Funded PhD Opportunity: Sports-Related Concussion: A Socio-Historical Analysis - Ulster University
Funded PhD Opportunity: Sports-Related Concussion: A Socio-Historical Analysis - Ulster University
Supervisors: Dr Katie Liston and Dr Ian Miller
Summary:
Social epidemiology is
broadly concerned with the ways in which social, political, cultural and
economic structures, institutions and relationships influence health.
In that regard, the
sports-related brain injury known as concussion has both a neurological
and social basis: it being the only injury that one international
sports board (the IRB) seeks to define, and along with blood injuries,
is subject to specific regulation. This project
sets out to rebalance the information asymmetry associated with
concussion in sport, that is, the predominance of the bio-scientific
approach.
The project will redress
this imbalance by examining the injury from a socio-historical
perspective with a number of possible research avenues: an examination
of the historical, medical
and scientific literature related to head trauma in one or a number of
competitive sports played in Ireland and Britain; archival research
around one or a number of chosen sports to trace the growing awareness
and understanding of sports-related brain injury
over time and whether/how this has prompted reform efforts; a
longer-term analysis of civilised bodies and the culture of risk in one
or a number of sports, including changing discourses (in popular media,
within various sports) around the diagnosis and treatment
of concussion; interviews with current and former sports competitors,
coaches/managers, medical personnel and the like.
This project will also
permit the doctoral researcher the opportunity to consider the
implications (e.g. policy, sports governance, coach education, athlete
welfare) for the future development
of sport and public health policy more widely.
Methods to be used:
The strengths and
interests of the particular doctoral candidate will inform the final
decision on research design once final research objectives are agreed.
It is envisaged that the
research methods will be chosen for their relevance to the project and
no method will be given any primacy per se over the objectives of the
research.
The candidate will refine
detailed aspects of the methodology and analysis. Applicants should, in
consultation with the lead supervisor, propose a detailed research
design that enables
them to explore the socio-historical milieu of injury in sport and
brain injury in particular, the various socio-historical sources that
may reveal the attitudes, beliefs and values of medical and sports
people with regard to pain and injury, the ways in which
such attitudes have been mediated historically by social relationships
and power relations, and the implications for future developments in
relation to the management of concusssion.
Objectives of the Research:
The following are the general objectives of the proposed project:
*To explore the
socio-historical habitat and habits of competitive sports, in particular
the historical normalisation of risk, pain and injury;
*To examine the
socio-historical attitudes, beliefs and values held by those involved
in/with competitive sport regarding civilised bodies and sports-related
brain injury specifically;
*To examine the growing awareness and understanding of concussion in one or a number of sports in British and Irish contexts;
*To consider the
implications of this for sport and health policy more widely, including
that of concussion reform, coach education, athlete welfare and so on.
Essential Criteria
Upper Second Class
Honours (2:1) Degree or equivalent from a UK institution (or overseas
award deemed to be equivalent via UK NARIC)
Sound understanding of subject area as evidenced by a comprehensive research proposal
A comprehensive and articulate personal statement
Vice Chancellors Research Scholarships (VCRS)
The scholarships will
cover tuition fees and a maintenance award of £14,777 per annum for
three years (subject to satisfactory academic performance). Applications
are invited from UK,
European Union and overseas students.
DFE
The scholarship will
cover tuition fees at the Home rate and a maintenance allowance of £
14,777 per annum for three years. EU applicants will only be eligible
for the fees component
of the studentship (no maintenance award is provided). For Non EU
nationals the candidate must be "settled" in the UK.