What (a) to do about 'impact': A Bourdieusian critique
British Educational Research Journal
Abstract
This paper presents a research-based, theoretically-informed contribution to the debate on ‘impact’ in educational research, and specifically a response to Gardner's 2011 presidential address to the British Educational Research Association. It begins by discussing the development of the research ‘impact’ agenda as a global phenomenon, and reviews the current state of debate about ‘impact’ in the UK's Research Excellence Framework. It goes on to argue that a radical alternative perspective on this agenda is needed, and outlines Bourdieu's sociology—including his much-neglected concept of illusio—as offering potential for generating critical insights into demands for ‘impact’. The term illusio in particular calls us to examine the ‘stakes’ that matter in the field of educational research: the objects of value that elicit commitment from players and are ‘worth the candle’. This framework is then applied first to analyse an account of how an ESRC-funded project that I led was received by different research ‘users’ as we sought to generate impact for our findings. Second, it is used to show that the field of educational research has changed; that it has bifurcated between the field of research production and that of research reception; and that the former is being subordinated to the latter. The paper concludes by arguing that, despite many educational researchers' commitments to ‘make a difference’ in wider society, the research ‘impact’ imperative is one that encroaches on academic freedom; and that academics need to find collective ways in which to resist it.
... Even those who may wish to overturn the relations of force within the field must first be invested in the existence of those relations (Bourdieu, 1998). Applications of illusio in other social fields have revealed the connection between a mismatch of illusio and the changing field and the stress and disillusionment associated with the field (Colley, 2012(Colley, , 2014. ...
... For an agent to maintain a position within the field, they must have a sense of illusio in the field and be invested in the stakes (Bourdieu, 1990b). It can be challenging to reconcile illusio with a changing field, and resistance to change and holding onto pre-existing stakes can be stressful (Colley, 2012(Colley, , 2014. Jane and Nicole (Figure 2) found the stakes of the field of education -at least at the start -to be unchanged and considered first how to adapt practice to match those stakes. ...
This study explores how early childhood teachers in a progressive private school in the Midwest adapted to changes resulting from the closing of schools due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Employing Bourdieu’s notions of habitus, field, and illusio, we examine how educators in the school approached the move to distance learning during the early months of the pandemic, a time of crisis that led to dramatic and chaotic change. The findings from this study show how differences within a disposition toward progressive teaching greatly impact how teachers were able to adapt practice to eLearning. These findings raise questions about whether there are elements of habitus that better align with the field of progressive education.
... Naast deze empirische bevindingen bestaan er ook conceptuele argumenten waarom er geen samenhang tussen kwaliteit en impact kan bestaan. Op basis van een beschouwing van de transformatie van kennis uit onderzoek naar de onderwijspraktijk (Cordingley, 2008) en een empirisch en theoretisch onderbouwd betoog over perspectieven op impact (Colley, 2014) beargumenteren de genoemde auteurs dat het behalen van impact in de onderwijspraktijk of het ontbreken daarvan niets zegt over de waarde of kwaliteit van een onderzoek, omdat het behalen van impact sterk afhangt van omstandigheden buiten een onderzoek. Bijvoorbeeld, docenten kunnen onderzoeksresultaten naast zich neerleggen vanwege gebrek aan aansluiting op intellectueel, praktisch en emotioneel vlak (Cordingley, 2008) of vanwege sociale, institutionele of politieke redenen (Colley, 2014). ...
... Op basis van een beschouwing van de transformatie van kennis uit onderzoek naar de onderwijspraktijk (Cordingley, 2008) en een empirisch en theoretisch onderbouwd betoog over perspectieven op impact (Colley, 2014) beargumenteren de genoemde auteurs dat het behalen van impact in de onderwijspraktijk of het ontbreken daarvan niets zegt over de waarde of kwaliteit van een onderzoek, omdat het behalen van impact sterk afhangt van omstandigheden buiten een onderzoek. Bijvoorbeeld, docenten kunnen onderzoeksresultaten naast zich neerleggen vanwege gebrek aan aansluiting op intellectueel, praktisch en emotioneel vlak (Cordingley, 2008) of vanwege sociale, institutionele of politieke redenen (Colley, 2014). Door kwaliteit aan de praktijkimpact van een onderzoek te verbinden krijgen gebruikers bovendien (impliciet) iets te zeggen over de kwaliteit van een onderzoek en dat beschouwt Colley (2014) als onwenselijk. ...
