Research
You will find a complete range of our monographs, muti-authored and edited works including peer-reviewed, original scholarly research across the social sciences and aligned disciplines. We publish long and short form research and you can browse the complete Bristol University Press and Policy Press archive.
Policy Press also publishes policy reviews and polemic work which aim to challenge policy and practice in certain fields. These books have a practitioner in mind and are practical, accessible in style, as well as being academically sound and referenced.
Reflecting on her experience, and even taking the broadest understanding of her research themes (Black feminism), Alanah struggled to find a potential supervisor in the UK with the same interests as her. She highlights how common this issue is for prospective PhD students in the UK hoping to work on Blackness and considers how this deters and alienates young scholars. The chapter highlights her experiences working with a supervisor whose own research is not in Blackness. She further details how she has developed an excellent supervisory relationship, but notes the challenges that come from not having a mutual research focus. She further delves into the isolation of being the only scholar working on Blackness in her local academic community. In this context, the chapter moves to think about the importance of building networks with other Black academics, for career, but also social, emotional and intellectual support. Alanah finishes by stating that, in building community with other Black academics, you come to realise how important and revolutionary the community’s work is.
In this chapter, the author explains his driving force in creating the African Caribbean Research Collective, West African Research Collective, Black In Neuro and the Imperial College London Black Doctoral Network. The passion for creating spaces for Black students was borne out of his own experiences in academia, the loneliness that he has felt, and the frustration at the attrition that occurs as Black scholars ascend the ivory tower. Adopting the principle of ‘if you can’t see the change, be the change’, he details in this chapter how he had a hand in creating networks that support PhD students at institutional, national and international levels. This chapter outlines the personal toll of this work, and acts as a rallying call for institutions to support, emulate and integrate these spaces.
In this chapter the author reflects on her experiences navigating academia as a Black Muslim hijabi woman. She details her formative influences: (1) the importance of reading stories from unapologetic authors; and (2) being from a nation known for poetry and storytelling. The author embraces these themes, grounding her chapter with personal poetry that focuses on the themes of performing in places where you do not feel you belong, and the self-doubt that arises when faced with academic environments that refuse to address injustices. In the first part of her chapter, she highlights the toll it took to survive academia as a first-generation, Black, Muslim undergraduate, and touches on being perceived as a threat due to both her Blackness and the wearing of a hijab. She also touches on themes of loneliness, survival and pressure. The second part of the chapter touches on doubt, not belonging, and not being valued in these spaces and combating this by aligning with people and spaces who share your principles and values. This chapter shows the defiance needed in academic spaces and how the homogeneity of academia can grind Black academics down.
In this chapter the author raises awareness of the barriers and challenges faced by Black PhD students and early-career researchers. Recent literature analysing the experiences of inequalities in academia focus on Black staff with established academics in their field. The personal stories of early-career researchers with aspirations of establishing themselves in the profession have been given sufficient attention. The author charts her journey and uses it as a tool to advise others thinking of undertaking research. She discusses her experience with parenthood, doubt, financial struggles, and also community. The author uses Critical Race Theory and autoethnograhic storytelling as mechanisms for showcasing Black academic work. The chapter offers insightful ways to support, empower and retain future BME academics.
This chapter gives an insight to the PhD application process and the journey to get to that point. Sophie acknowledges that the idea of a PhD was alien to her compared to her peers – who did not look like her and who had friends and family associated with academia. Despite being an aspirational child, Sophie states that her dreams were limited by what she was able to see and the image of a ‘mad scientist’ – a man with straight, white, spiky hair, big glasses and a lab coat – that in no way reflected her. The theme of self-motivation and pushing through regardless of what your environment shows you is very apparent here. The author shows the differences between her school life and her time at university studying physics. Being used to multiculturalism and having that replaced by a very homogeneous environment can be very difficult to navigate, especially when you are both a woman and Black. She notes how this affected her confidence, leading to insecurities about her ability. Discouraging comments almost prevented her from applying for further study but, ultimately, she persisted – highlighting the importance of pushing past the feeling of being a token minority to achieve and exceed her goals.
In this chapter, the author explores her journey to doctoral studies as a Black student with a mental health condition. She contextualises her experience by describing the immense toll that academic pressures, lack of institutional mental health guidance and systemic racism had on her wellbeing – highlighting the significance of the support she received from networks and relationships within and outside the academy. In particular, the author examines how virtual communities became a powerful source of strength and solidarity amid the pandemic and racial reckoning of 2020. This includes her experiences of co-founding the West African Research Collective.
This chapter is a very informative account of a non-traditional route into academia. Many Black PhD students (approximately 44 per cent) are part-time and enter the academy at a much later stage compared to their White peers. The author documents such a journey and talks about feeling drained and tired after completing her integrated master’s degree and acknowledging the need for a break despite her aspirations of studying for a PhD. She recounts her isolation in these spaces and the blatant racism – which is often masked as ‘banter’ – that many Black students are subjected to. The author also highlights the importance of home and cultural comforts as a counter to the difficulties experienced in academia and making sure that the choice to undertake further studies is considered and not rushed. The themes of patience and growth are detailed throughout the chapter as the author waits to re-enter the academy, but she also puts into context her prior experiences in order to prepare her for what comes next. The chapter concludes with clear, concise advice about the importance of support networks, not running for any opportunity, overcoming impostor syndrome, and being clear on motivations.
In this chapter the author utilises family history to share her remarkable journey towards her doctorate. In 1950, Joseph Morris arrived in England aboard the SS Castel Verde from Jamaica as part of the Windrush generation. Fast forward 70 years and his granddaughter is the first person in his lineage to be awarded a PhD. In the chapter, the author reflects on the journey she has taken and the support she received along the way. The author highlights the important role that family and friends have played in enabling her to complete her PhD journey. Alongside the notable achievements, the author stresses that the journey has not been without its struggles and that death, psychological wellbeing, relationship issues and imposter syndrome have all been faced as she has navigated her way through the academy. Through it all, the author is grateful that she has been able to pursue something that she has a deep love for.
In this chapter, the author details the immense trauma he experienced during his early studies due to inadequate supervision. As a counter he also highlights the transformative support he received from supervisors in the latter part of his doctoral studies. The author explains how constant undermining and exceptionally harsh criticism from his original supervisors triggered debilitating mental illness. The intellectual violence faced by the author highlights how Black scholars are not only discouraged but also actively harmed when pursuing fields beyond White expertise. Although the author eventually gained support from his department and new supervisors, this sharp contrast demonstrates the power that supervisors wield over both the academic progression and mental wellbeing of Black students.
