Staff Profile
Dr Spencer Swain
Senior Lecturer
Senior Lecturer in Youth, Society and Education (Education Studies)
I have degrees in Social and Political Thought and Sport, Leisure and Culture; my PhD examined khat use within the Somali diaspora in Britain, exploring issues relating to identity, social exclusion, and morality/deviance. During my PhD, I worked as a lecturer and research assistant at Leeds Beckett University in the Centre for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, undertaking associate lectureship positions in Socio-Cultural studies (Sociology) and Management Studies at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
Over the past six years, I have held the position of Lecturer, then Senior Lecturer in Sociology and Sports Management at York St John University, teaching sociology/social policy and management-based modules. Throughout this time, I have sought to develop and implement materials that get students to critically debate issues relating to Social Justice surrounding the fair and equitable division of resources, opportunities, and privileges in society. Subsequently, I have experience teaching students about a range of inequalities ranging from 'race', ethnicity and diaspora studies to gender, sexuality and identity through the ideas of various social and political thinkers.
In addition to teaching students about social justice, I have also gained significant experience contributing to research methods modules, teaching the importance of epistemic justice through delivering sessions on qualitative research. Throughout, I have cultivated a student-centred approach to teaching and learning by effectively communicating theoretical concepts and applying them to real-world examples at various levels of the University curriculum, from foundation to postgraduate level. This dynamic approach has enabled me to provide intellectually stimulating modules that perform highly in student evaluations and conform to the philosophical underpinnings of equitable and inclusive teaching practice, which has seen me nominated for inclusive practice awards.
Recently, I have taken on the role of Senior Lecturer in Youth, Society and Education in the School of Education, Linguistics and Psychology at York St John University. In addition, I teach various interdisciplinary modules connected to Sociology, Politics and Cultural Studies. I also have the honour of being the research lead for CYPE and co-director of Inclusion, Society and Education research group.
Outside of academia, I have a background in education and community development. The latter saw me working on initiatives to engage socially excluded groups in health and social cohesion-based programs within inner-city neighbourhoods in Leeds and Bradford.
- School – School of Education, Language and Psychology
- Email – s.swain@yorksj.ac.uk
- Research - View my work in RaY
Teaching
My primary teaching responsibilities lie in the areas of Sociology, Politics and Cultural Studies, teaching students about an array of topics relating to Social Justice through the prisms of gender, 'race', migration, diaspora, community and morality/deviance. I have experience teaching across the university curriculum from foundation to postgraduate level, and I have received recognition from students for my teaching practice through being nominated for awards related to inclusive practice, student support and careers.
Research
In the area of research, I have applied my underpinning expertise in sociological theory to grand challenge questions in the area of social justice, undertaking research in the areas of education, youth and inequality as well as youth, leisure, migration and diaspora studies. Here, research funded by the National Collaborative Outreach Programme has examined the underrepresentation of working-class communities in higher education, documenting a need to shift policy from raising aspirations to moving debates toward a focus on the capabilities of the under-represented groups. The findings of this research have been presented to the Department of Education and used to fund initiatives within the North Yorkshire Coast Opportunity Area.
Similarly, research financed by the Office for Students has looked at the underrepresentation of service children in higher education, exposing how geographical mobility and the orientation of parents towards technical as opposed to academic education significantly reduces this group's propensity to apply to higher education.
Finally, research documenting the experiences of young British-Somali males has exposed the discrimination faced by this group and the spaces they use to forge syncretic identities that can resist their place on the margins of British society. This research has received positive feedback in external and internal audits for REF 2021 by being rated four stars (Internationally Excellent).
In addition to undertaking research, I enjoy communicating my research beyond the campus via guest talks (Bournemouth University; University of Hull; The Centre for Social Justice at York St John University) and radio (Yorkshire Coast Radio; BBC Radio York). In addition, my work has been featured in national and local media (The Guardian, The Daily Mirror, The Conversation and The Yorkshire Post).
Funded Research Projects:
£5,000 Goalball UK (2020) – The 'Goalball Family': An Exploration of the Social Value of Goalball Amongst Players and Communities in the UK.
£4,000 Office for Students (2019) – Youth, Community and Social Wellbeing: Investigating the Role of Youth Groups in the Health and Social Wellbeing of Young People in Semi-Rural Areas in the North of England.
£5,500 NCOP (National Collaborative Outreach Programme) (2018) - Service children's thoughts on applying for university: a qualitative study exploring why young people from military families in North Yorkshire are under-represented in higher education institutions.
£5,500 NCOP (National Collaborative Outreach Programme) (2018) – Barriers to Accessing University in Coastal Communities: A qualitative study exploring why young people living along the North Yorkshire Coast are underrepresented in Britain's Higher Education institutions.
Publications
Swain, S., Lashua, B., Spracklen, K. (2021) Khat-chewing, moral spacing and belonging: Sociological insights into the cultural space of the mafrish in the leisure lives of older and middle-aged British-Somali males. International Journal of the Sociology of Leisure. 4(3), pp. 1-22
Swain, S. (2021) Voices from the margins: Khat-chewing, devotional leisure, and ambivalence in the British-Somali diaspora. In: Caudwell, J and Di Martini-Ugolotti, N. (eds.) Leisure and forced migration: Reframing critical analysis of lives lived in the asylum system. London. Routledge.
Hague, N., Swain, S., and Madigan, D. (2020) The 'Goalball Family': An Exploration of the Social Value of Goalball Amongst Players and Communities in the UK. Goalball UK/ York St John University.
Hague, N., Swain, S., Smith, H., and Harland, R. (2020) Youth, Community and Social Wellbeing: Investigating the Role of Youth Groups in the Health and Social Wellbeing of Young People in Semi-Rural Areas in the North of England. Office for Students/ Future HY/ York St John University.
