Hello there
Hi, I’m Rob (Walker, incase you weren't aware)
I'm a PhD researcher, residing in a leafy little village just east of Birmingham.
This blog stems from a badgering from my PhD supervisor and is to serve as a place to pour my thoughts out to the world; driven by a passion for understanding complex social issues and a commitment to making a positive impact (interspersed with personal touches).
Due to my disability, I have experienced a myriad of educational formulations, including: home schooling, no schooling, hospital schools, on-site industry training, sixth-form, further education, universities, and parochial education.
Currently undertaking my doctorate at the University of Stirling, my research interests include:
Extremism: Investigating the roots and impacts of fascisms and microfascisms
Neoconservatism and Neoliberalism: Exploring their entwined influences on modern global west societies, politics and culture
Masculinities and Misogynies: Examining the construction, manifestation and consequences of gender norms
Educational Inequalities: Analysing disparities in educational opportunities and outcomes; in particular, Othering
Social Justice: Promoting fairness and equity in various social spheres
Current research
Tackling Tradition: Football, Fatherhood, and the Misogyny-Fascism Nexus:
Details in due course
Lunchtime: A Space (Time and Body) Odyssey (w/Dr. Sidebottom):
Details in due course
If You Tolerate Mis(ogyny) Then Fascisms Will Be Next (w/Dr. Sidebottom):
'IYTM' explores how misogyny in neoliberal UK education fosters microfascisms through classroom practices and disciplinary structures. We argue that misogynistic ideals are amplified by 'manfluencers' and the manosphere, which (coupled with neoliberal schooling) normalise microfascist tendencies (through misogyny), warning of its pipeline to macrofascism. The paper proposes affirmative ethics as a way to challenge these dynamics and create more inclusive learning environments.
Youth Perspectives on Abuse (w/Dr. Bancroft & Dr. Sidebottom)
In Youth Perspectives on Abuse: A Thematic Study of the Netflix’s 'Athlete A' Documentary and USA Gymnastics' Institutional Culture, we analyse the Netflix documentary Athlete A and the systemic abuse within USA Gymnastics, through a posthumanist lens. We examine how institutional neglect, misogyny, and neoliberal pressures all contributed to a toxic culture that dehumanised young female athletes, but showcases that far from victimhood, these women and girls are survivors; the study highlights these narratives and proposes affirmative ethics as a pathway for systemic reform in sport.
No Jacket Required (w/Dr. Sidebottom):
With No Jacket Required we examine school uniforms in contemporary English education. We explore uniform's roles in neoliberal policy, power, and social justice. Using a posthumanist and materialist lens, we interrogate how uniform policies regulate bodies, reinforce hierarchies, and enact hidden curricula. From a brief analysis of uniform policies within the West Midlands, the paper critically examines uniform as both a site of control and resistance, revealing its entanglement with policy, market forces, and student identity formation.
Tate's Modern Manosphere (my PhD):
My PhD.
When I know, you'll know.
Outside of academia I enjoy:
- Being with Evie
- Raging against the machine
- Aston Villa
- Writing
- Writing and playing songs on the guitar
- Procrastinating