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Punk Women: Exploring Underground Music Scenes
Laura Way, Associate Tutor for Sociology and Health & Social Care at Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU), had the opportunity to attend the KISMIF international conference in July. Now in its fourth year, KISMIF is organised by the University of Porto and stands for ‘Keep it Simple, Make it Fast’. With a focus on underground music scenes and ‘do-it-yourself’ culture, this year’s specialist theme was ‘Gender, Differences, Identities and DIY Cultures’. KISMIF prides itself on being the opposite of a ‘run of the mill’ conference, instead going above and beyond to offer an experience to attendees. To encourage diverse and innovative discussions the conference programme was packed full of talks, musical showcases, documentary screenings, gigs and DJ sets, parallel paper sessions, book launches and cultural activities stretching until the early hours. As part of the vibrant programme Laura presented a paper which drew upon elements of her doctoral research: “My PhD research more broadly concerns older punk women’s construction and maintenance of identity, exploring issues concerning gender, subcultural identification and ageing. "My conference paper focused specifically on gig attendance amongst my sample of older punk women and explored the push/pull factors which were reflexively considered in the context of attending live music shows. I was able to gain peer feedback and overall the conference provided a valuable international platform in which to share my research” The paper will be published in a special issue of the Punk & Post Punk journal in 2019. Staff and students at BGU are regularly invited to present at conferences around the world, you can follow all their travels on our news page and find out how you can start your own adventures on our course pages. -
BGU Collaborate on Original Play and Exhibition to Mark the 2018 Armistice
In the approach to Armistice Day 2018, BGU staff and students have been supporting the production of an important new play to mark the end of the centenary years of the First World War. -
BGU Academic to Discuss Monarchy, Power and Modernity at International Conference
Robert von Friedeburg, Reader in History at Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU), will give one of the key note lectures at the upcoming major international conference on 'Monarchy and Modernity since 1500' at the University of Cambridge. Many pieces of received wisdom on the trajectory of Western Societies have been put into doubt by detailed research during the last couple of decades. The focus on monarchy allows researchers to try and reconstruct long term trends in the history of Western societies. In his lecture Robert von Friededurg will question whether 'power' was ever at the core of the grip of monarchy in society in the Medieval and Early Modern West. Indeed, he argues that all modern research shows that monarchy in the Medieval and Early Modern West was supported by the societies it presided over because it fulfilled indispensable functions, namely the defence of true religion and the administration of justice. Furthermore, those monarchies that still thrive today in the Scandinavian kingdoms, the Netherlands, or Britain, do so because they transformed to become symbols of the liberal and ultimately democratic values these nations chose to identify with. They consolidated that role and defended these values during World War II, allowing them to continue to thrive into the modern age. In contrast, in many other countries on the continent, in particular in Germany, nationalist movements expected leadership to struggle against internal and external enemies and found monarchy wanting. In these countries, ominous dictatorships began replacing monarchy. These diverging developments resulted in radically different 'cultures of remembrance' today. Robert’s lecturer will explore to what extent these diverging developments have their roots in the nineteenth or eighteenth centuries or even earlier, a question that remains a challenge for modern research. The conference takes place over the 8th and 9th of January next year and you can book your space here. Our academics are regularly invited to present at conferences around the world, you can follow all their travels on our news page and find out how you can start your own adventures on our course pages. For additional scholarly background on this key-note lecture, Robert's recent book publications on (ed.) 'Murder and Monarchy: Regicide in European History, 1300-1800) (Palgrave 2004), 'Luther's Legacy. The Thirty Years War and the Modern Notion of 'State' in the Empire, 1530s to 1790s', and (co-ed. with John Morrill), Monarchy Transformed. Princes and their Elites in Early Modern Western Europe (Cambridge 2017) are available. -
‘Echoes of Contempt’ within Church history explored at book launch
