Carolynne L.J. Mason

Problematising pupil voice using visual methods: findings from a study of engaged and disaffected pupils in an urban secondary school

This article explores how pupils and teachers in an 11-16 mixed secondary school in an area of urban disadvantage in the UK experience pupil voice. It used visual methods to unpick some of the ways in which official and unofficial discourses of pupil voice, engagement, discipline and inclusion were played out in this school. A typology of pupils, based on analysis of school policy documentation was produced. Whilst these ‘types’ were expressed through pupil scrapbooks and interviews, they were not found to be related to individual pupils in the way that the school policy documentation suggests. Adults respond to pupil voice differently depending on how it is framed—the ‘types’ create discursive practices that determine the things that can be said, by whom and in what way. The visual methods used are reviewed here in the light of findings and are found to be useful in eliciting a range of pupil voices.

Learning to (Dis)Engage? The Socialising Experiences of Young People Living in Areas of Socio-Economic Disadvantage

ABSTRACT Young people are increasingly required to demonstrate civic engagement in their communities and help deliver the aspirations of localism and Big Society. Using an ecological systems approach this paper explores the experiences of different groups of young people living in areas of socio-economic disadvantage. Using volunteering as an example of civic engagement it is shown that barriers and motivators for young people stem from within the micro, meso, exo and macrosystems, and that these interact with each other, and with bio-psychological factors within individuals, to bring about differential opportunities and outcomes for young people. Through examining the experiences of three different groups of young people placed within socio-economically disadvantaged communities, considerable variation in levels of civic engagement are identified and it is suggested that some young peoples lived experiences are resulting in decisions to civically disengage. It is argued that young people need to benefit from genuine opportunities to develop self-efficacy if they are to respond to the demands of Big Society aspirations for localised decision-making.

Recruitments, engagements, and partitions: managing participation in play

ABSTRACT This paper examines the social practices children use to manage participation in play activities. Part of a wider research project looking at childrens physical activity in play, this article considers the role of social interaction in shaping active play. The focus is on how children get others to take part in play they have initiated, and how inclusion and exclusion in play is managed. The data examined are video-recordings of seven- to eight-year-old childrens play with toys and boxes in groups of four. The analysis identifies three interactional strategies used to manage play participation: recruitments, engagements, and partitions. We discuss the design and use of these strategies within the play activity. The paper contributes to studies of childrens play interaction, and argues for the importance of understanding childrens social practices in studies of physical activity in play. Implications for interventions aimed at encouraging active play are discussed.

Emerging third-sector sports organisations and navigating uncertainty in an ‘era of austerity’: a single ethnographic case study from Liverpool

ABSTRACT There have been a number of recent policies in the UK which have attempted to capitalise on the benefits that sport potentially offers for health and well-being. These are, however, set against a somewhat incongruous backdrop of reductions in opportunities to participate, resulting from the ongoing constraints on public spending associated with austerity. In response to these constraints, an increasing number of third-sector sports organisations (TSSOs) have emerged to fill some of the gaps left by the public services that local authorities are no longer able deliver. This research draws on the experiences of one of those TSSOs, Target Football, a Community Interest Company located in Princes Park, Liverpool, one of the most deprived neighbourhoods in the UK. Drawing upon 6 years of ethnographic research, and a posteriori semi-structured interviews, this paper examines the ways in which this TSSO has navigated – and continues to navigate – the contextual uncertainty arising from austerity, to sustain sports provision in an environment where opportunities have declined in recent years. Underpinned by stakeholder theory, this research examines the relationships that exist between organisations and their stakeholders, and frames these in relation to power, legitimacy and urgency. The findings provide insight into the significant obstacles that challenge the survival of TSSOs in the context of a scarcity of resources. From a more practical perspective, these findings also provide critical insight into David Cameron’s aspiration ‘to do more with less’.

Ability to be active: exploring children's active play in primary schools

This paper presents findings from an innovative multi-method study which sought to examine the impact of toys and toy substitutes on childrens physical activity (PA) levels in two UK primary schools. Accelerometers were used to record the PA levels of 52 Year 3 pupils (aged 7–8 years) during 4 separate 30-minute play sessions and, for comparison, during other periods of the school day (breaks, lunch-times and PE lessons). Qualitative data were generated through observations, field notes and semi-structured focus groups with pupils. The findings suggest that a relatively short session of unstructured active play with toys or toy substitutes can make an important contribution to a childs daily level of PA. Moreover, they reveal that childrens enjoyment of play sessions and their creative, physical and social competence are also important influences on their engagement in and with active play. Some implications for policy, practice and future research are discussed.

