DETAIL
Dr Deborah Phillips BA (1st class Hons) MA (Distinction) PhD
Contact Details
Name: Dr Deborah Phillips
Job Title: Senior Lecturer Social Work/Researcher
Address: Cornwall College, Camborne, Trevenson Road, Pool, Redruth, Cornwall, TR15 3RD
Tel: 01209 617712
Email: deborah.phillips@cbs.ac.uk
Research Details
My research is mainly concerned with Disability, Identity and Gender. My PhD research focused on the label 'learning difficulty'and how this may impact or conflict with a persons notion of their own identity. I have given a number of papers on the themes of gender, learning difficulties and embodied identities at a range of International Conferences (some of which are listed below). I am one of the founding members of the Cornwall Disability Research Network (CDRN)and have also organised the Cornwall Disability Research Conferences which are held at Cornwall College, Camborne campus. My work with CDRN has centered on disability in a rural environment; which has always been the major focus of our conferene themes. The 2009 conference: 'Geographies of Disability: What a Difference a Place Makes!' provided an opportunity for me to present two papers on my research. One paper, 'Cultural Scapes, Older Age and Learning Difficulties' was linked to my work with Professor George Giarchi at the University Plymouth and the other paper: 'Disability & Rurality' engaged with a research project supported by the HELP CETL CPD Award.
My research methodoloy stems from a qualitative, participatory paradigm. This includes narratives, oral histories and 'working with' research participants in all aspects of research generation.
I was successful in obtaining the HELP CETL (University Plymouth)2009/2010 Award Scheme and was therefore able to continue investigating into the theme of Disability and Rurality. This project focused on the question: 'What are the barriers and benefits for disabled people who live in a 'picture postcard' rural environment?' Perhaps what was unique about this project was that the research team consisted of four first year BA (Hons) Social Work degree students, four service users/carer (who support the social work degree at the Cornwall site) and two academics. The aim of this project was thus two fold. Firstly it sought to answer the above research question and secondly it aimed to document the actual process of conducting research by 'working together' with different knowledges and diverse backgrounds. Our research participants were people who experience mental health distress and older disabled people. Dissemination of this PROCESS and the research OUTCOMES, in the form of conferences, seminars and papers (work in progress) is listed below.
Selected Publications
Phillips, D (2007) 'Embodied Narratives; control, regulation and bodily resistance in the lifecourse of women with learning difficulties' in European Review of History, Vol 14, 4, Routledge.
Phillips, D (2004) 'The Dynamics of Partnerships and Professionals in the Lives of People with Learning Difficulties' in Barnes, C and Mercer, G (eds) 'Disability Policy and Practice: Applying the Social Model', Leeds, University Press
CONFERENCE PAPER PRESENTATIONS: (these are just a sample of some of the conferences i have attended and presented papers. The papers were usually available on-line at the venue)
Participating Differently: Creating Partnerships and Collecting Narratives of Women with Learning Difficulties Society for Disability Studies (SDS) Winnipeg, Canada (2001)
'Embodied Narratives: Gender, Learning Difficulty and Identity' presentation 'Enabling the Past: New Perspectives in the History of Disability Conference, University Manchester (2005)
'Building Prosperity in Cornwall' Cornwall Business School Research Conference, Headland Hotel, Newquay (2005)
'Older Women, Learning Difficulties and the Body' presentation Social History Society, Annual Conference, University Reading (2006)
Cornwall Disability Research Network, Keynote speech: '21st Century Cornwall: Social Exclusion and Wellbeing', Eden Project, Cornwall (2006)
'Working on the Inside: Institutionalisation and the staus of Work in the lives of women with learning difficulties' presentation at 'Reassessing Disability: New Approaches to Disability History Conference' Knowledge Spa, Cornwall (2007)
'Disability & Rurality' panel presentation at International Disability Conference, University Lancaster (2007)
'Rural Disability Studies: Kicking Postmoderism from Academia to Reality' Cornwall Disability Research Network, Cornwall (2007)
'Learning Difficulties, Embodiment and Landscape: narrative accounts of lives, scapes and place'presentation at International Disability Studies Conference, University Lancaster (2008)
'Hidden Voices, Hidden Perspectives: Is Disability Studies Inclusive? Cornwall Disability Research Network, Cornwall (2008)
'Cultural Scapes, Older Age and Learning Difficulty' presentation at the 10th Nordic Network on Disability (NNDR): Challenging Positions on Disability Research, Normativety, Knowledge and Praxis in Nyborg, Denmark (2009)
'Cultural Scapes, Older Age and Learning Difficulty: narrative accounts of living in the 'inscape of yesteryear' paper presented at Social History 35th Annual Conference,University Glasgow, April 2010
'Undertaking Collaborative Research: Challenges, Choice and Change, the dynamics involved in doing particapatory and collaborative research'
Paper presented at University Lancaster, International Disability Research Conference (2010) and 'Bringing It All Back Home: disability relations, partnerships and collaborations' Cornwall Disability Network (CDRN)5th Conference, Cornwall College, Camborne, October 2010
'The Glamorous Tourists of Yesteryear and the 'Invasion' of the Hordes Today!' Narrative accounts of older people on the impact of tourism in a 'picture postcard' rural environment'
Paper presented at 'Rational Recreation?: Histories of Travel, Tourism and Leisure' Conference University Manchester, February 2011
A reworked version of this above paper will be presented at the Cornwall (Camborne) Summer Research Confernce in June 2011
Forthcoming:
'A Disabling Invasion? The impact of tourism on disabled peoples spaces, places and rural environment' to be presented at 'Disability and Public Space' Conference, April 2011, Oslo University College, Oslo, Norway.
Additional Information
Drawing upon my reseach in Disability Studies and the International connections I have made in the discipline, I am now in the process of setting up a Masters Programme in Disability Studies. The proposed MA will hopefully be made up of a series of CPD 20 credit short courses. Students will then be able to accumulate these credits towards a postgrad diploma, certificate and a full MA. It is hoped this will commence September 2011 and will be based at the Camborne Campus, Cornwall College. Please contact me for further information
Deborah's details were last updated on 24th Feb 2011
