B’Phil Youth and Community Studies - University of Birmingham
MA Islam - University of Birmingham
Diploma in Research Methodology
PhD - Applied Social Sciences

Profile

I left school with few qualifications, but was involved in youth work from an early age, through this interest I came to Westhill, as this place was known then, to train as a Youth and Community Worker.

After completing my training I worked for a law centre specialising in housing matters and thereafter went on work for the Birmingham Youth Service in a number roles as Senior Youth Worker, Area Youth Officer and as a the Policy Officer for the Lifelong Learning Division of the Education Service. This experience brings a much applied interest and dimension to my research activity.

As a result of my PhD research on Muslim organisations and youth work I have led on a national response in developing Muslim youth work narratives and activity. These have ranged from a series international conferences to the formulation and establishment of the first national Muslim youth work organisation (Muslim Youthwork Foundation) www.muslimyouthworkfoundation.org.uk based at the National Youth Agency. I have a particular focus on action research as a means of youth expression an engagement and this is reflected in the range of activity that is youth led in this foundation.

In the past I have actively been involved in interfaith dialogue in Germany through the work of Leo Baeck College and the Handswig Dransfeld Institute.

MOSAIC

I am also a member of MOSAIC. This (The Centre for Research on Multilingualism of/within Social and Institutional Contexts) is a newly constituted Research Centre within the School of Education at the University of Birmingham. It provides a forum for the development of new, interdisciplinary lines of enquiry related to bilingualism/multilingualism, multilingual literacy, bilingual education, second language learning and contemporary discourses about linguistic and cultural diversity. Centre members are engaged in externally funded research which draws on different, inter-related strands of critical, social linguistics and on social theory, including linguistic ethnography, critical discourse analysis, new literacy studies and multimodal social semiotics.

Research and Projects Interests

My research interest is in action and heuristic research. This includes an interest informal education and communities of practice as well on issues of race, faith and identity and youth. My research has also developed a particular voluntary sector organisational landscape.

Publications [pdf]