Category / Uncategorized

HE Policy Update

Uncategorized

Monday

Graduate Earnings

The Bank of England has said that those leaving university could expect to earn more over their working lives than people without academic qualifications, but that the wage premium had been cut from 45% to 34% between 1995 and 2015. Growth in university education is affecting graduate earning power (Guardian).

Tuesday

Degree Apprenticeships

A new report published by UUK encourages universities, government and employers to develop degree apprenticeships. The report finds that degree apprenticeships are particularly attractive to non-traditional students, providing an opportunity for universities to support widening participation goals. You can download the report here.

Wednesday

Budget

The Chancellor, George Osborne delivered the budget which revealed the following for higher education:

  • Direct government support will be available to adults wishing to study at any qualification level, from basic skills right the way up to PhD. During this parliament, loans will be introduced for level 3 to level 6 training in further education, part-time second degrees in STEM, and postgraduate taught master’s courses.
  • From 2018-19, loans of up to £25,000 will be available to any English student without a Research Council living allowance who can win a place for doctoral study at a UK university- a consultation will follow.
  • The government will also extend the eligibility of master’s loans to include three-year part-time courses with no full-time equivalent.
  • The government will continue to free up student number controls for alternative providers predominantly offering degree level courses for the 2017-18 academic year.
  • The government will bring together information about the wages of graduates of different courses and the financial support available across further and higher education to ensure that people can make informed decisions about the right courses for them.

You can view an article in the THE on the implications of the 2016 budget for HE here.

Thursday

UK and China

Organisations in the UK and China have developed a statement of principles aimed at enhancing the quality of transnational education (TNE) programmes between the countries. UK and China agree deal on ‘high-quality’ cross-border education. (THE).

Department of Education

The Education white paper has confirmed a shift to school-led teacher training. The paper revealed that Universities can support teacher training by conducting excellent research but new teachers are best trained in schools. Back to Schools (Research Professional).

Friday

Sexual Violence

A taskforce set up to crack down on sexual violence on campus has recommended the overhaul of much-criticised rules governing how universities deal with allegations. University leaders call for new rules on sexual violence allegations. (The Guardian).  

Quality

HEFCE has today published its new model and framework for quality assessment in the UK. The proposals introduce a two-track assurance process for new and established providers which will apply as of 2017/18, with piloting to take place in 2016/17. The framework will apply to England and Northern Ireland, with the high-level proposals to be taken forward in Wales subject to further consultation. You can view the new model here.

BU BMC paper followed up by BMC Series Blog

BU research, Featured academics, international, open access, Publishing, Research communication, Research news, Uncategorized, writing

media childbirthOur latest paper in the international journal BMC Pregnancy & Childbirth published late last month was highlighted yesterday in a BMC Series Blog.[1]  The blog post reminds us that the media plays an important role in providing the general public with information about a range of issues, including pregnancy and childbirth. The visual media, such as television, can provide planned information (education), for example in documentaries, advertising and the news.  Our paper “Is it realistic?” the portrayal of pregnancy and childbirth in the media’ looked into how the representation of childbirth in the mass media affects childbirth in society as there is evidence to suggest that it can have a negative effect.  BMC Pregnancy & Childbirth is an Open Access journal therefore the paper is freely available for anybody across the globe with an internet connection, for access click here.

interdisciplinary-1Our paper is great example of interdisciplinary research, as celebrated at the forthcoming Interdisciplinary Research Sector Day on June 21st (see here).  The authors of our paper combine expertise in media studies, midwifery, sociology and health services research.   Moreover, it involved collaborations across universities (Bournemouth and Stirling) and within BU across faculties, namely the Faculty of Media & Communcation and the Faculty of Health & Social Sciences.

 

Ann Luce, Marilyn Cash, Vanora Hundley, Helen Cheyne, Edwin van Teijlingen & Catherine Angell

 

Reference:

  1. Luce, A., Cash, M., Hundley, V., Cheyne, H., van Teijlingen, E., Angell, C., (2016) “Is it realistic?” the portrayal of pregnancy and childbirth in the media BMC Pregnancy & Childbirth 16: 40 http://bmcpregnancychildbirth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12884-016-0827-x

 

Love & Intimacy – inaugural lecture by Prof Ann Brooks – 12th April

Uncategorized

Love and intimacy in contemporary society – Prof Ann Brooks hi res

Love and intimacy in contemporary society

Inaugural public lecture by Professor Ann Brooks, Professor of Sociology at Bournemouth University

About the lecture

The history of love and intimacy shows a fascinating interweaving of social, economic and cultural influences. Perhaps surprisingly the traditional meaning of love does not relate to passion or intimacy. Love and intimacy in contemporary society can only be understood by charting love and intimacy historically.

