During the discussion around Selina’s work, I noted down two researchers/theorists to consider: Theo Gilbert on compassionate pedagogy; and David Graeber on care.
I was told that the question of belonging needs teasing out, and that I should seek definitions of belonging and transition. This was a great suggestion as it could help root my research. My reference to Bourdieu was noted as too broad, and in the session I had explained that I was referring to his notion around cultural capital which takes time to cultivate, and is often impacted by other forms of capital such as economic or social.
Taste classifies, and it classifies the classifier.
Bourdieu, P., 2002 [1979] p.6
My intention was to consider the levels of capital an Insights student would have, and to take into consideration how levels of belonging may differ amongst the students who come equipped with varying levels of capital; be that economic, social or cultural capital. There is much research around underrepresented students (of which UAL Insights students would fall into the category of) experiencing varying barriers whilst at university and into the labour market and how easily (or not) they can obtain such capital (Mould, 2018; Brook, O’Brien and Taylor 2018; Brook, O’Brien and Taylor 2020).
I felt a little all over the place when giving the presentation as I felt I hadn’t made much progress, but I found the process of discussing my research intentions to be positive and encouraging. Feedback from my peers gave me questions for me to consider such as: how many Insights students drop out after enrolling onto their BA; what did CCW cover in the 2-day workshop called Insights Onsites; is there a tension between institutional structures/priorities and needs and the individual student drive? These were all things to consider as I progressed my research.
Following the session, I went to find some published work by Gilbert and Graeber. I was interested to read them after they were mentioned in the group tutorial.
Theo Gilbert is an Associate Professor in Learning and Teaching at University of Hertfordshire, and seems to have published a few papers around the benefits of collaboration in learning and assessment design, and the understanding of compassion to student mental wellbeing. I read his chapter published in The Pedagogy of Compassion at the Heart of Higher Education titled ‘When Looking Is Allowed: What Compassionate Group Work Looks Like in a UK University’ (2017).
Compassion means the noticing of social or physical distress to others and the commitment to reduce or prevent that distress.
Gilbert, T. 2017, p.189
Gilbert reflects on the neoliberal drift of higher education towards private enterprise and away from its primary remit to serve the public good. He suggests how this steers students away from noticing the distress or disadvantaging of fellow students in order to focus on self and self-esteem through constant comparison of one’s performance against another (2017, p.190). This, he notes, contributes to the unmanageable levels of student anxiety and depression. Through his research undertaken at University of Hertfordshire, Gilbert evidenced how students who studied under a collaborative pedagogy had experienced a positive impact on critical thinking, explained by students as ‘increased feelings of social belonging/personal safeness, and reduction of social anxiety in seminar discussion groups’ (2017, p.191).
This indicates how a sense of belonging can positively impact a student’s confidence and contributions, furthering their academic process. The paper examines modes of eye contact and the importance of micro-ethnography, where students are sensitive and responsive to others needs. This form of social care plays a key role in breaking away from the paradigm of individualism that higher education has drifted towards, and prepares ‘compassionate graduates for a world in conflict’ (p.200). Reflecting on this reading, I could argue that this is the form of care that I am trying to bring to the UAL Insights students who have joined UAL as an undergraduate, to ensure that they have a sense of belonging within the university and to have a community which can be sensitive and responsive to each others needs.
The article by David Graeber I read was an emotive opinion piece published in The Guardian titled Caring too much. That’s the curse of the working classes. (2014). It suggests that the working class are the caring class, with their work often playing a caring role within society. Although an interesting read, I felt it was not necessarily relevant to my research.
References:
Bourdieu, P. and Bourdieu, P. (2002) Distinction: a social critique of the judgement of taste. 11. print. Cambridge, Mass: Harvard Univ. Press.
Brook, O., O’Brien, D. and Taylor, M. (2018) Panic! Social Class, Taste and Inequalities in the Creative Industries. Available at: https://createlondon.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Panic-Social-Class-Taste-and-Inequalities-in-the-Creative-Industries1.pdf (Accessed: 10 November 2021).
Brook, O., O’Brien, D. and Taylor, M. (2020) Culture is bad for you: Inequality in the cultural and creative industries. Manchester University Press.
Gilbert, T. (2017) ‘When Looking Is Allowed: What Compassionate Group Work Looks Like in a UK University’, in Gibbs, P. (ed.) The Pedagogy of Compassion at the Heart of Higher Education. Cham: Springer International Publishing, pp. 189–202. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-57783-8_13.
Graeber, D. (2014) ‘Caring too much. That’s the curse of the working classes’, The Guardian, 26 March. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/mar/26/caring-curse-working-class-austerity-solidarity-scourge (Accessed: 10 November 2021).
Mould, O. (2018) Against Creativity. Verso Books.