New book ‘Youth, multiculturalism and community cohesion’
Mon, 14 Mar 2011 16:03:00 GMT
A book, by Youth and Community Work lecturer, Paul Thomas, discusses the meaning and practice of British community cohesion policies, youth identities in racially-tense areas and the British government’s attempts to ‘prevent violent extremism’ amongst young Muslims.
Paul Thomas is a senior lecturer in Youth and Community Work, and Course Leader for the postgraduate Diploma in Professional Studies (Youth and Community Work), which leads to the JNC Youth and Community Work professional qualification. Paul has worked at the University since 1999, and contributes to teaching around youth and community work practice and social policy issues on the undergraduate and postgraduate Youth and Community Work courses and on Masters level courses for professionals working with children and young people.
Paul’s PhD was on ‘The Impact of Community Cohesion on Youth Work’, based on field research in Oldham, and has led to a number of journal articles and book chapters, as well as involvement in an Anglo-French ESRC Workshop programme on comparisons between the 2001 British and 2005 French urban disturbances. Paul was the Lead Investigator on the 'Rochdale and Oldham Youth Identity Project', funded by the Rochdale Pride Partnership and the University of Huddersfield Research Committee, and investigating young people's understandings of 'Identity' and their experiences of cohesion and segregation.. The key findings of this project were launched at a seminar held at University Campus Oldham in April 2009.
In December 2009, Paul appeared as an ‘Expert Witness’ at the Inquiry into the ‘Preventing Violent Extremism’ (PVE) initiative held by the House of Commons Communities and Local Government Select Committee.
Paul is a founder member of the University’s Academy for the Study of Britishness, which promotes debate both across the University and with external partners around issues of national identity, cohesion and integration, with Paul organising a regular programme of seminars on Community Cohesion. Prior to this, Paul worked on Global/Development Education youth work and schools projects, was a regional manager for a national voluntary youth work organisation, and was North of England Youth Policy and Campaigns Officer for the Commission for Racial Equality. Paul’s current research interests focus on Community Cohesion and multiculturalism, Youth Identities, and ‘preventing violent extremism’.
Thomas, P (2011) Youth, Multiculturalism and Community Cohesion . Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 0230251951
