Steven Dempster, Educational Research, Lancaster University

Degree: PhD in Educational Research; MA in Education; PGCE in Religious Education, PSE and Health Education; BA (Hons)in Educational Studies and Religious Studies

Current Teaching

Research Interests

My PhD investigated issues of masculinities among male undergraduates at a campus university in England. Taking Connell's conceptualisation of multiple, hierarchical masculinities as its theoretical basis, the research investigated students' conceptualisations of laddishness, a form of masculinity considered popular among young British males. From this research I have authored four papers for academic journals. One of these papers, co-authored with Carolyn Jackson, was the subject of an article in The Guardian: http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/apr/07/crib-sheet-april-20091

Alongside Carolyn Jackson I have recently begun work funded by the Society for Educational Studies to investigate laddish cultures in a cohort of Sports Science undergraduates. I am also engaged in authoring a bid with Carolyn and Jane Sunderland (Linguistics) which will consider whether the presumed "Harry Potter effect" on boys' approaches to reading has any empirical foundation.

I am a member of the Swedish-English Network on Gender and Teaching, alongside colleagues from Educational Research at Lancaster, the University of Cumbria, and University of Gothenburg. This network will develop joint international empirical research in the area of gender and education.

Thanks to funding from North Lancashire teaching Primary Care Trust, REAP has recently completed two studies into the role of alcohol in the undergraduate student experience, focusing on students' attitudes towards peer influence and risk in their use of alcohol.

Working within REAP, I have gained an interest in issues of widening participation and extended my interest in, and understanding of, issues concerning social inclusion and inclusive educational practice. The REAP team is currently engaged in a thematic evaluation study on behalf of Aimhigher Lancashire, to add to the large body of work we have already done in this area. Areas we hope to cover include Information, Advice and Guidance, the value of Aimhigher Summer schools in preparing young people for higher education, and ways in which the legacy of Aimhigher can be embedded into institutions' widening participating menus, now Aimhigher funding has been removed.

As part of REAP's work within the local community I have been active in the training of young researchers (14-18 years old) as part of the Barrow-in-Furness Youth Re:Action Team (YRAT). REAP has collaborated with YRAT on a number of successful projects investigating regeneration and student representation inthe Barrow area http://www.youthreaction.org/

We aim to extend our experience of training young researchers in future projects and are seeking funding from the Paul Hamlyn Foundation for this.

My research interests are broadly sociological/social psychological, though I also have an interest in the history of education in England. My MA dissertation looked at provision of education for children of the working classes by the churches and the state in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Publications and Reports

Dempster, S., (2009), Having the balls, having it all? Sport and constructions of undergraduate laddishness, Gender and Education, vol. 21, no. 5, pp 481-500.

Jackson, C. and Dempster S., (2009), 'I sat back on my computer . . . with a bottle of whisky next to me': Constructing 'cool' masculinity through 'effortless' achievement in secondary and higher education, Journal of Gender Studies, vol. 18, no. 4, pp 341-356.

Warin, J. and Dempster, S., (2007), The salience of gender during the transition to Higher Education: male students' accounts of performed and authentic identities, British Educational Research Journal, vol. 33, no.6, pp 887-903.

Dempster, S. and Houghton, A., (2008), An Evaluation of 'Up2uni': A staff development programme to develop the role of teachers in guidance and encouraging pupils, Lancaster, REAP: Researching Equity, Access and Participation, Lancaster University.

Dempster, S. and Houghton, A., (2009), Students' and Professionals' Experience, Concerns and Issues regarding Alcohol use by Lancaster Students, Lancaster, REAP: Researching Equity, Access and Participation, Lancaster University/ NHS North Lancashire. Details now available on the HubCAPP* website: http://www.hubcapp.org.uk/MO2I(*HubCAPP: Hub of Commisioned Alcohol Projects and Policies, a national resource of local alcohol initiatives)

Dempster, S. and Houghton, A. (2010), Barrow Youth RE: Action Team Impact Report 2010, Researching Equity, Access and Participation, Lancaster University: available www.youthreaction.org

Dempster, S. and Houghton, A., (2010), An evaluation of the impact of the Youth Re:Action Team experience on YRAT Members, Researching Equity, Access and Participation, Lancaster University: available www.youthreaction.org

Houghton, A. and Dempster, S., (2008), An evaluation of Aimhigher Cumbria's contribution to the Carlisle Information Advice and Guidance Task Group, Lancaster, Researching Equity, Access and Participation, Lancaster University.

Houghton, A. and Dempster, S., (2011), Students, Alcohol and Risk Taking, Lancaster, Lancaster University/ NHS North Lancashire.

Conference Papers

Dempster, S., (2011), Equality Issues in Primary Education: Boys' failure and male role models, paper presented at the Joint Regional Conference of Soroptimist International North West England and the Isle of Man, Blackpool, May 2011.

