Papers by Leah Burch
Disability & Society, 2017
Produced and published by the coalition government, the publication of the 2014 Special Education... more Produced and published by the coalition government, the publication of the 2014 Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice: 0–25 years (2014 SENCoP) sets out to overhaul the management of special educational needs (SEN) provision across England and Wales. This paper employs a critical discourse analysis (CDA) of the 2014 SENCoP to reveal the ideologies and aims that this policy is built upon. Following a Foucauldian framework of governmentality, this article focuses upon the way in which ‘a successful transition to adulthood’ is constructed within the policy, particularly in relation to the wider Conservative narrative of a ‘Big Society.’ Developing this analysis, the article draws upon the current political landscape of a Conservative government and the shift towards the creation of a ‘shared society’ in attempt to locate ‘adulthood’ within its wider political, economic, and cultural context. This analysis reveals the neoliberal values underpinning the 2014 SENCoP, whereby educational support is reduced to the practice of shaping and sculpting the future generation of citizens. By deconstructing notions of employment, independence, participation, and health, this article reveals the 2014 SENCoP as a tool of government, written to the demands of the economy rather than the unique needs, aspirations, and ambitions of children and young people labelled with SEN.
Presented by actress and comedian Sally Phillips, A World
Without Down’s Syndrome has brought imp... more Presented by actress and comedian Sally Phillips, A World
Without Down’s Syndrome has brought important ethical
debates regarding prenatal screening into the public
domain. By talking to people with Down’s syndrome, family
members, and professionals, Sally has presented a nuanced
and thorough examination of the type of world we are living
in. Following the documentary, Twitter users have continued
to engage with debates and have created a resilient platform
for challenging public attitudes. This paper explores the ways
in which Twitter hashtags have provided a space for such
important and long overdue conversations. While it would
not be possible to provide a full overview of the topical
conversations that the two hashtags have provoked, I aim to
focus on some of the most prominent topics. The following,
then, will explore the potential of alternative narratives that
resist, and disrupt, normative notions of the human using the
hashtags #worldwithoutdowns and #justaboutcoping.
Held at the Merseyside Maritime Museum on 13 October 2015, this conference brought together recen... more Held at the Merseyside Maritime Museum on 13 October 2015, this conference brought together recent research, policy, and practice to discuss the latest developments in challenging hate crime. Organized by the International Criminological Research Unit (ICRU) at the University of Liverpool, inpartnership with Merseyside Police and Moving On with Life and Learning (MOWLL), the importance of “partnership” echoed throughout the day. The transdisciplinary nature of the conference invited speakers from a range of fields to explore the impact of hate crime for the communities too often placed at the centre of victimology. The wide range of speakers included activists, academics, and practitioners representing disability, race, religion, sexual orientation, and gender identity. While recognizing the unique cases of hate crime for these different communities, the idea of collaboration was central to developing future debates that could continue to challenge all aspects of hate crime.
Book Reviews by Leah Burch
Conference Presentations by Leah Burch
Arts-based methods in disability research, 2019
In this presentation, I outline my use of arts-based methods in a research project about disabili... more In this presentation, I outline my use of arts-based methods in a research project about disability hate crime.
Nordic Network of Disability Research, 2019
There is a growing field of research suggesting that disabled people experience hate and hate cri... more There is a growing field of research suggesting that disabled people experience hate and hate crime on a regular basis. This paper hopes to contribute to this growing field, by exploring some of the different ways that disabled report experiencing hate and hate crime in the context of their everyday lives.
Drawing upon the stories told by participants in an ongoing research project, I will share the diversity of understandings and meanings attached to the concept of hate crime, and discuss some of the ways that these experiences can ‘hurt’ and ‘harm’ participants. These perspectives hope to contribute to the development of a more holistic understanding of hate crime, that recognises the different forms it can take, and the intricate ways that it manifests within the everyday lives of disabled people.
Developing this further, I will discuss some of the ways that disabled people manage experiences of disablist hate crime. In particular, I pay attention to the resistive practices and strategies employed as a means of challenging the oppressive intention of hate crime as well as generating more honest understandings of disability that disrupt traditional ways of thinking about disabled people. Doing so, I hope to explore the intricate ways that disabled people negotiate experiences of hate crime, and navigate their social worlds accordingly. In addition, I consider some of the collective resistance already taking place in the community.
