125th Anniversary Scholarship for Black British Researchers - Decolonising the Mind: Self-Care Practices and Anti-Racism

About the Project

There is a growing and productive body of work around a post- and decolonial social science which can analyse and confront racism. However, relatively little attention has been paid to the subjective experience of decolonisation and anti-racism, and specifically strategies at the individual level to combat, for example, unconscious harm produced by structural racism and racial trauma. Simultaneously, we are experiencing a proliferation of technologies of the self – everyday practices often labelled as self-care – aimed at enhancing cognition, wellbeing, resilience and mental health (e.g. mindfulness meditation, yoga, the self-optimisation movement). Yet the political dimensions of these practices remain underexamined, and in particular the ways in which they may reproduce – but also challenge – racism.  This project unites these dimensions to understand i) the potential role of practices of self-care in managing the experience of racism and developing anti-racist strategies and ii) reciprocally, what an anti-racist lens might reveal about the burgeoning social field of self-care.

Proposed Research Design

1. Theoretical scoping – critically analysing existing literature on subjective dimensions of ‘decolonising the mind’.
2. Historical precedents – identification and critical analysis of historical case studies to frame the present study. Examples might include e.g. Fanon’s work on developing an anti-racist psychiatry; training in non-violence in US civil rights movement; use of meditative techniques in Engaged Buddhism.
3. Contemporary empirical case study – this will identify and track the practices and experiences of individuals who explicitly build practices of self-care into their political identity. The methodology will emphasise an anti-racist and social-justice oriented participatory approach, based on co-creation that centres the issues faced by (racialised) actors. We will support you in identifying an appropriate case study and method (relevant to your experiences and objectives).
4. Data analysis appropriate to the method adopted.
5. Development of a toolkit for anti-racist self-care.

Intended Impacts

The project will have potential to make a significant contribution to interdisciplinary academic debates in de- and post-colonial theory, theories of race and identity, theories of new political subjectivities and agency and practices of self-care and their relationship to wellbeing – with reference to their political potential for challenging societal discrimination. It will also have potential to develop a toolkit with widespread appeal to practitioners in wellbeing and anti-racist activism.

Your Supervisory Team

The co-supervisors for this project are Professor Will Leggett and Dr Sadiya Akram.  Will is Professor of Political Sociology, with expertise in social and political theory, forms of political identity and participation and, in particular, the politics of individualised practices and wellbeing. Sadiya is Associate Professor in Sociology, with a focus on decolonisation, the political grammars of racialised groups, concepts of agency.  

 Research Training and Support

Our College of Social Sciences is a recognised Doctoral Training Centre and offers a comprehensive suite of research design, data collection and analysis modules. In addition, you will have the option of participating in topic-relevant MA modules in our School,  such as Sociology of Race & Racism and Transforming Identities, as well as becoming a member of our vibrant PGR community.

For more information and to apply on-line, please click the above “Apply” button.

Funding Details

Additional Funding Information

The University of Birmingham is proud to celebrate its remarkable 125-year journey and announce the launch of a groundbreaking scholarship initiative designed to empower and support Black British researchers in their pursuit of doctoral education.

Advert information