Ann’s lecture will explore changes in emotional regimes from medieval society to the present day. She will be asking the questions: How can we distinguish between romantic and passionate love? Why did courtly love highlight the significance of “dangerous liaisons”? What is the role of popular and literary fiction in promoting love? What role did bohemian love play in challenging marriage? Is love and marriage characterised by more social diversity that previously?

Drawing on research for her latest book, Ann will be showing how love and intimacy meant different things at different times. Her research also indicates that the history of emotional regimes shows that intimacy in the form of desire, passion, and sex largely exist outside marriage. The key question for today’s society is: “What’s love got to do with it?”

There could be complex matters involved in the divorce, such as prenuptial agreements, alimony, and child custody and support. You should hire a Utah family attorney who has a deep understanding of divorce law to protect your interests.

Bournemouth University’s (BU) Inaugural Lecture Series aims to celebrate new professorial appointments and the depth and breadth of research produced by the university. For further information on the Inaugural Lecture Series please visit www.bournemouth.ac.uk/public-lecture-series

Event information

Venue: Russell-Cotes Art Gallery & Museum, East Cliff Promenade, Bournemouth, BH1 3AA

Time & Date: Tuesday 12 April 2016, 6.30pm for a 7pm start.

Refreshments will be provided at the event.

Parking is available at the Pay & Display car park on Bath Road and along the East Cliff.

For more information about this event please contact Sarah Gorman at sgorman@bournemouth.ac.uk

‘Venus Verticordia’ by Dante Gabriel Rossetti (1864-68). Image reproduced with kind permission of the Russell-Cotes Art Gallery & Museum, Bournemouth.

Register at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/love-and-intimacy-in-contemporary-society-tickets-22790800899

 

FMC Research seminar: ‘Collective action and digital media: the case of Occupy’: 3pm room CG17 Wednesday, 16 March

Uncategorized

Communicating Research
FMC Departmental Seminar Series 2015-16

Venue: CG17, Christchurch House, Talbot Campus, Bournemouth University, Fern Barrow, Poole, Dorset, BH12 5BB

Wednesday 16 March 2016, 3pm, CG17

Politics and Media Research Centre event:

Guest Lecture

Anastasia Kavada, Westminster Faculty of Media, Arts & Design at the University of Westminster

Social movements can be considered as communication phenomena, as actors emerging from conversations amongst groups and individuals which become codified in ‘texts’ of various kinds: common statements and manifestos, training resources and new ‘scripts’ that ritualize common ways of behaving, as well as new digital artefacts whose design reflects the values of the movement. This talk outlines a communication perspective on social movements by focusing on the case study of the Occupy movement. The empirical material is drawn from 75 in-depth interviews with Occupy activists in London, New York, Seattle and Boston. The talk investigates digital media as part of Occupy’s communication ecology, focusing on their use to create spaces for conversation, to delineate the boundaries between the movement and its environment, and to develop ‘texts’ that embody the shared values and codes of the movement. Examining social movements as communication phenomena also provides an insight into how power relations, both within the movement and between the movement and its allies, targets and adversaries, are shaped by communication practices. More specifically, this talk identifies six types of communication power that shaped the power relations of Occupy. Overall, in this talk I argue that viewing social movements as phenomena emerging in and through communication allows us a grounded perspective on their processes and their capacity to effect change.

Anastasia Kavada is Senior Lecturer in the Westminster Faculty of Media, Arts & Design at the University of Westminster. She is Co-leader of the MA in Media, Campaigning and Social Change and Deputy Director of the Communication and Media Research Institute (CAMRI). Her research focuses on the links between online tools and decentralized organizing practices, democratic decision-making, and the development of solidarity among participants in collective action. Anastasia’s case studies include, among others, the Global Justice Movement, Avaaz, and the Occupy movement. Her work has appeared in a variety of edited books and academic journals, including Media, Culture & Society and Information, Communication & Society.

About the series
This new seminar series showcases current research across different disciplines and approaches within the Faculty of Media and Communication at BU. The research seminars include invited speakers in the fields of journalism, politics, narrative studies, media, communication and marketing studies. The aim is to celebrate the diversity of research across departments in the faculty and also generate dialogue and discussion between those areas of research.