Last week Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) hosted the public launch of ‘Echoes of Contempt’, the latest book from Methodist minister the Reverend Bruce Thompson. Covering centuries of religious history, ‘Echoes of Contempt’ explores Jew Hatred, especially in relationship to the Christian Church, from the time of the early Church to today. The launch, held in the BGU Chapel, opened with introductions and reflections from local Jewish and Christian leaders. These were followed by an interview with the Reverend Bruce Thompson led by BBC Radio Lincolnshire presenter Rod Whiting. Attending the event Mark Plater, Senior Lecturer in Theology at BGU, commented: "Bruce has provided valuable input on this topic to my Holocaust Education module for many years now, and it is great to see his ideas and passion now summarised in book form. “The text is a well written, but hard-hitting read, and I commend it wholeheartedly." There are lots of exciting events taking place at BGU throughout 2019. To keep up to date on what is coming up you can visit our website or to host your own special event contact our Conferencing team. -
Collaborative Work Aims to Support Vulnerable Children
Supporting vulnerable children is the subject of a new collaborative work edited by Bishop Grosseteste University’s (BGU) Dr Pat Beckley. -
Lecture to explore the historiography of religious wars at European Conference
Robert von Friedeburg, Reader in History at Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU), has been invited to give a plenary lecture at the European Academy of Religion in Bologna. His lecture, entitled ‘Religious Mass Mobilization and Religious Violent Conflict: Challenges to Europe’s Transforming Monarchies during the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries’, will be based on his two recent publications, the 2016 monograph ‘Luther’s Legacy: The Thirty Years War and the Modern Notion of State in the Empire, 1530s- 1790s’ (Cambridge UP 2016) and ‘Monarchy Transformed: Princes and their Elites in Early Modern Western Europe’ (Cambridge UP 2017) co-edited with John Morrill. Speaking ahead of the lecture Robert explained why the subject held implications for the modern study of religious conflict: “The lecture will stress that Early Modern Europeans, despite their different views on religion, shared a massive common interest in securing their livelihoods and cooperating even across religious divergences. In the money-market economies of Early Modern Europe, most social environments proved to be quite accommodating to religious minorities. “Massive open warfare had almost always a strong political component, not least of rival factions among the upper aristocracy. It is therefore highly problematic to see Europe’s early modern past of religious conflict as somehow similar to sectarian conflict in the world today, in particular in the Middle East. Already by the early modern period, the integrative forces of Europe’s money market economies proved quite strong and are often underestimated. “This argument is critical to a good deal of comparisons in modern scholarship and will spark debate accordingly.” Whilst in Bologna Robert’s lecture will form part of a panel on ‘Wars of Religion’ marking an ongoing ‘observatory’ on the historiography of religious wars a subject which, particularly since 2001, has increasingly occupied historians. Our academics are regularly invited to present at conferences and events around the world, you can follow all their travels on our news page and find out how you can start your own adventures on our course pages. -
Academic Research Team Travel to Finland to Investigate Inclusive Practice
An academic research team from Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) have been working with colleagues and students from the University of Eastern Finland to collect data for a pilot study on inclusive practice. Emma Clarke, Senior Lecturer in Primary, Shaun Thompson, ITT Regional Partnership Leader, and Aimee Quickfall, Head of Programmes for Primary & Early Years, are investigating inclusive practice in UK and Finnish primary schools and the well-being of teacher trainees. Their pilot study has involved holding focus groups and interviews with teacher trainees and lecturers, finding out what their perceptions of inclusion are, and asking them to explore their well-being challenges and resources using a timeline drawing method. As part of the trip Emma, Shaun and Aimee also presented their wider research interests to Finnish colleagues and visited three schools to meet with teachers and experience the best of Finnish education. Aimee explained why Finland provided the perfect place for the pilot study and what the team hoped the study’s impact would be: “We have been interested in Finland because it has a high-performing education system, where teacher training takes five years, includes a Master's qualification and only 10% of applicants are accepted on the programmes. We are looking at how Finland differs from the UK in terms of inclusive practice and well-being of teachers and trainees, with an aim to bring back ideas to share with our team to help improve our provision for initial teacher training. What we have experienced at the University of Eastern Finland and in schools in Joensuu is a real focus on the needs of children and adults in the school environment. Our initial pilot data are highlighting lots of differences in our systems, but also many similarities and shared concerns and joys. We are looking forward to working with the university on more projects and to sharing our findings with colleagues at BGU through the Learning and Teaching Conference.” If you want to pursue a future in teaching visit our website or contact our Enquiries Team for more information on how to begin your career on our exciting Primary Education with QTS degree course or our Primary and Secondary PGCE routes. -