Swain, S. (2019) Sport, Power and Politics: Exploring Sport and Social Control within the Changing Context of Modernity. International Journal of the Sociology of Leisure. 2(4), pp. 385-402.
Ritchie, L., Swain, S., Bottomley, S., and Smith, H. (2019) Service children's thoughts on applying for university: a qualitative study exploring why young people from military families in North Yorkshire are under-represented in higher education institutions. Project Report. Office for Students/ Future HY/ York St John University, York.
Sloanes, O., Swain, S., Bottomley, S., and Smith, H. (2019) Barriers to Accessing University in Coastal Communities: A qualitative study exploring why young people living along the North Yorkshire Coast are underrepresented in Britain's Higher Education institutions. NCOP/York St John University, York.
Watson, N., Parker, A. and Swain, S. (2018) Sport, theology and dementia: Reflections on The Sporting Memories Network, UK. Quest, 70 (3), pp. 370-384.
Swain, S., Spracklen, K., Lashua, B. (2018) Khat-Chewing in Liminal Leisure Spaces: British-Somali Youth on the Margins. Leisure Studies, 37 (4), pp. 440-451.
Swain, S., (2018) From a symbol of 'Broken Britain', grime has become a voice for the voiceless. The Conversation.
Swain, S. (2018) Grime Music and Dark Leisure: Exploring Grime, Morality and Synoptic Control. Annals of Leisure Research., 21(4), pp. 480-492.
Watson, Nick J. and Parker, A. and Swain, Spencer (2018) Sport, Theology and Dementia: Reflections on The Sporting Memories Network, UK. In: Watson, Nick J. and Hargaden, K. and Brock, B., (eds.) Theology, Disability and Sport: Social Justice Perspectives. London. Routledge.
Swain, S. (2017). The Khat Controversy: Dark Leisure in a Liquid Modern World. Annals of Leisure Research, 20 (5), pp. 610-625.
Fletcher, Thomas and Swain, Spencer (2017) Strangers of the north: South Asians, cricket and the culture of 'Yorkshireness'. In: Riches, Gabby and Spracklen, Karl and Swain, Spencer, (eds.) Northernness, Northern Culture and Northern Narratives. London. Routledge.
Riches, G. Rankin-Wright, A. Swain, S. Kuppan, V. (2017). Moving Forward: Critical Reflections on Doing Social Justice Research. In. Long, J., Fletcher, T. and Watson, B. (eds) Sport, Leisure and Social Justice. London: Routledge.
Swain, S. (2017). Structural Theories of Leisure. In. Spracklen, K. Lashua, B. Sharpe, E. Swain, S. (eds) The Palgrave Handbook of Leisure Theory. Basingstoke. Palgrave.
Swain, S. (2017). Leisure in the Current Interregnum: Exploring the Social Theories of Anthony Giddens and Zygmunt Bauman. In. Spracklen, K. Lashua, B. Sharpe, E. Swain, S. (eds) The Palgrave Handbook of Leisure Theory. Basingstoke. Palgrave.
Spracklen, K., Sharpe, B. and Swain, Spencer (2017) Introduction to the Palgrave Handbook of Leisure Theory. In: Spracklen, K., Sharpe, B. and Swain, Spencer, (eds.) The Palgrave Handbook of Leisure Theory. Palgrave.
Spracklen, K. Lashua, B. Sharpe, E. Swain, S. (2017) The Palgrave Handbook of Leisure Theory. Basingstoke. Palgrave.
Riches, G. Spracklen, K. Swain, S. (2017) Northernness, Northern Culture and Northern Narratives. London. Routledge.
Fletcher, T. and Swain, S. (2016) Strangers of the North: South Asians, cricket, and the culture of 'Yorkshireness'. Journal for Cultural Research, 20 (1), pp. 86-100.
Riches, G., Spracklen, K., and Swain, S. (2016) Northernness, Northern Culture and Northern Narratives. Journal for Cultural Research, 20 (1), pp.1-3.
Swain, S. (2015) Fish and Chips: A History. Cultural Sociology, 9 (4), pp. 590-592.
Swain, S. (2014) Looking for Leroy: Illegible Black Masculinities. International Journal for Masculinity Studies, 9 (2), pp.141-144.
Professional Activities
Alongside my research and teaching roles, I have held several academic leadership responsibilities while at York St John, contributing to the School of Science, Technology and Health's academic quality panel (2018-2020) by helping oversee course validations and external examiner appointments. I have also had the pleasure of being a member of the Universities' Race Equality Charter working group and undertaken the role of Decolonising the Curriculum co-ordinator for the School of Science, Technology and Health, endeavours that strive to uphold York St John's commitment to social justice by making the institution an anti-racist university.
In addition to these school-wide positions, I have also undertaken course leadership at 2nd year and postgraduate levels. Away from campus, I am a member of the International Sociological Association and the Leisure Studies Association, serving as an evaluator of grant applications for the LSA's Research and Development Fund. I have also worked with the Academy of Social Sciences to nominate senior academics for fellowships and with Research England to help appoint senior academics to REF panels.
Leadership Overview:
2023 – Present: Co-lead (Research Group: Inclusion, Society and Education)
2023 – Present: Research Lead (CYPE – School of Education, Linguistics and Psychology)
2020 – Present: Race Equality Charter Member Representative (Science, Technology and Health)
2020 – 2022: Learning and Teaching Steering Group (Science, Technology and Health)
2019 – 2022: Academic Lead Taught Masters Programmes (Science, Technology and Health)
2018 – 2020: School Quality Panel – York St John University (Science, Technology and Health)
2017 – Present: Secretary of the Leisure Studies Association
2017 – Present: School Lead for the Inspiring Minds Project