De samenhang tussen kwaliteit en impact krijgt weinig aandacht in discussies over praktijkgericht onderwijsonderzoek. Een nadere verkenning van die samenhang is wenselijk, aangezien het denkbaar is dat samenhang in welke hoedanigheid dan ook gevolgen kan hebben voor bijvoorbeeld de uitvoering, waardering en financiering van praktijkgericht onderwijsonderzoek. Het doel van dit onderzoek is de samenhang tussen kwaliteit en impact van praktijkgericht onderwijsonderzoek te verkennen en beter te begrijpen. Gevoed door mogelijke vormen van samenhang tussen kwaliteit en impact, zoals beschreven in de literatuur, zijn zes experts op het gebied van praktijkgericht onderwijsonderzoek gevraagd naar hun kijk op mogelijke vormen van samenhang. De resultaten laten zien dat perspectieven op samenhang tussen kwaliteit en impact verschillen op drie aspecten: (1) de invullingen van kwaliteit en impact, (2) de volgordelijkheid van kwaliteit en impact en (3) de werkelijkheid, aannemelijkheid en wenselijkheid van vormen van samenhang tussen kwaliteit en impact. Dit onderzoek biedt empirische input voor meer genuanceerde en scherpere discussies over de samenhang tussen kwaliteit en impact van praktijkgericht onderwijsonderzoek en de mogelijke consequenties ervan.
... O artigo tem como fio condutor uma ressignificação da questão (Parrott, 2017), fora do eixo de saber "uspeano" (Silva, Bernardino & Gomes, 2017). E segue a constituição base epistemológica, construção crítica como linha da condução (Colley, 2014;Lorenzini, 2016;Silva et al., 2017). ...
RESUMO Discussões acerca dos crescentes desgastes do meio ambiente e sua capacidade de resiliência imputam em dívida das sociedades e das células sociais. O uso das Ciências Contábeis na tratativa de divulgar os demonstrativos econômico-financeiros podem ser evocados como forma de evidenciar as ações contributivas das células sociais junto ao meio ambiente. Dessa forma, a pesquisa buscou as evidências ambientais de manutenção do entorno patrimonial em relatórios e demonstrativos econômico-financeiros, com o uso da função socialidade, provinda da teoria das funções sistemáticas do patrimônio aziendal. Sob a perspectiva metodológica, a pesquisa foi classificada, quanto aos objetivos e abordagem, como exploratória, descritiva, qualitativa e dedutiva. No que se refere aos procedimentos e técnicas, utilizou-se pesquisa bibliográfica, documental, análise de conteúdo e estudo de casos múltiplos em células sociais com alto impacto ambiental. Os dados foram tratados por meio de planilhas no software Excel. Os resultados apontaram que a maioria das ações ambientais evidenciadas permaneceu nas células sociais e na sociedade, enquanto o meio ambiente recebeu apenas algumas ações voltadas para a manutenção do entorno patrimonial, caracterizadas como não operacionais e de longo prazo. Como contribuição científica, a pesquisa enfatizou, de maneira holística, as interações entre as células sociais e o meio ambiente. Palavras-chave: Meio ambiente. Sustentabilidade. Contabilidade ambiental. Editado em português e inglês. Versão original em português.
... are integral parts (Lessem et al., 2016), whether as individuals or as part of a socio-environmental network to which we are inextricably connected Vázquez et al., 2020). This article is guided by a re-signification of the question (Parrott, 2017), moving beyond the traditional "USP-centric" epistemological axis (Silva, Bernardino & Gomes, 2017), and follows a critical epistemological foundation as the guiding line of inquiry (Colley, 2014;Lorenzini, 2016;Silva et al., 2017). ...
Discussions regarding the increasing degradation of the environment and its resilience capacity result in a debt incurred by societies and their social units. The use of Accounting Sciences to disclose economic and financial statements may serve as a means of evidencing the contributory actions of social units in relation to the environment. Accordingly, this study sought to identify environmental evidence of surrounding asset preservation in reports and economic-financial statements, through the application of the sociality function derived from the theory of systematic functions of aziendal assets. From a methodological perspective, the research was classified, in terms of objectives and approach, as exploratory, descriptive, qualitative, and deductive. As for procedures and techniques, it employed bibliographic and documentary research, content analysis, and multiple case studies involving social units with high environmental impact. Data were processed using spreadsheets in Microsoft Excel. The results indicated that most of the environmental actions disclosed remained within the social units and society, while the environment itself received only a few actions aimed at preserving surrounding assets, which were characterized as non-operational and long-term. As a scientific contribution, the study holistically emphasized the interactions between social units and the environment.
... O artigo tem como fio condutor uma ressignificação da questão (Parrott, 2017), fora do eixo de saber "uspeano" (Silva, Bernardino & Gomes, 2017). E segue a constituição base epistemológica, construção crítica como linha da condução (Colley, 2014;Lorenzini, 2016;Silva et al., 2017). ...
