PhD Students
A new MCYS PhD Scholarship
Interested in doctoral or postdoctoral research with MCYS?
A new MCYS PhD Scholarship
John Bellamy and Hannah Smithson were successful in their application for a NWCDTP Collaborative
Doctoral Award for a PhD on ‘Investigating potential linguistic prejudice in the Youth Justice System’.
Embracing a participatory child-centred sociolinguistic approach, the PhD project will address the significant gap in our understanding of the potentially damaging impact on children in the Youth Justice System (YJS) from pervasive negative views on their everyday language use.
Beginning in October 2024, the PhD research will fundamentally tackle the questions: to what extent does linguistic prejudice detrimentally affect the experiences, trajectories and outcomes of children in the YJS? How do we constructively address identified issues? The doctoral research will build on the existing formal partnership between the Manchester Centre for Youth Studies (MCYS) and the nine youth offending services across the Greater Manchester region as part of the Greater Manchester Youth Justice University Partnership (GMYJUP), therefore teaming up with one of the largest youth justice regions in the country.
In addition to the academic-orientated findings of the PhD research, the project will pave the way for the co-creation (with the children) of evidence-based materials to improve their experiences in the YJS.
The materials are likely to include detailed co-produced guidelines, comprehensive staff training packages and practical recommendations to improve policy, practice and service delivery in the YJS in order to tackle potential linguistic prejudice and mitigate its consequences.
For further information, contact:
For further
information, contact:
H.L.Smithson@mmu.ac.uk
J.bellamy@mmu.ac.uk
Current doctoral projects
Anuarita Mphwina
‘Exploring the lived experiences of racially minoritised children in youth justice system subject to Out of Court Disposals’
(ESRC, White Rose Doctoral Training Partnership)
Beatrice Tailby-Hardstaff
‘Solidarity! Engaging young people in working-class movements in the past, present & future’ (AHRC, North West Consortium Doctoral Training Partnership Collaborative Doctoral Award)
Clara Paul
‘Understanding the experiences and perceptions of children who have been ‘criminally exploited’: reframing the debate’
(ESRC CASE Studentship)
Hollie Rochfort
‘Investigating potential linguistic prejudice in the Youth Justice System: a participatory child-centred sociolinguistic approach to evaluate the impact on outcomes for children’ (ESRC, North West Consortium Doctoral Training Partnership)
Jennifer Lavender
‘Disrupting Flood Risk Management Narratives: Youth-centred research into Education, Action and Resilience in Flood-Affected Places’ (ESRC, White Rose Doctoral Training Partnership)
Vicki Morris
‘Appropriate Practice? An exploration of the role of the appropriate adult in supporting child suspects during police interviews’
(self-funded)
Interested in doctoral or postdoctoral research with MCYS?
Manchester Centre for Youth Studies invites expressions of interest from new doctoral and postdoctoral students who are interested in exploring themes connected to youth and childhood. We are currently part of the following doctoral partnerships:
• White Rose College of the Arts and Humanities (ESRC)
• Northwest Consortium Doctoral Training Partnership (AHRC)
We also support applications to the following postdoctoral schemes:
• Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
• Future Leaders Fellowships UKRI
• British Academy Fellowships
• Leverhulme early career fellowship
If you would like to apply, please contact a potential supervisor from our team with your research proposal. We will be happy to guide you through the application process or fill this form below.