A reflection on
“Voicing Fashion podcast:
an intervention for intersectional social justice”
My practice context and positionality
Working as a lecturer and unit leader within the Leadership & Management programme at FBS, I am responsible for planning and creating all contents, as well as delivering most of the teaching sessions. I currently work on the design of a number of new units, focusing on diversifying our approach to formats and content delivery.
Curricular resources provided by UAL rely prominently on lectures and other tutor-led sessions, reading lists and standardised formats across the board. Eventually, a list of different materials such as films and documentaries or industry podcasts are recommended to students to enhance their learnings with complementary content. This standardisation of formats and approach restrict accessibility and is unsupportive of student autonomy. It might also aggravate the socio-economic gap between students from different backgrounds as very often extracurricular contents mean extra costs for students and/or are subject to normative interpretations.
As a mixed-race Spanish woman from the Canary Islands, my ethnic identity shapes my role lecturer in the UK. Despite being fluent in English, language triggered some insecurities for years and led to me to avoid certain social and professional situations in the past. These experiences enhance my empathy for students facing similar challenges. My working-class background shapes my awareness of socio-economic barriers and drives my commitment to inclusivity. I recognise myself as an introvert learner although I have developed personal and professional skills to minimise the impact of this trait in my practice and social life.
Acknowledging my positionality (Full statement in Appendix A), I am deeply invested in using my situation of privilege, as well as my experiences in the circumstances where I have been and I part of a minority, to act and advocate for fostering an equitable, inclusive, and supportive educational environment for all.
Why is this important?
UAL Data (Appendix B) shows high diversity of student profiles for 23/24. Leadership & Management programme figures are very much aligned with these UAL wide numbers. Despite this diversity, significant awarding gaps exist: students from B.A.M.E are 14 ppt less likely to achieve first and 2:1 qualifications compared to their peers. Similar gaps are observed between home and international students. Additionally, students from lower socio-economic backgrounds and first-generation students are 7 and 6 ppt, respectively, less likely to achieve these qualifications compared to their peers. (See UAL Data on awarding gaps in Appendix B)
The intervention idea
In an attempt to make the teaching and learning process more inclusive, this project proposes the launch of a podcast series run by and for students, where a panel of students, academics, and eventually industry guests, discuss and interpret theories, models and frameworks that are part of the curriculum, explore examples, and brainstorm on their implications to the present and future of the industry, society and the world.
The Voicing Fashion podcast artefact is thought to be managed by students who will design, plan and execute each episode with the guidance and assistance of tutees and UAL IT trainers. As students will own the end-to end process, there is a wide range of roles and responsibilities which accommodates a diversity of profiles and preferences. For example, a student who might not feel comfortable speaking in public or being recorded can contribute to content planning and preparation.
Why is it a good idea?
The rationale for this project follows Brookfield’s (2017) Four Lenses framework, which encompasses self-reflection, students’ perspectives, colleagues’ viewpoints, and insights from literature to critically examine teaching practices and enhance active learning engagement. Brookfield’s work highlights the importance of self-directed learning, power dynamics, critical theory, and race relations in education.
The proposed intervention has also been inspired by Freire’s (1968) “Pedagogy of the Oppressed” work, which emphasises the importance of transforming traditional educational structures from oppressive, hierarchical models in which teachers deposit knowledge into passive students, to empowering dialogical processes. From experience as a student, I have faced unflexible and standardised learning experiences that did not offer alternatives to the predesigned learning path. These experiences and my own positionality (Appendix A) have led me to develop a teaching style and approach that very much aligned with Freire’s theory, as I advocate for promoting student autonomy, personal interpretation and critical thinking across all formats and activities in my practice. This is why I am keen to challenge the formats in which we provide content to students in a unidirectional, hierarchical way, by exploring an alternative approach that also helps embed diversity and inclusivity in the teaching and learning experience.
The design of this intervention draws on existing research on podcast as an educational format, which generally supports its application. Podcasts offer flexibility for students to access lectures or course materials at their own pace and convenience, revisit lectures, and listen while commuting or doing chores (Carvalho et al., 2009). They can offer additional content beyond lectures, interviews with experts, or discussions (Bongey et al., 2008), as well as cater to different learners –ie. auditory learners benefit from audio content, and podcasts can break down complex topics (Lee & Chan, 2007).
Why and how is it inclusive?
