Browsing by Author "Cudworth, David"

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    Book review: Insiders, outsiders and ethers: Gypsies and Identity Great Britain.
    (University of Hertfordshire Press, 2010) Cudworth, David
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    Contesting Cultures: Schooling and the Gender Norms of Gypsy/Traveller Life Ways in the UK
    (2015-06-11) Cudworth, David
    Traditional gender divisions in Gypsy/Traveller communities continue to spatially divide boys and girls. However, with evidence that suggests a shifting landscape of parental attitudes towards the value of schooling for their children from these communities particularly amongst daughters, means girls are staying on longer in the UK education system. I argue in this article that by engaging with schooling more readily, girls are provided with a space away from the confines of their ‘home place’ in which they can begin to challenge the patriarchal norms of their communities. This article argues that such girls are posing a threat to the community values associated with their expected gender roles. The data on which this paper draws reflects three ‘interest’ groups consisting of professionals working ‘inside’ schools; those working ‘outside’ schools alongside the communities and finally the communities themselves. Data comprised three focus groups discussions and twenty-three one to one semi-structured / unstructured interviews across the interest groups. A small-scale ethnography was also used by way of participant observation in two English primary schools.
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    Does Every Child Matter?
    (2008-06) Cudworth, David
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    Educating the outcast: Policy and practice in the education of gypsy traveller children.
    (Interdisciplinary Press, 2009) Cudworth, David; Cudworth, E.
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    Forest School and the Pathways to Nature Connection
    (2018-06-20) Cudworth, David
    Over the past 20 years there has been an increase in the popularity of Forest school education in the UK and its application in reconnecting children with nature (Massey, 2005; Waite et al, 2016). The Forest school concept is based on the idea that an individual’s contact with nature and regular interaction with the natural world is extremely important from a very early age and can have a major impact on improving their confidence, self-esteem and wellbeing (Massey, 2005); as well as developing their respect for nature and environmental awareness (Knight, 2011). A concept linked to the philosophy of Forest Schooling is that of Nature Connection; the sensation of belonging to a wider natural community (Mayer et al., 2009). Nature Connection has been linked to a range of wellbeing (Capaldi, Dopko & Zelesnki, 2014), health (Lumber et al., 2017) and pro-environmental outcomes (Tam, 2013; Tam et al., 2013). Recent work has suggested 5 pathways: contact, emotion, meaning, compassion, and beauty, all of which are important for the formation of nature connection (Lumber, et al., 2017). However, no formal links between these evidenced pathways and the Nature Connection of children via Forest Schooling has yet been explored.  In line with the five pathways associated with Nature Connection we argue in this presentation that the development of an appreciation of the natural environment via Forest School sessions can lead to health and well-being benefits of children, and possibly begin to develop their pro-environmental behaviours.  The data on which this presentation draws is based on participant observations of two six week Forest School programmes with groups of children in a Leicestershire city mainstream school.  Further data will also be drawn from semi-structured interviews with Forest School Leaders themselves. References: Capaldi, C. A., Dopko, R. L. & Zelenski, J. M. (2014). The relationship between nature connectedness and happiness: a meta-analysis. Frontiers in Psychology, 5, 1-28, Knight, S., (2011). Forest School for All. London: SAGE Lumber, R., Richardson, M. & Sheffield, D. (2017). Beyond knowing nature: Contact, emotion, meaning, compassion and beauty as pathways to nature connectedness. PLoSONE, 12(5): e0177186. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0177186 Massey, S (2005) The benefits of a forest school experience for children in their early years, Topic 33, pp. 27-35, NFER Mayer, F. S., Frantz, C. M., Bruehlman-Senecal, E. & Dolliver, K. (2009). Why is nature beneficial? The role of Connectedness to Nature. Environment and Behaviour, 41, 607-643. Tam, K.-P. (2013). Concepts and measures related to connection to nature: Similarities and differences. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 34, 64–78. Tam, K.-P., Lee, S.-L. & Chao, M. M. (2013). Saving Mr. Nature: Anthropomorphism enhances connectedness to and protectiveness toward nature. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 49(3), 514–521. Waite, Sl, Passy, R., Gilchrist, M., Hunt, A., & Blackwell, I., (2016) Natural Connections Demonstration Project, 2012-2016: Final Report. Natural England Commissioned Reports, Number 215.