Discussões acerca dos crescentes desgastes do meio ambiente e sua capacidade de resiliência imputam em dívida das sociedades e das células sociais. O uso das Ciências Contábeis na tratativa de divulgar os demonstrativos econômico-financeiros podem ser evocados como forma de evidenciar as ações contributivas das células sociais junto ao meio ambiente. Dessa forma, a pesquisa buscou as evidências ambientais de manutenção do entorno patrimonial em relatórios e demonstrativos econômico-financeiros, com o uso da função socialidade, provinda da teoria das funções sistemáticas do patrimônio aziendal. Sob a perspectiva metodológica, a pesquisa foi classificada, quanto aos objetivos e abordagem, como exploratória, descritiva, qualitativa e dedutiva. No que se refere aos procedimentos e técnicas, utilizou-se pesquisa bibliográfica, documental, análise de conteúdo e estudo de casos múltiplos em células sociais com alto impacto ambiental. Os dados foram tratados por meio de planilhas no software Excel. Os resultados apontaram que a maioria das ações ambientais evidenciadas permaneceu nas células sociais e na sociedade, enquanto o meio ambiente recebeu apenas algumas ações voltadas para a manutenção do entorno patrimonial, caracterizadas como não operacionais e de longo prazo. Como contribuição científica, a pesquisa enfatizou, de maneira holística, as interações entre as células sociais e o meio ambiente.
... It may well be that at certain moments in the professional life of a planner these contradictions become more fraught, but as these texts show, this is a profession caught in paradox by its very definition. But the focus in the planning texts is less that the lack of illusio or disillusio leads to emotional distress and paralysis as found among public sector workers in the U.K. (Colley 2012(Colley , 2014), but rather a search for morally meaningful action. And although Bourdieu never quite addressed this topic at any length, he recognized that constraints can "lead to a disenchanted skeptic […]; but it can also favor a lucidity that has nothing to do with cynical disenchantment and that, equipped with the knowledge supplied by scientific research (which it favors), could be the starting point for a wholly new form of political action" (1991,660). ...
How do urban professionals morally orient themselves toward their work to transform the built environment? Contemporary urban planning is a field that is defined by both a strong ethos of equity and social reform and a widely shared realization that the profession itself is relatively powerless. The question of whether justice can be planned, and whether exercises in planning can ever achieve just outcomes has been a perennial question facing progressive planners. A generation ago scholars of a critical bent made the persuasive case for “no.” Yet planning continues, and the profession continues to attract and train equity-minded, reform-oriented individuals. This paper examines how planning theory and theorists reconcile their motivating civic visions and moral stances with constraints on practice that thwart their efforts to achieve a just society. We find that far from being naïve, planners adopt a reflexive, pragmatic morality that allows them to maintain normative commitments even in highly constrained environments. From this case, we argue for more attention to the moral work involved in professionals’ formulation of strategies for environmental change.
... This very widely cited theoretical article remains intensely relevant, particularly given the impact of the (at time of writing) recent COVID-19 pandemic on teachers. A different aspect of identity is explored by Colley (2014), responding to Gardner's (2011) BERA presidential address. This article focuses on how academic freedom and academic identity are affected by an increasing need for academics to demonstrate research impact driven by external factors, rather than personal and professional drivers. ...
... Such research users include those who commission research, who collaborate with academic researchers on niche areas, and even those who just access research for practical purposes, to resolve protracted societal or business challenges. Among key problems identified with REF is first that it bifurcates generation of research, and secondly that it uses research in ways that subordinate research generation to the dictates of research use (Colley, 2013). This means that research utilisation sets the agenda for research generation, which reduces the production of knowledge to pragmatic considerations, and other disinterested or lofty ideals that research ideally pursues become subordinated to the demands of transitory pragmatic requirements. ...
This book offers insightful reflections on academic development practices. The contributors engage the reader painstakingly in the dynamics of professional learning and effective teaching. This volume facilitates the examination of the need for reflection that leads to professional maturity. All educational institutions seek teachers who continuously search for effective strategies in improving student success. The contributors uncover a variety of approaches as they evince proven suggestions. The chapters are refreshing and edifying. This book is essential for all teachers, lecturers and trainers who want to improve their teaching practice immensely.
Background: Experiential dimensions of Mindful Eating Practices are scarce in the literature. Aim: The study focuses on thirteen individuals with clinical obesity and nine post-bariatric surgery patients who engaged in MERP over three months. Methods: The present research utilized Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) as the analytical framework of interviews. Results: Four overarching themes emerged from the analysis: 1. “Enhanced Awareness of Eating": This theme underscores MERP's central emphasis on cultivating heightened mindfulness during food consumption, highlighting the importance of being present at the moment while eating; 2. “Facilitating the Transition to Healthier Eating Habits": This theme explores how MERP influences participants’ dietary choices, eating pace, portion control, and overall enjoyment of meals. It reveals that MERP encourages individuals to reflect on their eating habits and transition towards healthier choices; 3. “Diverse Perspectives on Satisfaction with MERP": Within the context of MERP, participants held varied interpretations of satisfaction. Some encountered practical limitations or engaged in reflective self-examination, while others found sensory satisfaction, enhancing their overall eating experiences; and 4. “Utilization and Development of MERP": This theme delves into participants’ patterns of using MERP. It reveals a tendency to avoid MERP in the morning, a gradual decline in its usage over time, and a preference for an electronic version of the practice. Conclusion: The MERP shows promise in improving overall eating habits by enhancing enjoyment of food, increasing awareness of body cues, promoting healthier choices, and encouraging mindful eating practices. These findings provide valuable insights for future research and the refinement of clinical tools aimed at effective weight management and the promotion of sustainable healthy eating practices by effectively addressing a significant gap in our understanding of the experiential facets of eating practices.
