The Psychologist, Summer 2022
Tackling class-based inequality
Tackling class-based inequality
How can psychology tackle class-based inequalities?
We asked on Twitter…
Weird and wonderful
Giulia Poerio visits an ASMR exhibition at the Design Museum.
What it means to 'gather'
Jack MacLean reports from the Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival.
‘The dialogue between citizens and their governments – that’s what I care about’
Dr Kesi Mahendran (Open University) recently took up the role of Chair of the BPS Political Psychology Section, which she co-founded. Having previously worked in the Scottish Government, Mahendran later moved back into academia to explore the dialogue between citizens and governments, and recently established the Public Dialogue Psychology Collaboratory. Ella Rhodes spoke with her about her work and hopes for the future of the Section.
Scottish report highlights poverty’s impact on the health and wellbeing of children and young people
Ella Rhodes reports.
Psychologists recognised
Queen's honours and Academy of Medical Sciences Fellows.
‘It has become my nightmare’
A group of psychologists came together at a recent webinar to discuss the British Psychological Society’s #MakeIt10 campaign, to have social class included as the 10th protected characteristic under the Equality Act. The webinar also saw the launch of new guidance on using community psychology approaches to reduce the impact of inequality. Ella Rhodes reports.
The eye, not the spreadsheet
Penny Catterick writes.
To snorkel at the surface or dive the depths
Jade Howe writes.
From the President, July/August 2022
Your new British Psychological Society President, Nicky Hayes.
Climate and religion
John Steley writes.
Cultures turning into cults
Ruben Ferreira with a letter from our July/August edition.
Celebrating neurodiversity in Higher Education
Rather than simply raising awareness of neurodivergent people, Finola Farrant, Emma Owen, Fawn Lavina Hunkins-Beckford and Marta Jacksa argue that now is the time for universities to take concerted action to celebrate the collective neurodiversity of staff and students.
The superpower of kindness
Liz Bates on writing a storybook for children and accompanying guidebook for adults, published by Routledge. Plus, Janet Raju with a view from school, and Liz’s daughter Dr Sophie Bates with a clinical psychologist’s view.
‘What we eat, how we eat, how much, it’s all part of our class identities’
Our editor Jon Sutton meets Maxine Woolhouse to talk class and food.
Middle-class reflections
Martin Weegmann on ‘hidden injuries’ and advantages of class.
The underclass psychologist
Punit Shah with his personal reflections.
‘If we are serious about the pursuit of equality and fairness for all, it is essential that social class is recognised as a protected characteristic’
Ella Rhodes speaks with psychologists about ignoring class, and the potential impact of including class in the Equality Act.
‘It’s about creating environments where people feel that whatever position they are in society, somebody cares and wants to invest in helping them’
Professor Paula Reavey speaks to Shaoni Bhattacharya about how someone’s class, context and environment influences their mental health.
Class show and tells
Ian Danton introduces his winning effort in our poetry competition, around the theme of tackling class-based inequality.
‘They talked about having two versions of themselves’
Researcher Dr Lateesha Osbourne (University of Bath) spoke to Ella Rhodes about her PhD research, exploring Black students’ experiences at a higher education institution in the south of England.
‘I no longer try to shape myself to fit’
Theresa Marrinan meets Margo Ononaiye, the first Black woman to head up a Clinical Psychology Doctorate Programme in the UK.
Getting what you deserve?
Simon Goodman, Philippa Carr and Jackie Abell on the psychology of income inequality.
'People like us…'
Matthew J. Easterbrook on the psychology of class-based identities, interventions, and injunctions in education.
‘I viewed it as an unreachable, elite career’
Emily Reynolds hears from working class people who have struggled to make their way in Psychology.
Which rung are you on?
Emma Young digests the research on subjective feelings of class.
How social class is reflected in our Psychology
Matthew Warren digests the research.
The myth of meritocracy
Celine Brookes-Smith, Elizabeth Henshaw, Katie Place, Dr Will Curvis and the late Dr Ben Campbell on ‘pulling oneself up by one’s bootstraps’.
‘Improving the safety, quality, and stability of people’s environments should encourage healthy behaviour’
Richard Brown, a PhD student at Northumbria University, talks with his supervisor Dr Gillian Pepper.
What to read… to learn about social class
We asked Psychology of Social Class – UK Policy Implications (POSCUPI) members for their top books that psychologists should read to learn more about social class.
Editorial, July/August 2022
Editor Dr Jon Sutton introduces a bumper issue around the Senate theme of 'tackling class-based inequality'.
‘We need reform, and class has got to be protected’
Dr Bridgette Rickett, from the British Psychological Society’s Senate campaign group on tackling class-based inequality, meets Dr Suriyah Bi, founder of Equality Act Review.