I am now an Emeritus Professor at London Metropolitan University (and formerly Director of the Institute for Policy Studies in Education (IPSE) at London Met). With a disciplinary background in sociology and women's studies, my research has focused on inequalities in higher and post-compulsory education, including issues of access and widening participation
The increasing casualisation of academic labour over recent years has been noted across the globa... more The increasing casualisation of academic labour over recent years has been noted across the global north. In the UK, this takes a number of forms, including fixed term, hourly paid and zero hours contracts. What tends to characterise them all, however, is a focus on the short-term. In this paper, we draw on a qualitative study with 20 UK-based academics on casualised contracts to consider the implications of the short-term nature of such employment for teaching and pedagogy. We come to this with a temporal perspective, in part in response to Felt’s (2016) call for a chronopolitical analysis of the changing temporalities of academia. We discuss how short-term temporal logics marked by last-minute or ‘just-in-time’ modalities can be seen to impact negatively on teaching preparation and pedagogical relationships, raising questions about innovation and criticality, power and in/security, continuity and care.
A growing body of research suggests that 'non-traditional' students face particular and... more A growing body of research suggests that 'non-traditional' students face particular and additional difficulties and barriers to successful study in higher education, reflecting educational and other inequalities related to class, ethnicity, gender and age (Bird 1996, Allen 1997, Bamber et ...
A new masculinist managerialism has become increasingly dominant in the marketised further educat... more A new masculinist managerialism has become increasingly dominant in the marketised further education sector (Leonard, 1998). Recent changes in management discourses and practices in colleges have been described in terms of a move from a rather 'benign' paternalism to ...
ABSTRACT Early school leaving has been identified as a key policy priority across Europe. In this... more ABSTRACT Early school leaving has been identified as a key policy priority across Europe. In this article, we critically discuss the underpinning assumptions and rationale for this policy focus, challenging the association that is made between early school leaving, economic growth and employment. We suggest that ESL is important, not because it is inhibiting growth or that it is responsible for high levels of youth unemployment, but because it helps to sustain and reproduce inequalities. We problematise the utilitarian conceptualisation of education and linear models of educational pathways that are embedded in this policy framework and critically discuss strategies that are proposed to address early school leaving. We argue that the key criteria for assessing such strategies should be the extent to which they meet social equity and social inclusion goals.
ABSTRACT A video abstract of this article can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEFSZYa... more ABSTRACT A video abstract of this article can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEFSZYaNbzk
This paper explores the intentions and attempts of the New Labour government in the United Kingdo... more This paper explores the intentions and attempts of the New Labour government in the United Kingdom (UK) to challenge educational inequalities. It begins with an overview of Third Way philosophy and New Labour s commitment to social justice and social inclusion, then ...
"In a context of considerable changes in the labour market and higher education sector in the UK,... more "In a context of considerable changes in the labour market and higher education sector in the UK, a discourse of employability has become increasingly dominant. Universities are urged to ensure that they produce 'employable' graduates, and graduates themselves are exhorted to continually develop their personal skills, qualities and experiences in order to compete in the graduate labour market.
Drawing on a study of 'non-traditional' graduates from a post-1992 inner-city university in England, this paper offers a critical appraisal of the discourse of employability. In contrast to assumptions of a level playing field in which graduates' skills and personal qualities are the key to their success in the labour market, social class, gender, ethnicity, age, disability and university attended all impact on the opportunities available. It is argued that the discourse of employability, with its emphasis on individual responsibility and neglect of social inequalities, has potentially damaging consequences for these graduates."
Visual images of students and academics in the UK have traditionally featured men, reflecting the... more Visual images of students and academics in the UK have traditionally featured men, reflecting the historical predominance of men in these positions. When women were represented, sexist imagery and traditional constructions of femininity were not uncommon. This article explores the ways in which students and academics are constructed in a selection of visual representations in two contemporary UK sources: in two videos aimed at potential students and in the Times Higher Education, a magazine for higher education professionals. Following a discussion of dominant constructions of intellectual subjectivity, I draw upon a feminist post-structuralist approach in the analysis of these visual images. Although women are now entering universities in greater numbers than ever before, I suggest that this visual iconography continues to inscribe culturally dominant constructions of femininity and masculinity, reaffirms a gender binary and reconstructs the serious intellectual subject as a masculine one.
Dispositifs de formation et environnements numériques : enjeux pédagogiques et contraintes inform... more Dispositifs de formation et environnements numériques : enjeux pédagogiques et contraintes informatiques (série Informatique et systèmes d'information, IC2) Cet ouvrage présente les résultats de la recherche-expérimentation Pratiques Collaboratives Distribuées d'Apprentissage ...
Lifelong learning has dominated educational policy in recent years.… The term has been used to de... more Lifelong learning has dominated educational policy in recent years.… The term has been used to describe all learning activities 'from the cradle to the grave'.… In the UK and elsewhere, it has redefined this post‐secondary school educational landscape, ...