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    "It's a bit of freedom from home and cleaning all the time": Schooling, Gender Relations and Gypsy Communities in England
    (Emerald Publishing, 2019-06-10) Cudworth, David
    Much has been written over the past 50 years about the concerns associated with the educational underachievement of Gypsy children in England. This work has usually focused on ethnicity and mobility as key factors that affect school attendance. However it is only relatively recently that a concern with gender relations has entered the debate. Therefore, the main purpose of this article is to provide an empirically driven contribution to this fledging area of enquiry. This article draws on semi-structured interview material and a focus group discussion about the educational experiences and aspirations of three mothers and six young women from the community. Further interview materials were collected from two head teachers with Gypsy children in their schools and two Traveller Education Support Staff. This article finds how educational ‘public’ space are providing a place for girls and young women to think differently and even begin to challenge the gender regimes embedded within the ‘private’ space of their communities. In line with the idea that space and place are fundamental in formulating gender relations this article frames this phenomenon within a socio-spatial context.
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    Negotiations of Power and Resistance: A spatial exploration of educational policy and practice with particular attention to the stories surrounding the learning and teaching of Gypsy/Traveller children
    (De Montfort University, 2016-06) Cudworth, David
    The educational underachievement of Gypsy/Traveller children was first identified in the late 1960s. Yet subsequent government reports and other sources from the mid-1980s through to the 2000s continue to emphasise the significant educational ‘underachievement’ of children from these communities. This thesis makes an original contribution to knowledge by considering why nothing much seems to have changed for these children for over fifty years. It does this by exploring the distinctive relationship between these children’s particular lifeways and the educational structure of schooling in England. The theoretical aim of this work is to consider the lived experience within the context of spatial theory. By deploying a spatial ‘lens’ to analyse the schooling situation faced by Gypsy/Traveller communities, this thesis makes a further significant contribution to knowledge. Space and place are being reconceptualised, particularly within the social sciences, in order to help make sense of the power relations implicit within contemporary capitalist society. However, educational enquiry has only recently begun to embrace this ‘spatial turn’ and this thesis therefore offers an original empirical insight into this developing field of investigation. The work finds that some teachers and some schools are able to adapt dominant cultural practices in order to accommodate Gypsy/Traveller children. However, many schools find this difficult to achieve due to tension between the cultural norms and expectations associated with the dominant cultural norm of Sedentarism and those of Nomadism, which continues to be a strong cultural characteristic of many Gypsy/Traveller communities. A further finding highlights how community encouragement for the adoption of strict gender roles at a young age is also at the heart of the ‘problem’ of educational underachievement, as some parents restrict access to schooling beyond primary education. Despite this, it was found that, for some girls, schooling proved to provide a space in which to challenge the gender norms of their communities. There is limited literature relating to issues of gender and the schooling of Gypsy/Traveller children, and this work offers an empirical insight into this developing field of enquiry.
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    The radical difference of nomadism - inclusive education and the exclusions of Gypsy/ Traveller children in England.
    (Fourth International Conference on Interdisciplinary Social Sciences, Athens, Greece, 2009-07) Cudworth, David
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    Reconfiguring the Spatial Constructions of Schooling for Gypsy/traveller Children
    (2012-06-19) Cudworth, David
    The unique spatial orientations of many Gypsy/Traveller communities are often at odds with the spatial construction of the school environment. As a result, this paper argues that many children from these communities remain marginalised within the structural configuration of the schools they attend. One of the main concerns of this paper is the prejudice and bullying from both staff and non-gypsy children that children from Gypsy/Traveller communities experience in the schools they attend. Furthermore, many children from these communities are often misunderstood and actively marginalized within a structure that has become driven by a performance agenda at the expense of genuine ‘inclusive schooling’ for all children. By examining their situation within spatial theory, this paper attempts to locate the marginalization and exclusion of these children within the context of the spatial configuration of what goes on in schools. The article will draw on interview material from parents and others who work with these children in schools, as well as observations in schools. By examining such material this article will suggest how individual schools have the potential to operate differently in order to create the spatial conditions in which children from Gypsy/Traveller communities feel accepted and equally accommodated in school.
