This year has seen heightened controversy over the relationship between rap music and youth violence in urban areas, especially London. ‘Drill’ – a type of gangsta rap known for striking a pose of menace and alienation, set to sparse yet catchy minor-keyed beats – has replaced ‘grime’ as the main focus for concern and condemnation. […]
Improving Sexual Health Awareness in Education
As Sexual Health Awareness Week 2018 draws to a close, Dr Debbie Fallon blogs for us on the current state of sexual health issues, education, and services in the UK. Sexual health awareness and education campaigns are of great importance, especially for young people who are navigating their independence for the first time. Rates of […]
The Long-Term Policy Failures in Education – The Northern Powerhouse and a Fairer Start
The start of the new school year, debates about the value of homework and concerns about how the Northern Powerhouse education fund is being spent are a further reminder of the inequalities in the UK education system. It is a priority that policy makers focus on addressing the long-term inequalities in the education system. As […]
It’s time to truly listen to mental health service users
On Monday the 16th of July a launch event was held for the new Greater Manchester Adult Mental Health Service User Network. Professionals talked about the wonderful work and strategies that are being put in place and operationalized However, what we wish to convey is that there are still too many people being failed by […]
Whiteness, class, and cohesion
The absence of extremism is not automatically evidence of ‘cohesive’ communities. Recent research identifies possibilities for intervention and political change which involves both reframing the problem of ‘cohesion’ and expanding its scope. For a number of years there has been growing interest in the disadvantage experienced by ‘poor white British’ communities. Over a decade since […]
Young people are the solution, not the problem
In order for communities to be strong enough to tackle extremism, the idea of community cohesion needs to extend beyond the current narrow boundaries The labelling of youth as ‘risky’ typically creates conflict between young people and authorities (particularly the police) and generates intergenerational tension as the young person kicks out against the label. The […]
The pathway to violent extremism: is socio-economic inequality, or our perception of it, to blame?
As part of our new publication ‘OnCohesion’ read Hilary Pilkington’s blog which focuses on violent extremism and what drivers may lead to it. Accurate information about suicide bomber Salman Abedi’s plans, it appears, had been received but its significance was not identified soon enough. Radicalisation research is a relatively new field of study that seeks […]
Why engineering in the UK must embrace change
2018 is the Year of Engineering, a UK Government campaign to increase awareness and understanding of what engineers do amongst young people. The reason for the drive is that despite demand, good career opportunities and higher than average earnings, industry struggles to recruit and retain the talent it needs. Many young people, especially women and […]
Cohesion again? Learning lessons from the ‘between’
As part of a preview to our new publication ‘OnCohesion’ read Dr Necla Acik and Dr Ajmal Hussain’s blog on why the renewed focus on social cohesion represented in the Mayor’s Independent Commission matters. Manchester’s Commission to tackle violent extremism and promote social cohesion was established because of the Manchester attack in May last year. […]
Youth engagement: can we afford not to invest in what works?
As part of a preview to our new publication ‘OnCohesion’ read Dr James Laurence’s blog from the collection which examines how effective youth social and civic engagement schemes can be in cultivating and strengthening social cohesion, especially among young people. Youth social and civic participation schemes create positive social mixing where young people are working […]