This paper places a discussion of assessment in higher education (HE) in the UK within the wider ... more This paper places a discussion of assessment in higher education (HE) in the UK within the wider policy context. It argues for a critical sociological analysis to consider some of the issues, themes and debates in relation to assessment in HE at this time. Recent trends in assessment policy and practice are discussed, alongside a consideration of the purposes of assessment. It examines the moral panic around standards, especially in the context of widening participation, and moves on to discuss concerns of equity in relation to assessment. Issues of identity and power relations are central to these debates, and the paper concludes with a plea for social justice, rather than selectivity and inequality, to be prioritized.
This paper reflects on changes and developments in feminist theories and practices in education i... more This paper reflects on changes and developments in feminist theories and practices in education in the UK between the early 1980s and the present day. It focuses specifically on debates related to the construction and provision of feminist educational spaces in these different times, and explores the impact of political and theoretical developments on the discussions and politics of women-only groups and provision.Such debates and activities are not, of course, confined to the UK: Debates about the extent to which diverse feminist aspirations can be achieved through autonomous women-only and/or mixed-sex education, organizations, and activities are an on-going feature of feminist work in many countries across the world. The account provided here is a personal and reflexive one, located in the history and contemporary context of particular feminist activities within London, UK, but one that will, it is hoped, also resonate with feminists located elsewhere.
The ‘independent learner’ is a key construct within discourses of educational policy and practice... more The ‘independent learner’ is a key construct within discourses of educational policy and practice in the UK. Government policy statements stress the importance of developing learner independence, and higher education pedagogical practices tend to rest on the assumption that students are independent learners. This paper draws on research with undergraduate students in a post-1992 university to offer a critical appraisal of the discourse of the independent learner. The paper examines students’ perceptions of independence in both their first year of undergraduate study, and in the later years of their degree courses. Support for learning and issues related to asking for help are discussed. Whilst students tend to both expect and want to be independent, it is suggested that dominant constructions of the independent learner are gendered and culturally specific, and as such are inappropriate for the majority of students in a mass higher education system.
... View all references), and 'employability' is one of the fou... more ... View all references), and 'employability' is one of the four 'pillars' of the European Employment Strategy. In many countries, graduates' employability is high on the Government agenda, withexpectations that higher education should contribute to national economic growth ...
The increasing casualisation of academic labour over recent years has been noted across the globa... more The increasing casualisation of academic labour over recent years has been noted across the global north. In the UK, this takes a number of forms, including fixed term, hourly paid and zero hours contracts. What tends to characterise them all, however, is a focus on the short-term. In this paper, we draw on a qualitative study with 20 UK-based academics on casualised contracts to consider the implications of the short-term nature of such employment for teaching and pedagogy. We come to this with a temporal perspective, in part in response to Felt’s (2016) call for a chronopolitical analysis of the changing temporalities of academia. We discuss how short-term temporal logics marked by last-minute or ‘just-in-time’ modalities can be seen to impact negatively on teaching preparation and pedagogical relationships, raising questions about innovation and criticality, power and in/security, continuity and care.
A growing body of research suggests that 'non-traditional' students face particular and... more A growing body of research suggests that 'non-traditional' students face particular and additional difficulties and barriers to successful study in higher education, reflecting educational and other inequalities related to class, ethnicity, gender and age (Bird 1996, Allen 1997, Bamber et ...
A new masculinist managerialism has become increasingly dominant in the marketised further educat... more A new masculinist managerialism has become increasingly dominant in the marketised further education sector (Leonard, 1998). Recent changes in management discourses and practices in colleges have been described in terms of a move from a rather 'benign' paternalism to ...
ABSTRACT Early school leaving has been identified as a key policy priority across Europe. In this... more ABSTRACT Early school leaving has been identified as a key policy priority across Europe. In this article, we critically discuss the underpinning assumptions and rationale for this policy focus, challenging the association that is made between early school leaving, economic growth and employment. We suggest that ESL is important, not because it is inhibiting growth or that it is responsible for high levels of youth unemployment, but because it helps to sustain and reproduce inequalities. We problematise the utilitarian conceptualisation of education and linear models of educational pathways that are embedded in this policy framework and critically discuss strategies that are proposed to address early school leaving. We argue that the key criteria for assessing such strategies should be the extent to which they meet social equity and social inclusion goals.
ABSTRACT A video abstract of this article can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEFSZYa... more ABSTRACT A video abstract of this article can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEFSZYaNbzk
This paper explores the intentions and attempts of the New Labour government in the United Kingdo... more This paper explores the intentions and attempts of the New Labour government in the United Kingdom (UK) to challenge educational inequalities. It begins with an overview of Third Way philosophy and New Labour s commitment to social justice and social inclusion, then ...
"In a context of considerable changes in the labour market and higher education sector in the UK,... more "In a context of considerable changes in the labour market and higher education sector in the UK, a discourse of employability has become increasingly dominant. Universities are urged to ensure that they produce 'employable' graduates, and graduates themselves are exhorted to continually develop their personal skills, qualities and experiences in order to compete in the graduate labour market.