Contributions include speakers on behalf of
The Centre for Politics and Media Research
The Centre for the Study of Journalism, Culture and Community
Promotional Cultures & Communication Centre
Public Relations Research Centre
Narrative Research Group
Journalism Research Group
Advances in Media Management Research Group

Contemporary Thought in Higher Education Colloquium.

Uncategorized

The Academy of Marketing SIG Marketing in Higher Education.

Bournemouth University

Wednesday 27 April, 2016.

Faculty of Management academics, Dr Chris Chapleo and Helen O’Sullivan (both from the Department of Marketing) are organising a one day colloquium titled ‘Contemporary Thought in Higher Education’. This colloquium will initiate discussion, drive collaboration and grow networks amongst marketing academics and HE marketers, which will promote, advance and disseminate current practices and developments in HE marketing.

Professor Jane Hemsley-Brown, from the University of Surrey, and Professor Felix Maringe, from the University of the Witwatersrand have been confirmed as keynote speakers

There will be an associated special edition of ‘The Journal of Marketing in Higher Education’.

Find out more To register interest and for more details, go to http://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/academy-of-marketing

 

 

FMC Cross-Departmental Seminar Series 16 March 2016

Uncategorized

Communicating Research

FMC Cross-Departmental Seminar Series 2015-16

The Faculty of Media and Communication at BU

Venue: CG17, Christchurch House, Talbot Campus, Bournemouth University, Fern Barrow, Poole, Dorset, BH12 5BB

Wednesday 16 March 2016, 3pm, CG17

A Corporate Marketing Communication – Politics and Media Guest Lecture

Anastasia Kavada, Westminster Faculty of Media, Arts & Design at the University of Westminster

Collective action and digital media: the case of Occupy

Social movements can be considered as communication phenomena, as actors emerging from conversations amongst groups and individuals which become codified in ‘texts’ of various kinds: common statements and manifestos, training resources and new ‘scripts’ that ritualize common ways of behaving, as well as new digital artefacts whose design reflects the values of the movement. This talk outlines a communication perspective on social movements by focusing on the case study of the Occupy movement. The empirical material is drawn from 75 in-depth interviews with Occupy activists in London, New York, Seattle and Boston. The talk investigates digital media as part of Occupy’s communication ecology, focusing on their use to create spaces for conversation, to delineate the boundaries between the movement and its environment, and to develop ‘texts’ that embody the shared values and codes of the movement. Examining social movements as communication phenomena also provides an insight into how power relations, both within the movement and between the movement and its allies, targets and adversaries, are shaped by communication practices. More specifically, this talk identifies six types of communication power that shaped the power relations of Occupy. Overall, in this talk I argue that viewing social movements as phenomena emerging in and through communication allows us a grounded perspective on their processes and their capacity to effect change.

Anastasia Kavada is Senior Lecturer in the Westminster Faculty of Media, Arts & Design at the University of Westminster. She is Co-leader of the MA in Media, Campaigning and Social Change and Deputy Director of the Communication and Media Research Institute (CAMRI). Her research focuses on the links between online tools and decentralized organizing practices, democratic decision-making, and the development of solidarity among participants in collective action. Anastasia’s case studies include, among others, the Global Justice Movement, Avaaz, and the Occupy movement. Her work has appeared in a variety of edited books and academic journals, including Media, Culture & Society and Information, Communication & Society.

About the series

This new seminar series showcases current research across different disciplines and approaches within the Faculty of Media and Communication at BU. The research seminars include invited speakers in the fields of journalism, politics, narrative studies, media, communication and marketing studies. The aim is to celebrate the diversity of research across departments in the faculty and also generate dialogue and discussion between those areas of research.