Research suggests that disabled people experience disablist hate speech and verbal abuse on a reg... more Research suggests that disabled people experience disablist hate speech and verbal abuse on a regular basis. Yet current legislation in England and Wales is limited in its ability to challenge this. This paper considers the limitations of policy, and provides the grounding for developing a broader and more inclusive approach to hate crime legislation. This paper seeks to explore conceptual debates surrounding hate speech by positioning the experiential accounts of disabled people at the forefront. By considering this debate through the stories of disabled people, I suggest a more nuanced and reflective policy framework can be developed, which would be more inclusive of the diversity and complexity of everyday experiences.
Drawing upon research findings, this paper attempts to forge links between conceptual debates and everyday realities in order to generate a more nuanced understanding of disablist hate speech that is informed by and through experience. I discuss some of the ways that disablist hate speech is understood and experienced. Doing so, I bring to light the complex ways that hate speech ‘harms’ through the internalisation of hateful attitudes. In addition, I recognise the everyday practices of resistance that people employ to challenge hate speech and provide more affirmative counter narratives.
This is a draft version of a paper presented at the 'Disability Gains in the Academy' Symposium h... more This is a draft version of a paper presented at the 'Disability Gains in the Academy' Symposium held at Liverpool Hope University.
The reflective nature of this presentation aims to briefly touch on a number of considerations when studying and teaching disability studies in the classroom. First, I reflect on my own identity dilemmas that have occurred as a result of transitioning between the roles of 'student' and 'teacher' simultaneously. Following this, I consider some of the difficulties that students may encounter when studying disability studies in relation to the disruptive nature of this field. Next, I attempt to understand these difficulties using the concept of 'deterritorialisation' as a means of theorizing these moments of disruption and reflection within the classroom. Finally, I consider what type of classroom we might aspire to create that can account for the risks and possibilities of studying disability studies that encourage critical reflection.
This presentation was presented at Liverpool Hope University at the 'Disability & Disciplines' Co... more This presentation was presented at Liverpool Hope University at the 'Disability & Disciplines' Conference, 2017. It presents some research findings from a research project entitled 'All Parasites Should Perish': online disablist hate speech on Reddit.
This paper employs a Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) of the 2014 Special Educational Needs Code... more This paper employs a Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) of the 2014 Special Educational Needs Code of Practice:0-25 Years (2014 SENCoP) to reveal its illusionary discourse. By identifying the 2014 SENCoP within its Coalition context, it is argued that this piece of education policy becomes a tool to sculpt and confine the educational journey of children and young adults. Focused on the code’s definition of a ‘successful transition to/preparation for adulthood’ this presentation deconstructs the normative expectations of the code, with regard to their contextual and political influences. In particular, aspirations for ‘independence’ and ‘adulthood’ are revealed by this presentation as keyed to a neoliberal definition of citizenship, based upon the Coalition endorsement of a free, fair, and responsible society. It is concluded that the 2014 SENCoP is politically defined, directed, and bound to the economic demands of society and results in the ideological hijacking of any holistic value of adulthood.
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Papers by Leah Burch
Without Down’s Syndrome has brought important ethical
debates regarding prenatal screening into the public
domain. By talking to people with Down’s syndrome, family
members, and professionals, Sally has presented a nuanced
and thorough examination of the type of world we are living
in. Following the documentary, Twitter users have continued
to engage with debates and have created a resilient platform
for challenging public attitudes. This paper explores the ways
in which Twitter hashtags have provided a space for such
important and long overdue conversations. While it would
not be possible to provide a full overview of the topical
conversations that the two hashtags have provoked, I aim to
focus on some of the most prominent topics. The following,
then, will explore the potential of alternative narratives that
resist, and disrupt, normative notions of the human using the
hashtags #worldwithoutdowns and #justaboutcoping.
Book Reviews by Leah Burch
Conference Presentations by Leah Burch
Drawing upon the stories told by participants in an ongoing research project, I will share the diversity of understandings and meanings attached to the concept of hate crime, and discuss some of the ways that these experiences can ‘hurt’ and ‘harm’ participants. These perspectives hope to contribute to the development of a more holistic understanding of hate crime, that recognises the different forms it can take, and the intricate ways that it manifests within the everyday lives of disabled people.
