Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) within the School of Society and Culture

Dr Darren Aoki leads two modules specialising in the history of Japan as part of the BA (Hons) History programme: HIS5009MX – Early Modern Japan; and HIS6012 – Modern Japan. For many students, these modules are their first dedicated encounter with the study of Japan, as well as history outside of the Anglo-American/European west. Although all materials that students use are in translation/subtitled, the modules start with an introduction to the language, in order for students to acquire confidence when reading and speaking names and words for which they have little-to-know background familiarity.

These classes also introduce aspects of contemporary culture to generate some idea of how history is important to understanding the world we live in now. More critically, this introduction to language and culture foregrounds an approach that emphasises how students, themselves are 'other' or 'outsider', and in that consciousness, they can then begin to appreciate that the study of history of which they are more accustomed – the West – is not directly or automatically replicated in their approach to Japan. Considerable time is devoted to historiography, with a focus on how Americans and British were highly influential writing and dissemination of Japanese history in the post-Second World War, often with the effect of silencing Japanese (and east Asian historians) and their very different priorities. The modules specifically address how from the 1940s-1970s, approaches like Modernisation School directly reflect the position of authority that key foundational scholars of Japanese history in English acquired and exerted. 

Dr Ivan Tacey's research and teaching is committed to exploring the impacts of equality, diversity and inclusion on minority groups worldwide.

As a lecturer on the BA (Hons) Anthropology course, he currently leads the MX Module Decolonizing the Social Sciences which responds to contemporary calls to decolonise the social sciences. It reads the history of social science through the lens of post-colonial, black and indigenous intellectuals. The module draws upon Post-Colonial, Indigenous, Black, and Southern schools of Anthropology, Criminology and Sociology to critically rethink key issues in the social sciences. The module builds upon recent muti-modal approaches to examine how Black, Asian, and Indigenous movements in literature, art, cinematography and music have paved the way for new ways of thinking that challenge colonial science and thought. This opens pathways towards the democratisation and decolonisation of knowledge. Key topics of study on the module include Decolonizing Methods in the Social Sciences, the challenge of Afrofuturism and an Anthropology of the Otherwise to the Social Sciences, Decolonizing Place, Indigenous Criminology, Decolonizing Place, Post-Colonial Literature and Theory and Decolonizing our Relations with the Natural World.

Professor Zoë James has completed a number of projects over time that consider the impact of equality, diversity and inclusion on Gypsies, Travellers and Roma. Currently she is working on an Economic and Social Research Council funded study of Gypsies and Travellers’ Experiences of Crime and Justice: Realities Checked. This research has been completed in partnership with Professor Coretta Phillips at the London School of Economics and Professor Becky Taylor at the University of East Anglia. This multi-method research has garnered a comprehensive national dataset on the lived experiences of Gypsies and Travellers through oral histories, a survey and archive study. Professor James is also currently funded as part of the NETHATE European consortium completing research within hate studies. She sits of the Board of the International Network for Hate Studies and has a number of PhD students whose work critically examines issues of equality, diversity and inclusion.

Associate Professor, Dr Suanne Gibson , has over the past 10 years completed a number of UK and international projects that consider the impact of equality, diversity and inclusion on disabled students in HE and pupils with Special Educational Needs/Disability in mainstream education. 

Currently she is working on an interdisciplinary Royal Academy of Engineering funded study: Partnering for choice and change: Education for social inclusion. This research is being led in partnership with Associate Professor Aisya Khan, School of Engineering and the UK organisation Equal Engineers. Suanne’s regional leadership and development of the Are We Included? and Opportunity Plymouth school mentoring programmes, has resulted in her being invited as UK lead with 13 other countries on the global project: Exploring parents’ perceptions of inclusive education climates within school settings. This multi-method research will develop a significant international dataset on parental experiences and views of inclusive education- this is the first international study of its kind. 

Suanne works closely with significant national and international partners including Disability Rights UK, Disabled Students UK, National Association of Disability Practitioners and has established a productive network with Lord Chris Holmes resulting in changes to Education policy and policy briefings. She is a National Teaching Fellow and since 2014 has been an invited fellow of the Royal Society of the Arts. Suanne has a number of PhD students whose work critically examines issues of equality, diversity and inclusion in education.

Since 2006, Dr Ivan Tacey has worked with the Orang Asli (indigenous peoples of Peninsular Malaysia). His research among highly marginalised Batek hunter-gather and post-forager communities highlights how their religions, socio-economic practices, epistemologies, and ontologies are continually shaped through and contemporary and historical conditions of structural violence and modes of connectivity that pulsate through local, national, regional, and global networks. Alongside publishing academic papers and a monograph on Batek groups, he is currently working on a graphic novel about the Batek Maia people. This work aims to democratise knowledge about Malaysia’s indigenous peoples in a visually engaging format that engages both academic and non-academic audiences. His current research is exploring how Virtual Reality technologies can be used to communicate immersive experiences of shamanic journeys and altered states.

Dr Katie McBride joined the University of Plymouth after a career in equality and human rights. Dr McBride undertook support and policy roles in the public sector and within non-government organisations challenging discrimination and promoting equality. Dr McBride’s is a criminologist researching the impact of contemporary social, political and economic power structures on the lives of marginalised and excluded communities in the UK. In particular her work looks at trans individuals' experiences of hate, harm and trauma. Dr McBride uses in-depth ethnographic and participatory methods. This way of conducting research addresses historic power imbalances that exist in the research relationship between ‘researcher’ and ‘participant’ and creates opportunities for the co-production of knowledge and new ways to understand experiences of the contemporary world. She is Co-Director of the International Network for Hate Studies and has a number of PhD students whose work critically examines issues of equality, diversity and inclusion.