Contributions include speakers on behalf of

The Centre for Politics and Media Research

The Centre for the Study of Journalism, Culture and Community

Promotional Cultures & Communication Centre

Public Relations Research Centre

Narrative Research Group

Journalism Research Group

Advances in Media Management Research Group

Science Stalls for Einstein’s Garden at the Green Man Festival 2016/ Camp Bestival

Knowledge Exchange, Knowledge Exchange and Impact Team, Uncategorized

Call for Proposals 

Science Stalls for Einstein’s Garden at the Green Man Festival 2016 – Deadline 21 March

The Green Man Festival is held near the Black Mountains in Wales and attracts 20,000 festival goers. The festival has earned a reputation as one of the great independent festivals in the UK. The 2016 festival dates are 18/19/20/21 August. For more information see www.greenman.net

Einstein’s Garden is a fusion of science, art and nature. It  has a diverse programme of performances, workshops and installations that use creativity, play and participation to engage people with science and research in unexpected ways. www.greenman.net/explore/areas/einsteins-garden

They are looking for organisations that would like to bring a stall to Einstein’s Garden with the aim of engaging festival audiences with science. Stalls can explore fundamental scientific ideas or phenomena, the process of science or current scientific research. It is essential that stalls include as much interactivity and participation as possible for festival goers and that they embody the creative and playful spirit of Einstein’s Garden.

The Einstein’s Garden theme for 2016 is COMPLEXITY. It is not essential for science stalls to directly relate to the theme, but it may help to shape your ideas.

The fee for standard stalls (up to 4mx4m) is £250 plus VAT. Fees for larger stalls will be negotiable on a case-by-case basis. There will be a limited number of free pitches available for small organisations.

RKEO can support you with funding attendance at the festival and cover materials, equipment, travel and subsistence expenses. – please contact Naomi Kay (nkay@bournemouth.ac.uk)

The stall must be set up by 4pm on Wednesday 17th August (for a site-wide health and safety inspection) and your stall must be open from 12 midday until 7pm on 18th August and from 10am until 7pm on 19th, 20th and 21st August. There will be no power available for stalls and no generators are allowed in Einstein’s Garden so if your stall does need power you must provide your own renewable energy.

If you would like to apply to run a science stall in Einstein’s Garden please complete the online form here: https://marcatoapp.com/forms/greenman/einsteinsgarden/new by Monday 21st March.

The Green Man Festival will provide up to 6 festival passes for successful applicants but we are unable to cover any expenses or provide meal vouchers. Please note that information about Science Stalls will be included on the Green Man Festival website but will not be included in the festival programme.

Camp Bestival

We’re also looking for potential activities to run at Camp Bestival, however these would need to be child friendly and would be more workshop based than drop ins – Please contact Naomi Kay (nkay@bournemouth.ac.uk/ 61342) for more information.

HE Policy Update

Uncategorized

Monday

Grant letter

HEFCE received the annual grant letter from BIS, covering 2016-17. The letter confirms moves to “retarget” student opportunity funding for the poorest students in the coming year ahead of future cuts. The grant letter also revealed that the teaching grant will be £1.539 billion in 2016-17, down from the £1.671 billion figure in last year’s grant letter. The letter also states that Hefce will take responsibility for delivering the TEF in Year 2. BIS grant letter asks Hefce to deliver TEF (THE).

Tuesday

Pay gap

According to data compiled by the University and College Union, the average gender pay gap in universities is £6,100 annually. According to the results, just eight universities pay women equally or more than men. Call for equal pay in universities (Research Professional).

Wednesday

Scotland HE Bill

A bill aimed at strengthening the management of higher education in Scotland has been passed at Holyrood. The Higher Education Governance Bill had proved controversial, with the government agreeing to cut some measures from the legislation. The bill modernises academic boards with elected chairs and an enhanced definition of academic freedom. Controversial higher education bill passed by MSPs (BBC).

Thursday

Brexit

Worries about the impact on research funding for British universities from a UK exit from the European Union have been “massively exaggerated”, according to Conservative MP Owen Paterson. Brexit research worries ‘massively exaggerated’, says Tory MP (THE).

Polls

The ‘What UK Thinks: EU Poll of Polls’ shows the average share of the vote for ‘Leave’ and ‘Remain’ in the six most recent polls of voting intentions in the EU Referendum. EU Referendum Poll of Polls. (What UK Thinks).

HE Bill

According to the Financial Times, the Prime Minister is understood to have ordered that a bill on higher education should be included in the Queen’s speech. The bill will include attempts to broaden access and create more competition between universities. (Please see pdf attached).

Immigration policy

International business students are being put off studying at UK universities because of stringent visa policies, a new report has claimed. Business schools: UK immigration policy sparks drop in students (THE).

Friday

HE Bill

The HE bill that is likely to remove barriers to new entrants to stimulate competition has been criticised by the University and College Union. Higher education bill mooted (Research Professional).