Developing this further, I will discuss some of the ways that disabled people manage experiences of disablist hate crime. In particular, I pay attention to the resistive practices and strategies employed as a means of challenging the oppressive intention of hate crime as well as generating more honest understandings of disability that disrupt traditional ways of thinking about disabled people. Doing so, I hope to explore the intricate ways that disabled people negotiate experiences of hate crime, and navigate their social worlds accordingly. In addition, I consider some of the collective resistance already taking place in the community.
Drawing upon research findings, this paper attempts to forge links between conceptual debates and everyday realities in order to generate a more nuanced understanding of disablist hate speech that is informed by and through experience. I discuss some of the ways that disablist hate speech is understood and experienced. Doing so, I bring to light the complex ways that hate speech ‘harms’ through the internalisation of hateful attitudes. In addition, I recognise the everyday practices of resistance that people employ to challenge hate speech and provide more affirmative counter narratives.
The reflective nature of this presentation aims to briefly touch on a number of considerations when studying and teaching disability studies in the classroom. First, I reflect on my own identity dilemmas that have occurred as a result of transitioning between the roles of 'student' and 'teacher' simultaneously. Following this, I consider some of the difficulties that students may encounter when studying disability studies in relation to the disruptive nature of this field. Next, I attempt to understand these difficulties using the concept of 'deterritorialisation' as a means of theorizing these moments of disruption and reflection within the classroom. Finally, I consider what type of classroom we might aspire to create that can account for the risks and possibilities of studying disability studies that encourage critical reflection.
Without Down’s Syndrome has brought important ethical
debates regarding prenatal screening into the public
domain. By talking to people with Down’s syndrome, family
members, and professionals, Sally has presented a nuanced
and thorough examination of the type of world we are living
in. Following the documentary, Twitter users have continued
to engage with debates and have created a resilient platform
for challenging public attitudes. This paper explores the ways
in which Twitter hashtags have provided a space for such
important and long overdue conversations. While it would
not be possible to provide a full overview of the topical
conversations that the two hashtags have provoked, I aim to
focus on some of the most prominent topics. The following,
then, will explore the potential of alternative narratives that
resist, and disrupt, normative notions of the human using the
hashtags #worldwithoutdowns and #justaboutcoping.
Drawing upon the stories told by participants in an ongoing research project, I will share the diversity of understandings and meanings attached to the concept of hate crime, and discuss some of the ways that these experiences can ‘hurt’ and ‘harm’ participants. These perspectives hope to contribute to the development of a more holistic understanding of hate crime, that recognises the different forms it can take, and the intricate ways that it manifests within the everyday lives of disabled people.
Developing this further, I will discuss some of the ways that disabled people manage experiences of disablist hate crime. In particular, I pay attention to the resistive practices and strategies employed as a means of challenging the oppressive intention of hate crime as well as generating more honest understandings of disability that disrupt traditional ways of thinking about disabled people. Doing so, I hope to explore the intricate ways that disabled people negotiate experiences of hate crime, and navigate their social worlds accordingly. In addition, I consider some of the collective resistance already taking place in the community.
Drawing upon research findings, this paper attempts to forge links between conceptual debates and everyday realities in order to generate a more nuanced understanding of disablist hate speech that is informed by and through experience. I discuss some of the ways that disablist hate speech is understood and experienced. Doing so, I bring to light the complex ways that hate speech ‘harms’ through the internalisation of hateful attitudes. In addition, I recognise the everyday practices of resistance that people employ to challenge hate speech and provide more affirmative counter narratives.
The reflective nature of this presentation aims to briefly touch on a number of considerations when studying and teaching disability studies in the classroom. First, I reflect on my own identity dilemmas that have occurred as a result of transitioning between the roles of 'student' and 'teacher' simultaneously. Following this, I consider some of the difficulties that students may encounter when studying disability studies in relation to the disruptive nature of this field. Next, I attempt to understand these difficulties using the concept of 'deterritorialisation' as a means of theorizing these moments of disruption and reflection within the classroom. Finally, I consider what type of classroom we might aspire to create that can account for the risks and possibilities of studying disability studies that encourage critical reflection.