014, is better characterised as state directed. A recent reconfiguration of the activation market in Northern Ireland does however indicate some (modified) convergence on Great Britain's approach. One common and consistent feature of the configuration of activation markets in each jurisdiction is the few powers given to direct users of employment services to shape contracted out provision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Work engagement has attracted increased interest among human resource management scholars and practitioners. Within a family-work context, a population whose levels of work engagement has sparsely been previously studied has been that of employees who have children with special needs/disabilities (SND). These employees frequently face demanding responsibilities at home, a fact that may have implications in the workplace. Drawing on perceived family–work strain and organizational support literatures, we examine whether the disability severity of employees' children and the support provided by the supervisor may affect employees' levels of work engagement. Deriving data from two societies, those of Singapore and the United Kingdom (UK), the findings of this research may inform human resource management literature concerning the work engagement of employees who are parents of children with SND. Our two-society data collection rendered 430 usable questionnaires. Employees with children with SND in Singapore (n = 224) reported higher work engagement levels than employees in the UK (n = 206). Also, the research results confirmed that the relationship between child's disability severity and employee work engagement is moderated by the support provided by the supervisor. Setting the grounds for an international discussion about human resource management and family-support practices directed toward employees with children with SND, implications and recommendations for future research are offered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of the Institute of Conservation is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This study investigated whether the academic library sector in the United Kingdom (UK) could be in danger of experiencing a decline in workforce diversity following the Brexit vote. A web survey was distributed to academic libraries and library information science (LIS) departments across the UK. Follow-up e-mail interviews were conducted with twelve individuals. Participants were very worried about effects of Brexit on their right to reside in the UK. Two years after the referendum they still felt a high degree of uncertainty about their future. Most participants wanted to stay in the UK. While about a third considered leaving due to Brexit, 21% were undecided and 14% had made concrete plans to leave. However, the reasons for leaving ultimately lay mostly outside of the place of work or study. The findings suggest that the UK academic library sector could be in danger of experiencing a decline in workforce diversity as a result of Brexit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe the implementation of psychotherapeutic weight loss groups involving an intuitive eating approach, carried out within a deprived area with a highly diverse population. Challenges to implementation were identified through thematic analysis of data from the group facilitators' reflexive practice meetings. These challenges included: attending to power processes related to culture and gender, respecting cultural norms around familial eating and ideal weight, acknowledging group participants' stress, and accommodating group participants' employment and caring responsibilities. We offer some practice recommendations, highlighting facilitators' adoption of the non-expert stance, and explicit acknowledgement of differences as well as commonalities. We argue for the need for sensitively tailored psychotherapeutic interventions for weight loss when working with differences among diverse populations in deprived areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article contributes to the literature on diversity. Through a focus on the local government, I enquire if the dominant narrative of Brighton and its community entails the multiple identities encompassed by the concept of diversity. If that is not the case, what significance does effectively lie behind it? And which are the consequences of this? Informed by qualitative research, this article compares the local government's narrative on the city and its community to the oppositional narrative shared by members of grassroots BAME associations. Brighton markets itself as an open-minded city: mainstream sources, such as the University of Sussex, portray it as "the happiest city in England", arguing that it thrives thanks to its diverse community. However, the data gathered reveal how very often representatives of the local government discuss "diversity" while actually referring to gender identity and sexuality and how this selective understanding has overtime generated resentment in racialized communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background:In 2019 the Association of Visually Impaired Chartered Physiotherapists, originally the Association of Blind Certificated Masseurs, celebrated the centenary of its formation and becoming the first ever Specific Interest Group admitted to the Incorporated Society of Trained Masseuses which, later in the 20th century, became the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy. These landmarks motivated the author to research for this chronological, descriptive, narrative review of the history of blind physiotherapy and its contribution to physiotherapy in the United Kingdom. Purpose:The early training and practice of massage by blind practitioners, the organizational milestones in mainstream and blind physiotherapy and the inter-relationship between the two is considered. Key developments, challenges, innovations and opportunities throughout the history are