Student cap

The Economist looks at the effects of lifting the student cap in England and how different universities have responded. Stronger institutions, both new and old, are growing at the expense of weaker ones, says Emran Mian, Director of the Social Market Foundation. Open universities (The Economist).

Predictive Analysis of Complex Social Networks – here we come!

Awarded & submitted bids, Uncategorized

I am delighted to share with you good news about the small grant that I was awarded from the Grants Academy at BU. It will help me to develop my research in the area of predictive analysis of complex networks.
The main goal of the project that will be a result of this small grant is to develop a robust and adaptive framework for Predictive Analysis of Complex Social Networks. Sound mysterious and you are probably asking so what?
Let me give you some background. For the first time in history, we have the possibility to process big social data about the interactions and activities of millions of individuals that can be represented as a social network. It represents an increasingly important resource yet is underutilised due to the scale, complexity and dynamics of these structures which makes them extremely difficult to model and analyse. As only recently the development of ICT technology has made collecting this data feasible, there is no coherent and comprehensive approach to analyse such networks and their dynamics which is crucial to advance our understanding of continuously changing people’s behaviour. It means that we need new approaches that will enable us to analyse and predict the future of social networks.

And now the next question that you are asking is probably: so why is it important?
Again, let me give you some examples that shed a little bit of light onto importance of my study:
a) Improving national security
The outcomes of this project will be applied in a collaborative research, with a visiting researcher, Prof. De Meo from the University of Messina, Italy, focused on Cosa Nostra analytics, for understanding of the organisation of Mafia syndicates. Application of my framework for Predictive Analysis of Complex Social Networks will contribute to the improvement of well-being and security of citizens. Results of this joint cross-disciplinary research will help law enforcement agencies and policy makers to more efficiently allocate resources in the fight against Mafia
b) Improving health and well-being
The results will also be applied in the cross-disciplinary collaborative research with a visiting researcher, Dr De Ruddere from the Ghent University, Belgium, to understand the social exclusion of patients with chronic pain. Application of my framework will facilitate the understanding of how the social networks of people with chronic pain evolve over time contributing to the improvement of the patients’ quality of life and social well-being.

If you would like to have a chat and hear more about my research please keep in touch: kmusialgabrys@bournemouth.ac.uk

‘Voices of the Secret State’: Seminar presentation by Dr Hyun Joo Lim, 16th March, Studeland House, Room S206, 13:00-13:50

Awarded & submitted bids, BRIAN, BU Challenges, BU research, Centre for Excellence in Learning, Coffee Morning, conferences, EU, Events, Featured, Featured academics, Funding opportunities, Fusion, Fusion Investment Fund, Grants Academy, Knowledge Transfer, Knowledge Transfer Partnership, Publishing, R & KE Operations, Research assessment, Research communication, Research Ethics, Research Integritiy, Research news, Research themes, Uncategorized, Women's Academic Network

All staff and students welcome. Please feel free to bring your lunch.

 

Voices of the Secret State: Human Rights Activism among North Korean

Defectors in the UK

 

Abstract: My paper aims to highlight the lived experiences and identity formation of North Korean defectors settled in the UK who are involved in human rights activism. Whilst violations of human rights in North Korea are well documented, human rights activism by its defectors is less well known. Since 2004, approximately 600 North Koreans have settled in the UK. Free NK, a human rights organisation born out of this settlement, has been active in illuminating the reality of North Korea whilst also working towards subverting the regime by informing its fellow remainders about the outside world through the distribution of newspapers. This paper is drawn from ongoing research on North Korean defectors living in the UK. The data is collected using life history interviews to capture their lived experiences and to identify a range of factors which have influenced their involvement in the activism whilst also seeking to find better ways of improving the wellbeing and quality of life for those activists. The presentation will focus on the in-depth story of a North Korean defector who has founded Free NK. Themes that will be addressed in this story include the reason why he has fled North Korea; the processes of getting to the UK; challenges he has faced in his human rights activism.
Dr Hyun-Joo Lim is a lecturer in Sociology and the programme leader for BA Sociology and Social Policy at BU. She is originally from South Korea and has been engaged in various research projects that explore issues around migration, ‘race’/ethnicity, gender and identity. Her previous research examined East Asian mothers in Britain.

For more information about Social Science seminar series please get in touch with Dr Mastoureh Fathi (mfathi@bournemouth.ac.uk).

 

Lightning Talks at Cafe Scientifique Bournemouth- Interested in presenting?