Children’s rights and the regulations on the transfer of young players in football:

Children who interact with football’s recruitment and transfer processes encounter a complex web of regulations and practices. Debates over how to ensure that the interests and well-being of young football players are adequately protected, and that risks to their rights and welfare are identified and addressed, have become a topic of academic, political and media concern. This commentary article provides an overview of the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) regulations concerning the mobility and representation of minors in player recruitment processes, in particular the Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players and the Regulations on Working with Intermediaries. We examine these regulations through the lens of the United Nations Children’s Rights Conventions (UNCRC). In so doing, the article demonstrates how football’s regulatory frameworks and commercial practices inadvertently yield consequences that operate against the best interests of children involved in the sport. To counteract this, it is proposed that all planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of regulations involving the recruitment and transfer of young people should be explicitly informed by globally accepted standards of children’s rights, such as the UNCRC. More specifically, it is argued that FIFA should adopt an approach that places the child at the centre of regulatory frameworks and characterises the child as a ‘rights holder’.

The nature of financial literacy

The notion of financial literacy is not a new one. It is widely perceived as being important, hence something to be encouraged in those who are not financially literate, as exemplified by the existence of organisations dedicated to generating financial literacy in, for example, Australia, Canada, the U.K., and the U.S.A. But what does the term financial literacy actually mean? What distinguishes a financially literate individual from one who is financially illiterate? This chapter investigates aspects of financial literacy in particular contexts (embracing households and formal organisations – whether profitseeking enterprises or public sector bodies). As a prelude to defining what is meant by financial literacy, however, the basic idea of literacy itself (subsuming numeracy) is considered. The fraught confusion over financial awareness and financial literacy, often viewed as being synonymous expressions, is addressed. This confusion arises (at least in part) from inadequate definitions of financial literacy (which clearly has implications for its operationalisation). These limitations are explored and a fuller definition of financial literacy is provided as a point of reference for accounting educators

Remaking the Curriculum: Re-Engaging Young People in Secondary School. By Martin Fautley, Richard Hatcher and Elaine Millard

(p. 44). This illustrates some aspects of an underlying prejudice and the fragile nature of tolerance. In this way there are many parallels to everyday racism within British society and Ghuman appropriately draws our attention to it throughout the book. Chapter 4 looks at the structure of Dalit society in the West Midlands which was the other location of the field work. The voices of the families are clear but the section is somewhat short. Although six case studies are provided in the appendix the voices of the participants needed to feature more within the body of the work. In this chapter Ghuman shows how the Dalit communities have found their place within British society but also forged their own community identity and sub-group identities. He rightly and poignantly notes that in such identity formation caste boundaries have remained. The experience of migration has not served to eradicate them; despite inter-caste marriages the boundaries and associated discrimination persists. Chapter 5 offers hope through the voices of young people in two multi-ethnic schools. Whilst they recognise castes, they all mix together; boys and girls are equal and there is inter-caste dating as noted by one of the teachers. Parents extol the virtue of education as a vehicle of social mobility, ‘Education is the main way to achieve social mobility and claim our rights’ (p. 91). The Dalit students perform well within the education system and Ghuman notes there are no statistics to evidence this, just the qualitative data gathered from this sample. In the discussion the notion of caste as a protected characteristic within the Equality Act (2010) is raised but Ghuman notes that despite lobbying from Dalit organisations it is unlikely to be included. In fact his participants feel that it is unnecessary but caste could be discussed in RE. It is encouraging to see that Dalit young women enjoy the same educational success as young men. This book is written in an accessible style and would be an invaluable starting point for sociology students, students studying education and researchers who want to delve deeper into the struggles, achievement and attainment of Indian pupils. There is scope for further study to examine how students from Dalit communities excel beyond their caste and class boundaries in Britain. Ghuman’s book highlights the tensions evident within the Indian diaspora in Britain. One of the interesting tensions is the influence of neoliberalism which is evident, as Ghuman notes, in the individualism versus collectivism that was present in the narratives of the youngsters. They wanted to integrate with mainstream British society and be successful and at times this required diverting from the ties of kinship to meet individual goals. Herein lies the start of another research project.