Dr Darren Aoki co-leads the Nikkei Memory Capture Project with Professor Carly Adams (University of Lethbridge, Canada). This oral history community project seeks to incite, record, preserve and share the history of people and communities of Japanese ancestry in Canada in the twentieth century. The Project interrogates and explores local, regional, Canadian, and trans-Pacific diasporic history from the perspective of the communities and identities it collaborates with, privileging what has often been in both public historical knowledge and academic historical work an under-appreciated, under-represented experience. With relevance to other minority groups and within the multi-ethnic polity of the Canadian settler colonial state, it explores how the Japanese - as economic migrants to Canada, and their descendants as Japanese Canadians - are complicit in and benefit from the settler colonial regime of the British Dominion initially, and then the Canadian state, even as they were the targets themselves of both systematic mass institutional state violence as well as individual inter-personal racial oppression and persecution.  

Date: Thursday 7 November
Location: Roland Levinsky Lecture Theatre

We have two incredibly, powerful and inspirational student role models who will be the key speakers for this first series. Disability in Higher Education is something we continue to raise awareness about and advocate positive impactful change to encourage and help our staff and students succeed in their career aspirations and student university journey.

10:30–11:30
Issy Hart 

We are excited to announce Issy, a dedicated Criminology student who has bravely navigated life with cerebral palsy. Issy is passionate about raising awareness for disabilities and advocating for equality and equal opportunities for all individuals, regardless of their challenges.

Through her personal journey, Issy aims to shed light on the realities faced by people with disabilities. She will share her own experiences, particularly focusing on the critical issue of hate crimes against individuals with disabilities. Her insights will not only inform but also inspire action towards creating a more inclusive society.

11:40–12:40
Doaa Shayea 

We are excited to introduce Doaa, one of our newest students who is not only pursuing a degree in Sociology but also excels as a full-time elite athlete. Despite facing the challenges of spina bifida, Doaa is determined to raise awareness about her condition and advocate for those she represents. 

During this event, Doaa will share her personal story, detailing her background and the experiences that have shaped her into the remarkable individual she is today. She will discuss her aspirations and goals as she embarks on her academic journey with us.

Date: Thursday 31 October
Location: RLB Jill Craigie Cinema

We are excited to announce an upcoming event as part of Black History Month. The event will feature Rachel Hawadi from the Hidden Figures project, which is dedicated to honouring the unsung heroes of Plymouth’s rich history. This initiative aims to shed light on individuals whose significant contributions have often gone unnoticed or unappreciated or forgotten. The event starts at 16:00 and will feature a talk by Rachel who will then also introduce the film, Hidden Figures (2016) which a powerful movie based on actual events that chronicles the struggles faced by three African American women at NASA during the space race. 

Find out more about Hidden Figures and book your tickets  

Dr Ben Colliver (Birmingham City University) - The Role of (In)Visibility in Transphobic Hate Crime
Dr Jane Healy (Bournemouth University) - Developing a profile of disablist hate crime offenders
Dr Gina Gwenffrewi (University of Edinburgh) - Inflammatory media discourse in its coverage of trans issues in the UK in 2023: a talk

This event celebrated heritage, culture, wellbeing and community in a creative space with the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business.
It was a cross-cultural event on campus, at the time of Persian New Year, Nowruz, the Indian festival of Holi, and Easter. Enjoy Indian dancing, Chinese music, African cuisine, yoga and a host of other activities. Our evening film screen acknowledges the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

To celebrate Black History Month, the school EDI committee invited Dr Sofia Chanda-Gool and Regis Ntavuka from the Plymouth and Devon Racial Equality Council to host a film showing of Red, White, and Blue and Lovers Rock, two critically acclaimed films from Steve McQueen’s Small Axe Anthology. The film showing at the Jill Craigie Cinema included a discussion led by Sofia and Regis on the films and their depictions of being black in Britain in the 1970s and 1980s. The film showing was also associated with the School of Society and Culture’s groups Culture and Heritage Exchange and Sustainable Social Justice.  

Students from the University of Plymouth, including Farah Amer (our school EDI student representative) organised a fantastic event that involved insightful talk by Dr. Rashid Khalidi (Columbia University). The talk on ‘October 7^th and the Re-writing of the Palestinian History’ offered enlightening insights and perspectives as well as creating opportunity for discussion. The event also involved time to socialise, offer an opportunity for students and staff to meet new people, and enjoy a variety of snacks. 

View a recording of the talk and discussion.

#ReclaimTheseStreets
The University of Plymouth Student Union and the Women’s Network support the #ReclaimTheseStreets movement in making Plymouth a safer place for all females.

The #ReclaimTheseStreets web page has important information relating to safety and support for women.

This includes: 

Women’s Aid also offer free train travel for anyone travelling to refuge accommodation.

Only download and install apps if it is safe to do so and you are sure your mobile phone is not being monitored. 

Plymouth is consistently ranked in the top 10 safest cities in the UK.

We uphold a culture of safety on our campus through our supportive student services and fast-responding campus security teams. 

Our close cooperation with the police and local initiatives means you can feel comfortable when out in the day or at night, confident that the right person will be there in case of an emergency or something you want to report.

Join us in strengthening a friendly and respectful relationship between students and local residents, keeping Plymouth a real community to which everyone can belong.

For more information about staying safe on campus and in the city, visit our safety in the city page.