Uncategorized

Cafe Sci runs every first Tuesday of the Month from 7.30pm – 9pm and takes place at Cafe Boscanova in Boscombe.DSC_7906

You can find out more about Cafe Sci here: https://cafescibournemouth.wordpress.com/

We are looking for BU Academics, Researchers, PGR students and URA students to present a Lightning Talk on their Research as part of Cafe Scientifique on Tuesday 5th April.

What is a Lightning Talk; In essence it is a short, to the point talk on a particular subject.

If you are interested in taking part in this event and sharing your research in an enganing and lively manner then please contact Rhyannan Hurst in RKEO on 61511

Fusion in Action: Clinical Academic PhD scholarships jointly funded with NHS

BU research, Fusion, PG research, Research communication, Research Training, student research, Uncategorized

Fusion Diagram Doing a PhD may appeal to midwives and other NHS health professionals, but it often involves having to make difficult choices. Undertaking a part-time PhD means studying on top of a busy clinical position, but starting full-time study involves stepping away from practice, which may lead to a loss of clinical skills and confidence. The Centre for Midwifery, Maternal & Perinatal Health (CMMPH) at Bournemouth University has come up with a novel solution making it easier for midwives to undertake a doctorate while still maintaining their clinical skills. This approach is highlighted in the latest publication by Dr. Susan Way and colleagues, describing a process where CMMPH collaborate with NHS partners to apply for a match-funded PhD. [1]  The first partnership was with Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (PHT), with later partners expanded to cover the Isle of Wight and Southampton. Currently there are negotiations with Dorset Country Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and Poole Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. Non NHS organisations have also showed an interest with the Anglo European Chiropractic College (AECC) our likely next collaborator.

Dr. Know 2016

This jointly funded clinical academic doctorate allows midwives to combine clinical practice with a research role, working across BU and their NHS Trust. The studentships runs for four years and PhD students will spend two days per week working as a midwife in clinical practice and three days per week working on their thesis. This set up facilitates the co-creation of knowledge. Anybody interested in developing a joint clinical academic PhD with us please contact Dr. Susan Way (sueway@bournemouth.ac.uk), Prof. Vanora Hundley (vhundley@bournemouth.ac.uk), or Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen (evteijlingen@bournemouth.ac.uk) .

In addition to providing the individual midwives with excellent education, these studentships are designed to examine an area of clinical practice identified by the collaborating organisation where the evidence is lacking and research is needed. As a consequence the research studies will be directly relevant to practice and will have a demonstrable impact in the future. Hence BU will be able to show that its research and education have a direct benefit to the wider society. Moreover, the studentships currently benefit midwifery practice by building a critical mass of research-focus practitioners, who will translate research findings into practice and so create a culture of evidence-based practice. At BU the model has also been adopted by other professional groups such as nursing, physiotherapy and occupational therapy (OT).

 

The result is a clinical academic doctoral studentship is probably the best practical example of BU’s concept of FUSION, since it truly fuses research, education and practice.

 

Susan Way, Vanora Hundley & Edwin van Teijlingen.

CMMPH

 

 

References:

  1. Way. S., Hundley, V., van Teijlingen, E., Walton, G., Westwood, G. (2016). Dr Know. Midwives (Spring Issue): 66-67.

Erasmus Mundus Fusion Call for the third cohort

Uncategorized

Dear All

Would you like to spend a few months in the Asia partner institutions of our Erasmus Mundus FUSION project to further strengthen your education and research capacity and enrich your experiences? If yes, please open the link below.

Fusion Call for the third cohort for EU to Asia Mobility

You will have an opportunity to gain a full scholarship to support you for your mobility study/research to the FUSION Asia partner institutions from the project.

The deadline is 15 March 2016.