This project aims to open a new space for student and academic staff to collaborate, offering opportunities for enhancing inclusivity from multiple perspectives. Firstly, fostering critical thinking, encouraging students to question and challenge existing norms, and promoting participatory learning where both teachers and students are active participants in knowledge construction (Freire, 1968). This creates a space for community building where diversity is embedded, generating a culture of belonging and collaboration and cultivating cultural intelligence (Levychin, 2018; Thomas, 2022).
This artefact also promotes a learning approach from individuality and individual interpretation of the theories, the examples, the industry and the world we study and exist in, which supports academic and industry decolonisation and democratisation, as very often extracurricular contents mean extra costs for students and/or are subject to normative interpretations (race, social background, gender). In that way, this podcast project also considers Crenshaw’s (1991) theory of intersectionality to its core. It advocates for the recognition of and response to the intersecting forms of oppression experienced by marginalised groups, since it draws on a person-centred approach which require us as a society, social system, university and classroom to respect, value and honour individuality beyond social categories. This project also draws on intersectionality to help recognise the limits of the standardised recognition of inequalities, as one core aim is to improve flexibility and accessibility by diversifying the formats of the provided learning materials.
Challenges, limitations and initial workarounds.
As highlighted in the intervention outline (Appendix C) there are some limitations to be considered. Some limitations being considered are:
- the promotion of the project encouraging students to take part in it,
- the recruitment criteria and process to ensure this works as a tool for inclusion, involving a diverse range of profiles,
- being podcasts an audio-only format in principle, supportive materials will be required to ensure accessibility,
- sustainability of the project, in relation to resources and technical requirements -planning, recording, editing, uploading.
The initial workarounds thought to mitigate the above limitations where:
- In order to test the concept, a series of non-recorded symposiums will be run in class, as part of the intra-curricular workshop session. These will serve as mock-up discussions to the potential realisation of a podcast, offering students the opportunity to experience first-hand the work involved in prepping contents, developing a personal view and preferred approach to it, collaborating and sharing. This concept trial will also let us assess format effectiveness and student interest which will inform the participant recruitment strategy.
- To ensure inclusive accessibility, transcripts will be provided and attached in downloadable formats. Supportive materials such as visual examples or activities might also be provided as/when relevant.
- Cadence will be tested – potentially aiming for a trimestral run, as a starting point. The topic and scope of each episode will be chosen by students, supported by project managing tutors. Technical training and support will also be provided.
Feedback from peers and tutor (Appendix D) was very positive on this intervention. In response to my presentation, they showed particular enthusiasm about the podcast ownership sitting with students, giving them a sense of accountability and responsibility in their own learning and development, as well as the ability to contribute to one another’s learning experience. They also raised a helpful point about how to regulate debates and conversations that might fall out of topic or even getting into controversial matters. The discussion led us to very good ideas:
- As the very first collective task, participants be required to build the Voicing Fashion manifesto, to cover their approach and commitment to Inclusivity and Diversity. They will be guided to do it by drawing on UAL DEI and Code of Conduct.
- In the circumstance of a controversial or delicate topic arising as part of podcast work, it could be an opportunity to turn the negative into positive and open a direct conversation to tackle any potential conflict, or social justice put at risk.
This is an exciting project with a lot of potential to help improve our ongoing inclusive practices and enhance UAL approach to DEI. However, I will only be able to realistically assess the sustainability and efficiency of a student-run podcast once I trial the concept and the practicalities of implementing it. As part of my tutor’s feedback, she suggested to question myself this from a personal perspective too – acknowledging my own positionality. Reflecting from there, I stay aware and watch out for the tendency to any unconscious bias towards the profiles I can relate more with -like international students or introvert learners- and welcome this project as a chance to work and learn to assist different intersectional identities by adopting a different role in the teaching-learning experience. I believe this to be a great opportunity to help embed the “human factor” discussed throughout the Inclusive Practices unit into the learning and teaching experience – both intra and extra-curriculum.
References
Bongey, S., Cizadlo, G., & Kalnbach, L. (2006). Explorations in course-casting: Podcasts in higher education. Campus-Wide Information Systems, 23(5), 350-367.
Brookfield, S. D. (2017). Becoming a critically reflective teacher (2nd ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey Bass.
Brookfield, S. D., Rudolph, J., & Yeo, E. Z. (2019). The power of critical thinking in learning and teaching. An interview with Professor Stephen D. Brookfield. Journal of Applied Learning & Teaching, 2(2), 76-90.