School of Teacher Development at the TEAN Conference
On the 9th and 10th of May, a group of academics and students from the School of Teacher Development represented BGU at the 10th annual Teacher Education Advancement Network conference, in Birmingham. The TEAN conference offers an opportunity for colleagues to spend time together to share great practice and ideas. The team thoroughly enjoyed the conference, which showcased research from across the UK, with a focus on initial teacher training. The conference is a brilliant opportunity to meet colleagues from institutions and schools who are involved with the training and support of teacher trainees. -
Lecturer aims to bring lessons from the forest into the classroom
Paul Brenham-Foster, Senior Lecturer in Primary at Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU), has been presented with a Level 3 Forest School Practitioner Award following a year of training and delivering sessions with local schools. The training, which included an initial week introducing the ethos and theory behind forest school, sits alongside an online portfolio covering health and safety, ecology, delivery of sessions, theories of play, learning and development. Both of these were followed by a practical assessment week, out in the woods, which explored a number of aspects including camp fire cookery, safe use of tools and fire, planning for holistic development and nature study skills. The Forest School Association defines Forest School as: ‘an inspirational process, which offers all learners regular opportunities to achieve and develop confidence and self-esteem through hands-on learning experiences in a woodland or natural environment with trees. It is a specialised learning approach that sits within and complements the wider context of outdoor and woodland education.’ The ethos is shared by thousands of trained practitioners across the UK and beyond. Its roots reach back to early years pioneers in outdoor learning and overseas to Scandinavia. As part of the approach, all participants are viewed as: equal, unique and valuable competent to explore & discover entitled to experience appropriate risk and challenge entitled to choose, and to initiate and drive their own learning and development entitled to experience regular success entitled to develop positive relationships with themselves and other people entitled to develop a strong, positive relationship with their natural world Following his award, Paul discussed why he became involved in the initiative and what he hoped its impact could be on the students at BGU: “Having worked in the Foundation Stage for over 20 years, the importance of outdoor learning and the Forest School approach affirms my own personal philosophy on teaching and learning within Early Years.” “With the increased focus schools have on mental health and well-being, it is important our trainees have an awareness of approaches such as Forest School as they begin their careers.” “The aim is for all trainees across the Primary programmes to experience the sessions as a participant and to begin to understand some of the theory behind the approach and hopefully be inspired to train as a Forest School practitioner at some point in their career.” Paul is currently researching how the Forest School approach can be used within school’s to promote children’s mental health and well-being and the importance of risky play in children’s development. If you’d like to find out more about innovative and diverse primary education course visit our website, speak to a member of our Enquiries Team or join us on one of our Open Days. -
Academics Explore Research Partnerships with International Visitors
Academics from Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) welcomed Kerem and Meral Coşkun from Artvin Çoruh University in Turkey to explore and discuss potential collaborative research opportunities. Their planned research is based on the social, emotional and moral development of young children and has developed from a collaborative article ‘Is it possible to teach values without social psychology?’ (International Journal of Progressive Education, 14 (6). pp. 38-50. ISSN 1554-5210) written by BGU’s Dr Pat Beckley and academics from Artvin Çoruh. Dr Beckley discussed the new research and how it would build on the existing work carried out by the collaborative group: “The research builds on previous comparative studies the group have undertaken and focuses on differences and similarities between perceptions of social, emotional and moral development in selected primary school sites in England and Turkey. It is proposed to broaden those participating in the studies in both countries. It is an exciting opportunity for BGU as it creates a dynamic collaboration between two similar sized universities which have teacher training as a fundamental element of their work.” If you’re interested in a future in Early Years provision or Teaching there are few institutions that can provide a better experience than BGU. You can find information on our range of education based courses on our website, or by contacting our Enquiries Team.
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