Drawing on a study of 'non-traditional' graduates from a post-1992 inner-city university in England, this paper offers a critical appraisal of the discourse of employability. In contrast to assumptions of a level playing field in which graduates' skills and personal qualities are the key to their success in the labour market, social class, gender, ethnicity, age, disability and university attended all impact on the opportunities available. It is argued that the discourse of employability, with its emphasis on individual responsibility and neglect of social inequalities, has potentially damaging consequences for these graduates."
Visual images of students and academics in the UK have traditionally featured men, reflecting the... more Visual images of students and academics in the UK have traditionally featured men, reflecting the historical predominance of men in these positions. When women were represented, sexist imagery and traditional constructions of femininity were not uncommon. This article explores the ways in which students and academics are constructed in a selection of visual representations in two contemporary UK sources: in two videos aimed at potential students and in the Times Higher Education, a magazine for higher education professionals. Following a discussion of dominant constructions of intellectual subjectivity, I draw upon a feminist post-structuralist approach in the analysis of these visual images. Although women are now entering universities in greater numbers than ever before, I suggest that this visual iconography continues to inscribe culturally dominant constructions of femininity and masculinity, reaffirms a gender binary and reconstructs the serious intellectual subject as a masculine one.
Dispositifs de formation et environnements numériques : enjeux pédagogiques et contraintes inform... more Dispositifs de formation et environnements numériques : enjeux pédagogiques et contraintes informatiques (série Informatique et systèmes d'information, IC2) Cet ouvrage présente les résultats de la recherche-expérimentation Pratiques Collaboratives Distribuées d'Apprentissage ...
Lifelong learning has dominated educational policy in recent years.… The term has been used to de... more Lifelong learning has dominated educational policy in recent years.… The term has been used to describe all learning activities 'from the cradle to the grave'.… In the UK and elsewhere, it has redefined this post‐secondary school educational landscape, ...
This paper places a discussion of assessment in higher education (HE) in the UK within the wider ... more This paper places a discussion of assessment in higher education (HE) in the UK within the wider policy context. It argues for a critical sociological analysis to consider some of the issues, themes and debates in relation to assessment in HE at this time. Recent trends in assessment policy and practice are discussed, alongside a consideration of the purposes of assessment. It examines the moral panic around standards, especially in the context of widening participation, and moves on to discuss concerns of equity in relation to assessment. Issues of identity and power relations are central to these debates, and the paper concludes with a plea for social justice, rather than selectivity and inequality, to be prioritized.
This paper reflects on changes and developments in feminist theories and practices in education i... more This paper reflects on changes and developments in feminist theories and practices in education in the UK between the early 1980s and the present day. It focuses specifically on debates related to the construction and provision of feminist educational spaces in these different times, and explores the impact of political and theoretical developments on the discussions and politics of women-only groups and provision.Such debates and activities are not, of course, confined to the UK: Debates about the extent to which diverse feminist aspirations can be achieved through autonomous women-only and/or mixed-sex education, organizations, and activities are an on-going feature of feminist work in many countries across the world. The account provided here is a personal and reflexive one, located in the history and contemporary context of particular feminist activities within London, UK, but one that will, it is hoped, also resonate with feminists located elsewhere.
The ‘independent learner’ is a key construct within discourses of educational policy and practice... more The ‘independent learner’ is a key construct within discourses of educational policy and practice in the UK. Government policy statements stress the importance of developing learner independence, and higher education pedagogical practices tend to rest on the assumption that students are independent learners. This paper draws on research with undergraduate students in a post-1992 university to offer a critical appraisal of the discourse of the independent learner. The paper examines students’ perceptions of independence in both their first year of undergraduate study, and in the later years of their degree courses. Support for learning and issues related to asking for help are discussed. Whilst students tend to both expect and want to be independent, it is suggested that dominant constructions of the independent learner are gendered and culturally specific, and as such are inappropriate for the majority of students in a mass higher education system.
... View all references), and 'employability' is one of the fou... more ... View all references), and 'employability' is one of the four 'pillars' of the European Employment Strategy. In many countries, graduates' employability is high on the Government agenda, withexpectations that higher education should contribute to national economic growth ...
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Papers by Carole Leathwood
Drawing on a study of 'non-traditional' graduates from a post-1992 inner-city university in England, this paper offers a critical appraisal of the discourse of employability. In contrast to assumptions of a level playing field in which graduates' skills and personal qualities are the key to their success in the labour market, social class, gender, ethnicity, age, disability and university attended all impact on the opportunities available. It is argued that the discourse of employability, with its emphasis on individual responsibility and neglect of social inequalities, has potentially damaging consequences for these graduates."
Drawing on a study of 'non-traditional' graduates from a post-1992 inner-city university in England, this paper offers a critical appraisal of the discourse of employability. In contrast to assumptions of a level playing field in which graduates' skills and personal qualities are the key to their success in the labour market, social class, gender, ethnicity, age, disability and university attended all impact on the opportunities available. It is argued that the discourse of employability, with its emphasis on individual responsibility and neglect of social inequalities, has potentially damaging consequences for these graduates."