Carvalho, Ana & Almeida Aguiar, Cristina & Santos, Henrique & Oliveira, Lia & Marques, Aldina & Maciel, Romana. (2009). Podcasts in Higher Education: Students’ and Lecturers’ Perspectives. Available at: 10.1007/978-3-642-03115-1
Crenshaw, K. (1991). Mapping the Margins: Intersectionality, Identity politics, and Violence against Women of Color. Stanford Law Review, 43(6), pp.1241–1299. Available at: https://doi.org/10.2307/1229039
Ryan, F. (2019). Crippled: austerity and the demonization of disabled people. London; Brooklyn, Ny: Verso
Freire, P. (1968). Pedagogy of the oppressed, London: Penguin Books, 2017.
Isangula, K, Pallangyo, E. (2023). Promoting Students’ Meaningful Engagement in Active Learning Within a Group Setting: Reflections on Teaching and Learning Using Brookfield’s Four Lenses Model. Journal of Higher Education, Theory, and Practice, 23(10). Available at: 10.33423/jhetp.v23i10.6194
Lee, M. J. W., & Chan, A. (2007). Pervasive, lifestyle-integrated mobile learning for distance learners: An analysis and unexpected results from a podcasting study. The Journal of Open and Distance Learning, 22(3), 201-218. Available at: 10.1080/02680510701619810
Levychin, Richard. (2018). Why your CQ is just as important as your IQ (and EQ): Cultural intelligence is increasingly important for business success. Journal of Accountancy 225: 46
Preskill, S., & Brookfield, S. D. (2008). Learning as a way of leading: Lessons from the struggle for social justice. New York, N.Y: Jossey Bass.
QAA (2023). The inclusive education framework. [online] Available at: https://www.qaa.ac.uk/membership/collaborative-enhancement-projects/equality-diversity-and-inclusion/the-inclusive-education-framework
Thomas, Cate. (2022). Overcoming Identity Threat: Using Persona Pedagogy in Intersectionality and Inclusion Training. Social Sciences 11: 249. Available at: https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci11060249
Appendix
A) Positionality Statement
As a Spanish woman of mixed-race heritage from the Canary Islands, my identity profoundly influences my role as a higher education lecturer in the UK. Although I moved to the UK being fluent in English, language has been the biggest barrier in my career as acknowledging my limitations in vocabulary and pronunciation would trigger a lot of insecurities and would lead to me to avoid certain social and professional situations in fear of not being able to understand or to reply so naturally. These experiences have deepened my empathy with students navigating similar struggles, and I believe my international background enriches the cultural dialogue within the academic community, promoting global perspectives but, more importantly, it also provides me with the ability to easily identify circumstances where further inclusive practices are needed to ensure equity and fairness to students and colleagues of international backgrounds and diverse ethnicity. I bring over 12 years of fashion industry experience and current PhD studies into my teaching, and being a Millennial teaching predominantly Gen Z students, I bridge generational perspectives pivoting on the relative age proximity but also acknowledging the significant differences in both the academia and the industry -and the world in general- from my times as a student and entry level professional to my students’. Although I come from a working-class background, I am not the first in my family to achieve higher education, which shapes my awareness of socio-economic barriers and drives my commitment to inclusivity. Even though I have not been diagnosed with a disability, it has been noted that I am HSP (hypersensitive person). This is arguably a personality attribute (considered by some as a neurodivergent trait), which in the context of my practice makes me extremely empathetic towards students and colleagues facing diverse challenges, but it can also reflect in a tendency to be overwhelmed by sensorial and social stimuli. I recognise myself as an introvert learner although I have developed personal and professional skills to minimise the impact of this trait in my practice and social life. Aware of my positionality, I am deeply invested in and advocate for fostering an equitable, inclusive, and supportive educational environment for all.
B) UAL Data (23/24) screenshot
B.1. Enrolled Students Profiles
B.2. Enrolled Students Profiles
C) Intervention outline (formatted for presentation to group)
D) Feedback notes
Feedback from peers and tutor was very positive on this intervention, also raising some helpful points to consider:
- How will you to regulate debates and conversations that might fall out of topic or even getting into controversial matters? How will you protect freedom of speech?
- It was suggested to deal with delicate situations by turning the negative into positive: opportunities to raise active conversations on social justice and DEI.
- Positively valued the opportunity for student accountability and responsibility on their own learning.
- Positively valued student’s opportunity to contribute to one another’s learning experience.
- Tutor also welcomed the idea of this artefact, and highlighted some points for consideration:
- Technical skill requirements, resources, and other practicalities for implementation.
- The promotion of the initiative among students and the recruitment process
- The need to familiarise myself with the application of the podcast format in high education through existing literature, to better assess effectiveness and plan implementation.