Dempster, S. and Houghton, A., (2009), Students' and Professionals' Experience, Concerns and Issues regarding Alcohol use by Lancaster Students: paper presented at the NHS North Lancashire Research and Development Conference, Lancaster, September 2009.

Jackson, C. and Dempster S., (2009), 'Laddish' masculinities in schools and university: exploring continuities and discontinuities, presented at the Gender and Education Association 7th International Conference, March 2009, Institute of Education, University of London.

The County College

As a firm believer in the value of Lancaster's college system, I am an active member of The County College. I represent County at University Court and Senate and in 2006 I was elected Dean of The County College. As Dean, I am responsible for the discipline and welfare of over eight hundred students, and the appointment and management of four Assistant Deans.

Students wishing to contact me about College matters can do so by email or appointment, or by approaching me when I am about the College.

Eprints Publications Repository and Bibliographic Database

Dempster, Steven and Houghton, Ann-Marie (2009) Students' and professionals' experience, concerns and issues regarding alcohol use by Lancaster students. Working Paper. REAP: Researching Equity, Access and Participation, Lancaster University/ NHS North Lancashire., Lancaster. (Unpublished)

Other Interests and Hobbies

I am an avid reader of fiction and books on social and cultural history. I enjoy gardening, crosswords, being taken for walks by my dog, Roller Coaster Tycoon, and socialising in County College Bar.

