Race and prehistory in contemporary culture, January 2023
January saw the launch of CSJR Director Dr Ben Pitcher’s new book Back to the Stone Age (McGill-Queen’s), which explores how race gets caught up with ideas about the distant human past as we seek to answer questions about who we are, where we came from and what we are like. Ben was in conversation with Professor Vron Ware, Dr Sivamohan Valluvan and Dr Anastasia Kavada.
Criminal Justice Alliance annual symposium, March 2023
CSJR members partnered with the Criminal Justice Alliance in to explore the theme of a trusted criminal justice system. CSJR member Dr Morwenna Bennallick noted that ‘Academic communities are enhanced when we speak – and listen – to wide and diverse audiences. We are committed to bringing together researchers, practitioners, people with lived experience and policymakers to interrogate our justice system together’.
Participatory research in criminal justice, March 2023
CSJR Deputy Director Dr Wendy Fitzgibbon launched her new book, Applied Photovoice in Criminal Justice (Routledge). Wendy explores and illustrates how Photovoice – a participatory, active research tool – can enable new insights and engagement with both marginalised people and those working with them in the criminal justice system. The launch included an exhibition of photographs from the project, and featured contributions from Professor Dibyesh Anand and Angeline Gore, CEO of Browns Community Service CIC, who was involved in the first pilot project using Photovoice at Reading Women's Centre.
Festival of Decolonial Learning, June 2023
In June, the Pedagogies for Social Justice project held its first Festival of Decolonial Learning. CSJR researchers were instrumental in the development of this three-day public event, co-created to bring people together to learn about how we build decolonial and anti-racist atmospheres in our learning and teaching spaces. Each day featured a series of interactive workshops and keynotes held by activists, academics, students and community groups from across the UK, and colonially known Australia and Canada. The CSJR sponsored Dr Barby Asante’s keynote This is for Us: On-doing Undoing and How we Endure.
Refuge partnership, June 2023
We hosted an event with Michaela Bruckmayer, Research Lead at Refuge, the largest single specialist provider of domestic abuse services in the UK. Michaela is currently undertaking a Visiting Fellowship at the CSJR.
The first international biennial conference of Alevism studies, July 2023
CSJR researchers Dr Umit Cetin and Dr Celia Jenkins have been central to the development of Alevism Studies as an international and interdisciplinary field of academic research. This three-day conference, described as ‘a landmark event in Alevism studies’, brought together British, Turkish and European scholars to network and build collaborative research. Participants explored how Alevism is being redefined transnationally, both by the Alevis themselves and external agents such as religious bodies and nation states. Panel themes included Alevi history and culture, intercultural dialogue, religious education, cultural memory, and political activism. Read more about Umit and Celia’s work on Alevism.
Education on the Inside, July 2023
Education on the Inside was an event that celebration our prison delivery work. Universities can play an important role in challenging the hurdles and stigma people with convictions face, whilst in prison and after release. Widening access to Higher Education for people in prison can have huge individual and social impact. We are excited to lead the sector in bringing about significant change to the provision of Higher Education in prisons. For the past two years we have delivered Westminster modules in prisons across the country. This event shone a light on the successes of this work, explored what we have learnt so far and considered the future of prison education.
An exploration of the sex offender register in its third decade, July 2023
The CSJR’s Dr Wendy Fitzgibbon and Dr Maria Anspro presented findings from their recent research project funded by the Barrow Cadbury Trust. They were joined in their discussions of the sex offender register by Mick Creedon QPM and Professor Kieran McCartan. The event was attended by a range of frontline practitioners from police, charities, and the probation service as well as academics and policy makers.
Building our community
Our biggest emphasis in the last six months has been building a mutually supportive community of researchers. An away day in Bloomsbury in early June gave us an opportunity to learn more about the fantastic social justice research that is being undertaken by centre members. Two writing retreats have provided opportunities for research development for a number of colleagues, with more planned for 2023–24. CSJR members Dr Dan Conway, Dr Jennifer Fraser, and PhD student Victoria Burgher have contributed artwork on race, sexuality and decoloniality that can be seen along the fourth floor corridors of our Wells Street building.
