Exploring social constructions regarding bullying between children in schools by adult stakeholders working in the British education system

  • Alexandra Boys

    Student thesis: Doctoral Thesis

    Abstract

    A tension between what people consider to be bullying in schools has been
    identified by reviews of previous positivist research into the phenomenon.
    Questions have subsequently been raised as to why there is such disparity
    leading to the application of social constructionism as an alternative means of
    exploring bullying in schools. The aim of this thesis was to complement the
    existing literature on bullying by exploring the social constructions regarding
    bullying in schools from adult stakeholders working with children in the British
    education system. Four studies were conducted in total with an ethnographic
    element reflected throughout where I am a practising Educational Psychologist
    (EP), parent and former teacher. Three studies employed the principles of social
    constructionism collecting examples of conversations conducted in a social and
    naturalistic context. The first study explored a conversation between me and
    my EP colleagues. The second study collected data from the staff meeting
    discussions at four primary schools. The third study explored government
    guidance to schools on bullying. In the final study, I shared the data collected
    from my first three studies with a group of parents and the discussion that
    followed completed the data collection process. Principles of the Discourse
    Analytic tradition were employed to analyse the data; discursive practice
    analysis, Foucauldian Analysis, Critical Discursive Psychology, Critical Discourse
    Analysis and the Discursive Action Model. The analyses reflected variability in
    how the different groups constructed bullying due to the contexts, histories,
    cultures and experiences influencing those involved. Furthermore, each group
    positioned itself as having the ‘right’ construction of bullying and as being best
    placed to correct those held by others. From the analyses I would recommend
    that if a child constructs themselves as being bullied the situation should be
    addressed rather than debating whether it is bullying.
    Date of AwardMay 2015
    Original languageEnglish
    Awarding Institution
    • University of Portsmouth
    SupervisorMargaret Elizabeth Linnell (Supervisor), Treena Jingree (Supervisor) & Sherria Hoskins (Supervisor)

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