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'Laddism' in Higher Education

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Summary: This research explores motives for 'laddish' behaviours among students studying sports science in a post 1992 university.

Key Facts

Type of Activity: Academic Research - Externally Funded

Principal Investigator: Carolyn Jackson

Co-investigator: Steven Dempster (Educational Research)

Dept/Research Groups: Educational Research, Centre for Social Justice and Wellbeing in Education

Keywords: Education, Femininities, Gender, Gender and education, Higher education HE, Masculinities, Psychology, Sociology

Project Description

This project runs between September 2011 and October 2012 and is funded by the Society for Educational Studies.

Aims and Research Questions

Drawing on a combination of gender theory, and social psychological theories of self-worth protection and motivation this research explores motives for 'laddish' behaviours among university students. The focus is on students studying sports science in a post 1992 university. More specifically, we are addressing the following research questions.

- What motives underpin 'laddish' attitudes and behaviours among these university students?

- What are the implications of 'laddism' for students (female and male) and lecturers?

- How may lecturers and universities begin to challenge and change problematic 'laddish' attitudes and behaviours?

Methods - questionnaire, interviews and observations.

Questionnaire - to all Sports Science students across years 1-3.

Interviews -12 semi-structured individual interviews with students in each year group (36 overall), and with 5 members of staff.

Observations - 4 classes per year group (12 classes overall).

The Research Team: Carolyn Jackson (Educational Research, Lancaster University), Steve Dempster (Educational Research, Lancaster University), Lucie Pollard (University of Greenwich)

Purpose of Research

Academic Research - Externally Funded

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