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    Schooling and Travelling Communities: Exploring the Spaces of Educational Exclusion
    (Palgrave McMillan, 2018-06-12) Cudworth, David
    This book calls for a re-thinking of educational provision for Gypsy / Traveller communities. Despite having been recognised by the government and educational providers for over fifty years, underachievement of children from Gypsy / Traveller communities persists. Rather than focusing specifically on access, attendance and attainment, the author provides a structural analysis of the cultural tensions that often exist between Nomadic communities and current school provision based on the interests and values of Sedentarism. The author uses spatial theory as a base upon which to build knowledge and understanding of the educational exclusion of children from Gypsy / Traveller communities, highlighting the social role that space plays within schools. This innovative book will be of interest and value for students and scholars interested in not only education and Gypsy / Traveller communities, but education for minority communities more widely.
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    Schooling, Space and Equality
    (2014-09-23) Cudworth, David
    Over the last 30 years or so neo-liberal informed policy has underpinned the development of a school system based on the performance of teachers and children. Consequently, the school environment has increasingly reflected dominant discourses around ‘managerialsim, efficiency, effectiveness, accountability and performativity’. The ‘representational space’ of teachers and children in schools’ has ‘changed beyond all recognition’ (Turner-Bisset, 2007:193). Drawing on the idea that the school is a socio-spatial landscape and ‘one of the most significant’ institutional spaces children engage (Foley & Leverett, 2011:29), we can understand forms of educational inequality as a consequence of spatial production. This paper contributes to the emerging literature, which suggests that the spatial dimension of education is increasingly important in analysing the re/production of individual identities and social inequalities. Using spatial theory (particularly that of Lefebvre (1991) and Soja (1989, 1996)) this paper examines the overlapping relationships of spatial production including: spatial practices of teaching and learning; representational space in terms of policy discourse, and finally, spatial representations in terms of the daily experiences of school life. The particular emphasis of this paper is to examine the stories of people’s schooling experiences in order to investigate how schools shape, have shaped, and are shaped by the ‘structures’ and ‘landscapes’ of the education process as well as the social practices and interactions of participants. With a particularly focus on Gypsy/Traveller experiences of school, this paper examines the particular situation of children from these communities and their unique relationship with the schooling system and education more widely. The data on which this paper draws reflects a range of perspectives gathered from three main ‘interest’ groups. These three ‘interest’ groups consisted of professionals working ‘inside’ schools; those working ‘outside’ schools alongside Gypsy/Traveller communities and finally the communities themselves. A mixed methods approach was adopted. Data comprised three focus groups (which loosely represented the three main interest groups) and twenty-three one to one semi-structured / unstructured interviews across the interest groups. Small scale ethnography was also used by way of participant observation in two English primary schools. The research finds that teachers and some schools are able to adapt practices to support the inclusion of Gypsy/Traveller children. This however, is within a context of the socio-spatial landscape of neo-liberal schooling. Putting space at the centre of analysis enables us to see how alternative spaces might be created in which children from Gypsy/Traveller communities feel accepted and equally accommodated.
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    Schooling, Space and Social Justice
    (Sage, 2015-04-06) Cudworth, David
    The representational space of teachers and children in schools has changed beyond all recognition. Drawing on the idea that the school is a socio-spatial landscape, a highly significant institutional space with which children engage, we can understand forms of educational inequality as consequences of spatial production. This article contributes to the emerging literature suggesting that the spatial dimension of education is increasingly important in analysing the re/production of individual identities and social inequalities. Putting space at the centre of the article provides a further tool in which to analyse the possibilities for change in terms of educational social justice for all children. Using spatial theory, this article examines the overlapping relationships of spatial production, including: spatial practices of teaching and learning; representational space in terms of policy discourse; and spatial representations in terms of the daily experiences of school life. The particular emphasis is to examine the stories of people’s schooling experiences in order to investigate how schools shape, have shaped, and are shaped by the ‘structures’ and ‘landscapes’ of the education process, as well as by the social practices and interactions of participants. With a particular focus on Gypsy/Traveller experiences of school, this article examines the situation of children from these communities and their unique relationship with the schooling system and education more widely.