The notion of ‘impact’ is interrogated in the context of academic education research. A moral agenda for increasing the impact of academic education research is distinguished from the ‘impact agenda’ reflected in UK research assessment practices. It is argued that, especially in the English case, academic educational research currently has relatively scant impact on policy and practice, and that this comprises a major concern, both with regard to evidence-informed good practice within the education system, and the often retrogressive practices that are undertaken instead. Various explanations for this lack of impact, and impediments to academic engagement with policy and practice, are identified and discussed. It is concluded that there is a moral imperative for education researchers, and the educational research associations that support them, to develop ways to better ensure impact of our vital research.
Introduction Bourdieu's use of the term interest is a good example of the way a particular concept arose and developed over the course of his professional career. In this chapter, we see the way it almost haunts his early work. Subsequently, it emerges as a key feature in his empirical analyses. Later, it is expressed as a fully-fledged concept and joins his other “thinking tools” as a major instrument of analysis. Later still, the concept evolves into different forms; Bourdieu renamed it as illusio or libido. Finally, the implications and ramifications of interest are considered theoretically, which leads to a philosophical exploration of its significance. The concept itself is present in the relationships Bourdieu investigates in his early studies. In this way, we see how practice services theory for Bourdieu: it is named and then its theoretical significance elaborated. This chapter shows this process at work. An interest in practice In earlier parts of this book, we have referred to the background to Bourdieu's intellectual worldview as well as to the climate that surrounded him as he set out on his academic career, and juxtaposed this with the strong personal experiences he had at this time in Algeria and the Béarn. Attention was drawn to predominant intellectual trends in France; most noticeably, existentialism and structuralism. Earlier, we also considered the way by which issues of subjectivity and objectivity cut across various intellectual traditions, and how Bourdieu's theory of practice was developed out of an impulse on his part (both personally and professionally) to transcend this dichotomous view of knowledge.
Outline of a Theory of Practice is recognized as a major theoretical text on the foundations of anthropology and sociology. Pierre Bourdieu, a distinguished French anthropologist, develops a theory of practice which is simultaneously a critique of the methods and postures of social science and a general account of how human action should be understood. With his central concept of the habitus, the principle which negotiates between objective structures and practices, Bourdieu is able to transcend the dichotomies which have shaped theoretical thinking about the social world. The author draws on his fieldwork in Kabylia (Algeria) to illustrate his theoretical propositions. With detailed study of matrimonial strategies and the role of rite and myth, he analyses the dialectical process of the 'incorporation of structures' and the objectification of habitus, whereby social formations tend to reproduce themselves. A rigorous consistent materialist approach lays the foundations for a theory of symbolic capital and, through analysis of the different modes of domination, a theory of symbolic power.
ELT education, as a commodity, takes many forms in countries all over the world. This book questions how the benefits of international English language education projects are distributed. The critical issues of language rights and linguistic diversity are pivotal in the book’s examination of domination and subordination in international language education projects. The author’s description of the role and teaching of English is based on her experience of working in ELT aid and development and fee-based projects, and through it she unmasks the interests and intentions of aid and fee-based language education projects. The two case studies that form the basis of this book recount a version of ELT marketing and project implementation that will resonate with experiences of aid recipients and university-led private sector fee-payers in many different ELT contexts.
On using Bourdieu in educational research
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The French social philosopher Pierre Bourdieu (1930-2002) is now recognised as one of the major thinkers of the twentieth century. In a career of over fifty years, Bourdieu studied a wide range of topics: education, culture, art, politics, economics, literature, law, and philosophy. Throughout these studies, Bourdieu developed a highly specialised series of concepts that he referred to as his 'thinking tools', which were used to uncover the workings of contemporary society. Pierre Bourdieu: Key Concepts takes a selection of his most important concepts and examines them in detail. Each chapter deals with an individual concept and are written so as to be of immediate use to the student with little or no previous knowledge of Bourdieu. At the same time, each chapter also develops various dimensions around each concept to make the coverage of interest to the more experienced reader.
Do private and philanthropic solutions to the problems of education signal the end of state education in its ‘welfare’ form?