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Dr. Steven Dempster Research & Teaching Associate, Recruitment Officer Degree: PhD in Educational Research; MA in Education; PGCE in Religious Education, PSE and Health Education; BA (Hons)in Educational Studies and Religious Studies Associated research centres and groups: Centre for Higher Education Research and Evaluation, Centre for Social Justice and Wellbeing in Education, Researching Equity Access and Participation (REAP) Current Teaching I currently convene: PinE 210 Developmental Psychology in Education PinE 213 Teaching and Being a Teacher I also teach on: EDS 100 Educating for the 21st Century PinE 103 Psychology in Education PinE 206 Qualitative Research Methods PinE300 Project Pine 312 Gender and Education Research Interests Gender in Education My PhD investigated issues of masculinities among male undergraduates at a campus university in England. Taking Connell's conceptualisation of multiple, hierarchical masculinities as its theoretical basis, the research investigated students' conceptualisations of laddishness, a form of masculinity considered popular among young British males. From this research I have authored four papers for academic journals. One of these papers, co-authored with Carolyn Jackson, was the subject of an article in The Guardian: http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/apr/07/crib-sheet-april-20091 Alongside Carolyn Jackson I have recently begun work funded by the Society for Educational Studies to investigate laddish cultures in a cohort of Sports Science undergraduates. I am also engaged in authoring a bid with Carolyn and Jane Sunderland (Linguistics) which will consider whether the presumed "Harry Potter effect" on boys' approaches to reading has any empirical foundation. I am a member of the Swedish-English Network on Gender and Teaching, alongside colleagues from Educational Research at Lancaster, the University of Cumbria, and University of Gothenburg. This network will develop joint international empirical research in the area of gender and education. Transitions to University and Student Experience of Higher Education Thanks to funding from North Lancashire teaching Primary Care Trust, REAP has recently completed two studies into the role of alcohol in the undergraduate student experience, focusing on students' attitudes towards peer influence and risk in their use of alcohol. Widening participation Working within REAP, I have gained an interest in issues of widening participation and extended my interest in, and understanding of, issues concerning social inclusion and inclusive educational practice. The REAP team is currently engaged in a thematic evaluation study on behalf of Aimhigher Lancashire, to add to the large body of work we have already done in this area. Areas we hope to cover include Information, Advice and Guidance, the value of Aimhigher Summer schools in preparing young people for higher education, and ways in which the legacy of Aimhigher can be embedded into institutions' widening participating menus, now Aimhigher funding has been removed. Training Young Researchers As part of REAP's work within the local community I have been active in the training of young researchers (14-18 years old) as part of the Barrow-in-Furness Youth Re:Action Team (YRAT). REAP has collaborated with YRAT on a number of successful projects investigating regeneration and student representation inthe Barrow area http://www.youthreaction.org/ We aim to extend our experience of training young researchers in future projects and are seeking funding from the Paul Hamlyn Foundation for this. Other research and educational interests My research interests are broadly sociological/social psychological, though I also have an interest in the history of education in England. My MA dissertation looked at provision of education for children of the working classes by the churches and the state in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Publications and Reports Publications Dempster, S., (2009), Having the balls, having it all? Sport and constructions of undergraduate laddishness, Gender and Education, vol. 21, no. 5, pp 481-500. Dempster, S., (2011), I drink, therefore I'm man: gender discourses, alcohol and the construction ofBritish undergraduate masculinities, Gender and Education, vol. 23, no. 5, available: http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content~db=all~content=a936662094~frm=titlelink Jackson, C. and Dempster S., (2009), 'I sat back on my computer . . . with a bottle of whisky next to me': Constructing 'cool' masculinity through 'effortless' achievement in secondary and higher education, Journal of Gender Studies, vol. 18, no. 4, pp 341-356. Warin, J. and Dempster, S., (2007), The salience of gender during the transition to Higher Education: male students' accounts of performed and authentic identities, British Educational Research Journal, vol. 33, no.6, pp 887-903. Executive Reports Dempster, S. and Houghton, A., (2008), An Evaluation of 'Up2uni': A staff development programme to develop the role of teachers in guidance and encouraging pupils, Lancaster, REAP: Researching Equity, Access and Participation, Lancaster University. Dempster, S. and Houghton, A., (2009), Students' and Professionals' Experience, Concerns and Issues regarding Alcohol use by Lancaster Students, Lancaster, REAP: Researching Equity, Access and Participation, Lancaster University/ NHS North Lancashire. Details now available on the HubCAPP* website: http://www.hubcapp.org.uk/MO2I(HubCAPP: Hub of Commisioned Alcohol Projects and Policies, a national resource of local alcohol initiatives) Dempster, S. and Houghton, A. (2010), Barrow Youth RE: Action Team Impact Report 2010, Researching Equity, Access and Participation, Lancaster University: available www.youthreaction.org Dempster, S. and Houghton, A., (2010), An evaluation of the impact of the Youth Re:Action Team experience on YRAT Members, Researching Equity, Access and Participation, Lancaster University: available www.youthreaction.org Houghton, A. and Dempster, S., (2008), An evaluation of Aimhigher Cumbria's contribution to the Carlisle Information Advice and Guidance Task Group, Lancaster, Researching Equity, Access and Participation, Lancaster University. Houghton, A. and Dempster, S., (2011), Students, Alcohol and Risk Taking, Lancaster, Lancaster University/ NHS North Lancashire. Conference Papers Dempster, S., (2011), Equality Issues in Primary Education: Boys' failure and male role models, paper presented at the Joint Regional Conference of Soroptimist International North West England and the Isle of Man, Blackpool, May 2011. Dempster, S. and Houghton, A., (2009), Students' and Professionals' Experience, Concerns and Issues regarding Alcohol use by Lancaster Students: paper presented at the NHS North Lancashire Research and Development Conference, Lancaster, September 2009. Jackson, C. and Dempster S., (2009), 'Laddish' masculinities in schools and university: exploring continuities and discontinuities, presented at the Gender and Education Association 7th International Conference, March 2009, Institute of Education, University of London. The County College As a firm believer in the value of Lancaster's college system, I am an active member of The County College. I represent County at University Court and Senate and in 2006 I was elected Dean of The County College. As Dean, I am responsible for the discipline and welfare of over eight hundred students, and the appointment and management of four Assistant Deans. Students wishing to contact me about College matters can do so by email or appointment, or by approaching me when I am about the College. The College's Deanery page can be found at: http://www.lancs.ac.uk/colleges/county/deanery.html Eprints Publications Repository and Bibliographic Database Steven Dempster has 2 selected publication records listed on this webpage. Use links to access abstracts and full text where available. View all records to sort by date, type and title. For all ePrints records go to http://eprints.lancs.ac.uk Dempster, Steven and Houghton, Ann-Marie (2009) Students' and professionals' experience, concerns and issues regarding alcohol use by Lancaster students. Working Paper. REAP: Researching Equity, Access and Participation, Lancaster University/ NHS North Lancashire., Lancaster. (Unpublished) Warin, J. A. and Dempster, S. (2007) The salience of gender during the transition to Higher Education: male students' accounts of performed and authentic identities. British Educational Research Journal, 33 (6). pp. 887-903. ISSN 0141-1926 Other Interests and Hobbies I am an avid reader of fiction and books on social and cultural history. I enjoy gardening, crosswords, being taken for walks by my dog, Roller Coaster Tycoon, and socialising in County College Bar. Associated Keywords:* Alcohol and illicit drug use, Gender, Gender and health, Gender constitution and performance, Gender identities, Higher education HE, Masculinities, Social contexts of learning, Social exclusion, Teaching and learning, Widening participation View all research activities, ePrints, news and events associated with Steven Dempster. «Back	Contact Details Tel: +44 (0)1524 594067 Room: County South, D 35 Office Hour: No set office hour- email for an appointment My Projects Barrow Engineering Project: Evaluation 'Laddism' in Higher Education All my projects >> View Staff Profiles Educational Research Staff All Faculty Staff Search Faculty by Keyword
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Dr. Steven Dempster