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    Schooling, Space and Social Justice
    (2014-04-08) Cudworth, David
    The ‘representational space’ of teachers and children in schools’ has ‘changed beyond all recognition’ (Turner-Bisset, 2007:193). Drawing on the idea that the school is a socio-spatial landscape and ‘one of the most significant’ institutional spaces children engage (Foley & Leverett, 2011:29), we can understand forms of educational inequality as a consequence of spatial production. This paper contributes to the emerging literature, which suggests that the spatial dimension of education is increasingly important in analysing the re/production of individual identities and social inequalities. By putting space at the centre of this paper provides a further tool in which to analyse the possibilities for change in terms of educational social justice for all children. Using spatial theory (particularly that of Lefebvre (1991) and Soja (1989, 1996)) this paper examines the overlapping relationships of spatial production including: spatial practices of teaching and learning; representational space in terms of policy discourse, and finally, spatial representations in terms of the daily experiences of school life. The particular emphasis of this paper is to examine the stories of people’s schooling experiences in order to investigate how schools shape, have shaped, and are shaped by the ‘structures’ and ‘landscapes’ of the education process as well as the social practices and interactions of participants. With a particular focus on Gypsy/Traveller experiences of school, this paper examines the particular situation of children from these communities and their unique relationship with the schooling system and education more widely.
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    Spaces of Exclusion: The Schooling experiences of Gypsy/Traveller children in England
    (2016-04-23) Cudworth, David
    The ‘representational space’ of teachers and children in schools’ has ‘changed beyond all recognition’ (Turner-Bisset, 2007:193). Drawing on the idea that the school is a socio-spatial landscape and ‘one of the most significant’ institutional spaces children engage (Foley & Leverett, 2011:29), we can understand forms of educational inequality as a consequence of spatial production. This paper contributes to the emerging literature, which suggests that the spatial dimension of education is increasingly important in analysing the re/production of individual identities and social inequalities. By putting space at the centre of this paper provides a further tool in which to analyse the possibilities for change in terms of educational social justice for all children. Using spatial theory (particularly that of Lefebvre (1991) and Soja (1989, 1996)) this paper examines the overlapping relationships of spatial production including: spatial practices of teaching and learning; representational space in terms of policy discourse, and finally, spatial representations in terms of the daily experiences of school life. The particular emphasis of this paper is to examine the stories of people’s schooling experiences in order to investigate how schools shape, have shaped, and are shaped by the ‘structures’ and ‘landscapes’ of the education process as well as the social practices and interactions of participants. With a particular focus on Gypsy/Traveller experiences of school, this paper examines the particular situation of children from these communities and their unique relationship with the schooling system and education more widely.
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    Strangers in Strange Places: The Othering of Gypsy and Traveller Children in Eudcational Spaces
    (2010-09-05) Cudworth, David; Bhopal, Kalwant
    The poor attendance and underachievement of Gypsy and Traveller children within the UK education system has long been acknowledged as a source of concern ( DfES 2003, 2005; DCSF 2009, 2010; OfSTED 1996, 1999, 2003; Save the Children 2001; Liegeois, 1998; Swann, 1985; Plowden, 1967). For such communities, contemporary aims and values of education often sit uncomfortably with their own personal belief systems, especially in relation to their desire to be mobile. As a result, many children from Gypsy and Traveller communities are more likely to be misunderstood within schools and perceived as posing a challenge. This article will examine inclusionary processes and examples of ‘good practice’ in one primary and one secondary schoos in one inner London borough in the UK. It will specifically explore these experiences in relation to the spatial aspect of the school. Gypsy and Traveller children have unique spatial orientations which are at odds with the spatial construction of the school environment. Part of this investigation will incorporate an examination of the discourses within educational policy. Specifically, we will consider the way in which by setting up the structured ‘spaces’ within schools, the implications of such policy frames continues to marginalise and other Gypsy and Traveller children within the school environment. The overall aim of the article is not to arrive at a completed position, but hopefully by analyzing educational policy as a discursive device in terms of the unequal ‘spaces’ it produces and creates, it hopefully will stimulate further ideas around regulation, equity, power and space.
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