FMC Cross-Departmental Seminar Series 9 March 2016

Uncategorized

Communicating Research 

FMC Cross-Departmental Seminar Series 2015-16 

The Faculty of Media and Communication at BU

Venue: CG17, Christchurch House, Talbot Campus, Bournemouth University, Fern Barrow, Poole, Dorset, BH12 5BB 

Wednesday 9 March 2016, 3pm, CG17

A Corporate Marketing Communication – Politics and Media Guest Lecture

John Steel, University of Sheffield 

Free Speech and the British Left

This presentation examines how British radical Left and progressive political movements have engaged with the contested concept of freedom of speech in the course of their radical politics. The principle of freedom of speech and the associated principles of freedom of the press and freedom of expression have of played a significant role in political struggles from the 17th century to the present day, yet little work has been done on the relationship between the principle of free speech and radical and progressive movements of the Left, particularly in the 20th century. Ostensibly a concept emanating from liberal political theory that emphasises individual autonomy, the principle of free speech sits uncomfortably within the radical Left tradition in theory and in practice. Within the classical Marxist tradition, free speech is indicative of a form of atomistic false consciousness that pervades capitalist society. It is a figment of our imagination as we succumb to the shackles of capitalist domination whilst under the illusion that we are free. In practice, free speech is also abused by fascists and extremists who mock the democratic rights that progressives have fought for, whilst simultaneously attempting to exploit these freedoms in order to peddle hatred and ultimately deny us these very same freedoms. The ‘No Platform’ stance of the Anti Nazi League during the 1980s and 1990s epitomises the difficult relationship that the progressive Left have had with the principle. As a right to be fought for in the struggle for equality, yet seemingly a right that can impede equality and ‘freedom’, the British Left’s relationship with free speech is a complex one. This presentation outlines the author’s current research as he examines the ways in which the idea and principle of free speech has figured in the broad progressive and radical Left in Britain both conceptually and in terms of specific political movements and currents of thought and political praxis.

John Steel has published a number of books and articles on politics, journalism and media. He is the author of Journalism and Free Speech (2012) and is co-editor, with Martin Conboy, of The Routledge Companion to British Media History (2015), and with Marcel Broersma, Redefining Journalism in the Era of the Mass Press 1880-1920 (2016). He is currently writing a monograph on free speech and the British Left.

About the series

This new seminar series showcases current research across different disciplines and approaches within the Faculty of Media and Communication at BU. The research seminars include invited speakers in the fields of journalism, politics, narrative studies, media, communication and marketing studies.  The aim is to celebrate the diversity of research across departments in the faculty and also generate dialogue and discussion between those areas of research. 

Contributions include speakers on behalf of 

The Centre for Politics and Media Research

The Centre for the Study of Journalism, Culture and Community

Promotional Cultures & Communication Centre

Public Relations Research Centre

Narrative Research Group 

Journalism Research Group

Advances in Media Management Research Group

Reminder: BUDI lunch time research seminar open to all BU staff and students

BU research, student research, Uncategorized

You are cordially invited to a BUDI research seminar which is open to all students and staff.
Please feel free to bring your lunch.

 

“Fire safety in the home: local lessons – global reach”

By Dr Michelle Heward

 Tuesday 8 March 2016

13.00 – 13.50pm

EB202, Executive Business Centre

 

Abstract
Objectives: Impairment, disability and dementia are substantial factors in increasing the risk of injury or death from fire in the home. There is, therefore, a concern that the number of people with dementia injured or dying in fires in the home will increase, in relation to the rising number of people living with dementia internationally.

Methods: Mixed methods study. Online survey sent to all Fire and Rescue Services (FRSs) in the United Kingdom (UK) (n=55) to establish provision of guidance and resources for people affected by dementia.  Four focus groups: fire service professionals; other professionals; and two with people with dementia and family carers in UK (South West). Explored experiences of home safety risks (including fire risks) and risk reduction strategies, alongside ideas for project outputs such as resources.

Findings: 20 FRSs responded to the survey giving a response rate of 36.4%. A descriptive analysis showed that the provision of guidance and resources for people affected by dementia varies widely across the UK, with few providing dementia-specific information leaflets and resources. During the focus groups, people affected by dementia identified different fire risks and risk reduction strategies to those outlined by professionals. However, a need to understand each person and their individual situation came across in each of the focus groups. This was considered a vital part in determining the individual risks within each home environment. Participants also felt that a range of resources that reflect individual needs would be a useful prevention strategy.

Conclusions: For communities to be truly dementia-friendly there is a need to ensure equity in how services respond to the needs of people affected by dementia. Dementia-specific guidance and resources developed as an output from this project could be shared nationally and internationally to address potential consequences of fire safety inequality in the home. However, there remains a need for cross disciplinary working across all sectors to enable people with dementia and their families, practitioners, policy makers, and the general public to understand and contribute towards effective dementia-friendly communities. This case study of fire safety in the home demonstrates the potential impact of local level studies to improving quality of life of people affected by dementia across the globe.

 

We hope you can join us.