Every year, tens of thousands of students sit the Higher School Certificate (HSC) In New South Wales alone (over 77,000 in 2016). I remember doing my HSC and the associated stress that it involved. It was over thirty years ago now, but I still remember the stress involved in doing my HSC. The issue [...]
One of the areas I have always found fascinating is the concept of resilience - but with a focus on 'cultures of resilience'. That is, why do some communities mobilise and respond to a crisis while others collapse? What are the cultural elements that allow this to happen? This question of resilience continues to [...]
My approach to researching citizenship is to look at 'cultures of citizenship': that is, I am interested in the everyday engagement of citizenship processes. As such, I want to understand if people are engaged? Do they feel empowered? What happens when people disengage? As it is not a legal or political focus, I include [...]
The future of higher education is in question as universities struggle to remain relevant to the present and future needs of society. The context in which learning occurs is rapidly changing and those engaged and interested in the place and position of university education need to figure out to adapt. Dr David Hornsby and [...]
This research article focuses on the challenges confronted by contemporary universities when they undertake ‘community engagement’ activities through the lens of an active citizenship workshop we have designed and implemented. Writing with Professor Bob Hodge, we begin by concentrating on the very concept of ‘engagement’, unpicking its ambiguities and returning its complexities to where they [...]
Lecturing about race and racism is one of the most challenging lectures I do. This is because I do not simply talk about these issues in theory, but discuss how they play out in our everyday lives: including how I wrestle with my own prejudices. I have always tried to confront my own inner [...]