reviewed including the impact of World War 1 and contribution of blind physiotherapy to the profession. Conclusion:Significant changes in physiotherapy educational and training arrangements for blind students and changes in physiotherapy practice generally over the last four decades engender serious questions about whether blind physiotherapy will still "belong", despite the increasing aspiration within society toward acceptance of diversity and inclusion. The author challenges the profession about whether it will facilitate blind physiotherapy to continue making its valuable contribution and be included. Will it still "belong?" [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Higher education institutions have been identified as inequitable for historically marginalised student and staff populations. Student–staff partnership has recently emerged as one approach to redressing such inequities. To what extent are institutional partnership schemes considering or achieving this goal? Using two phases of qualitative data collection, we explored the perceptions of staff administering student–staff partnership schemes regarding the inclusion of diversity across eight UK higher education institutions. Results highlight conceptual and practical challenges for and strategies to striving for equity in student–staff partnership initiatives. These results are discussed by drawing on the identities of the research team to highlight intersectional approaches to inclusion in partnership. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic nurses and midwives are under-represented in higher and managerial roles. This study explored the presence and nature of career progression delays for Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic nurses and midwives and investigated where the barriers to progression were. A secondary analysis of data from a wider cross-sectional survey investigating workplace experiences, burnout and patient safety in nurses and midwives. 538 nurses and midwives were recruited from four UK hospitals between February and March 2017. A career progression delay was viewed as being present if Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic nurses and midwives had spent longer on the entry level nursing grade and less time on higher grades in the previous 10 years. The analysis included items pertaining to: receipt of professional training, perceived managerial support for progression, likelihood of submitting applications and application success rates. Data were analysed using linear regression, odds ratios and t-tests. Results were reported using the STROBE Checklist. Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic nurses and midwives (n = 104; 19.4%) had spent more months working at the entry-level grade (M = 75.75, SD = 44.90) than White nurses and midwives (n = 428; 79.7%; M = 41.85, SD = 44.02, p < 0.001) and fewer months at higher grades (M = 15.29, SD = 30.94 v 29.33, SD = 39.78, p = 0.006 at Band 6; M = 6.54, SD = 22.59 v M = 19.68, SD = 37.83, p = 0.001 at Band 7) over the previous 10 years. Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic nurses and midwives were less likely to have received professional training in the previous year (N = 53; 53.0% v N = 274; 66.0%, p = 0.015) and had to apply for significantly more posts than White nurses and midwives before gaining their first post on their current band (M = 1.22, SD = 1.51 v M = 0.81, SD = 1.55, p = 0.026). Interventions are needed to improve racial equality regarding career progression in nurses and midwives. Increasing access to professional training and reducing discriminatory practice in job recruitment procedures may be beneficial. Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic nurses and midwives experience career progression inequalities. Interventions should improve transparency in recruitment procedures and enhance training opportunities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the positioning of a sample of Arabic complementary language schools in the context of the UK government's discourse and promotion of so-called Fundamental British Values. While there is considerable social and political debate about radicalisation in Arab communities, teachers in the sample are deeply committed to a form of consensual diversity, both in their schools and their communities. They are also supportive of so-called British values, which they frame as universal values. In their promotion of these values as universal, there may be the potential for diasporic disconnect: the schools are striving for integration which may at times result in assimilationist positioning in the context of government pressure. However, their discourse is embedded in the highly charged political context in which Arabic schools operate and in which they position themselves as stakeholders in Arab communities. On the basis of the qualitative evidence reported here some of the government's ways of challenging radicalisation seems unwarranted in relation to Arabic complementary language schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For universities seeking to promote internationalization, the development of an understanding and appreciation of cultural diversity among staff and students is a priority. Cultural and linguistic diversification of the student body can, however, present academic staff with challenges in the areas of curriculum, teaching methods and assessment. In this study, we take up the culturally variable notion of “participation” as a constituent of learning and draw on data derived from focus group interviews to probe the participation-related challenges reported by academic staff in a UK university. Finally, we consider the implications of our findings for strategic interventions aimed at academic staff. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Social & Cultural Geography is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This article addresses the negotiation of ‘queer religious’ student identities in UK higher education. The ‘university experience’ has generally been characterised as a period of intense transformation and self-exploration, with complex and overlapping personal and social influences significantly shaping educational spaces, subjects and subjectivities. Engaging with ideas about progressive tolerance and becoming, often contrasted against ‘backwards’ religious homophobia as a sentiment/space/subject ‘outside’ education, this article follows the experiences and expectations of queer Christian students. In asking whether notions of ‘queering higher education’ (Rumens 2014) ‘fit’ with queer-identifying religious youth, the article explores how educational experiences are narrated and made sense of as ‘progressive’. Educational transitions allow (some) sexual-religious subjects to negotiate identities more freely, albeit with ongoing constraints. Yet perceptions of what, where and who is deemed ‘progressive’ and ‘backwards’ with regard to sexuality and religion need to be met with caution, where the ‘university experience’ can shape and shake sexual-religious identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reflects on the implications for practitioners, researchers and policy-makers of the future of the humanities in primary schools in the light of the challenges facing future generations. There is wide divergence in the four jurisdictions of the UK. The humanities are perceived as important, in principle, though curriculum frameworks differ. However, the status of the humanities is often uncertain, in practice, given the current emphasis on outcomes in literacy and numeracy. There is a lack of robust research on how, and by whom, the humanities are taught. The more theoretical articles suggest that the humanities, broadly conceived, are an essential aspect of young children’s education – to enable a deeper understanding of human culture and identity, and to develop the qualities and values needed in a diverse world. Additionally, curricular breadth is required alongside a realisation that narrowly focusing on propositional knowledge is limiting. While this has implications for the whole curriculum, History, Geography and Religious Education have key roles in meeting these aims and in engaging and motivating young children. A stronger policy steer is called for, to ensure that schools give more priority to humanities education, with greater investment in professional development in Initial Teacher Education and beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

UK higher education (HE) has become increasingly diverse. Despite the clear social, economic and pedagogical benefits of diversity, it can also be challenging for identity as it may bring about psychological change and compel both the ‘dominant majority’ and ‘minorities’ to adjust to the presence, identities and worldviews of the other. Drawing upon Identity Process Theory from social psychology, the present article explores the potential challenges to identity in a diverse HE context and how students may subsequently cope with these challenges. After a brief overview of Identity Process Theory, two case studies are presented that focus on how social class and ethnic/religious diversity can impact identity. The more general aim of this article is to develop the basic tools for enhancing students’ learning experience in a diverse HE context. It is suggested that HE institutions need to support students from diverse backgrounds in ways that are conducive to a positive identity, and that they must facilitate a shared superordinate identity which can be viewed as inclusive and available to all, regardless of class, ethnicity, religion or any other identity. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

How are English texts selected to teach students from culturally diverse backgrounds in Australia and England? The English curricula in both countries aim for students to read and interpret meanings through texts, while learning about their culture, and that of cultural others. However, the current list of prescribed texts in both curricula are dated and are not frequently changed, nor are new culturally diverse and contemporary texts easily added to reading lists. This makes some curriculum aims difficult to achieve if students are disengaged or do not relate to the content or themes in the prescribed texts. This article proposes that a post-colonial theoretical approach be considered when selecting texts to teach contemporary students from diverse cultural backgrounds. A post-colonial approach does not mean selecting post-colonial texts, or texts that address post-colonial themes, but is rather a method of selecting and comparing literature of any genre that engages with historical and contemporary issues, with particular focus on race, social class and gender. A post-colonial approach would mean that culturally diverse students may better engage with discussions of contemporary issues using a wider range of texts in classrooms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the results of an investigation into selected MA in Education students’ interpretation of feedback to their written assignments in a teaching and learning institution in the UK, using the framework of cultural capital and acculturation. A case study method was adopted to investigate four participants’ thoughts and experiences with feedback over a period of two semesters. Participants were asked to go through a think-aloud process while responding to feedback from tutors to their assignments. Results of the think-aloud were used as springboard for interviews conducted with students. The article argues that students’ diverse and variable interpretations of tutor feedback can be explained by Bourdieu’s notion of ‘connaissance’ or knowledge as cultural capital. Additionally, students were found to have subscribed to the ‘acculturation’ process modelled by tutors in feedback provision. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]