The Backstage Academic

Welcome listeners, have you ever wondered what an advocate is? What is their role is and why they are so important to some of our most vulnerable? I'm joined today by Rob Alcock, who is a second-year PhD student in the Department of Social Care and Social Work at Manchester Metropolitan University. His doctoral project is currently titled:  ‘To have their voices heard’? A realist study of ind...

Join us friends as we journey into the past and join MMU’s PhD researcher Jonathan Harper, looking into the mental health of soldiers and prisoners of war following WW2. If there are any history buffs out there, then this one is for you. We talk about masculinity, the role of men after the war, shellshock, attitudes to disease, and the aftermath of trauma. We delve into numerous wars and their var...

Dr Szifris is a criminologist/sociologist at Manchester Metropolitan University, who before coming to MMU studied for four years at the University of Sheffield, to gain her Master's Degree in Mathematics before going on to complete her PhD. Her doctoral research was entitled 'Philosophy in Prison: An Exploration of Personal Development' and takes an exploratory approach to data collection. Kirstin...

This time we are joined by the esteemed Dr Albert Yates, a recent PhD graduate from Manchester Metropolitan University. We talk about his tremendous career (formally head of CID in Manchester) prior to his journey into academia, before delving into his fascinating research. Dr Yates works in the area of addiction, but he isn’t your typical scholar. What makes this area so unique is that he draws o...

Broadmoor is one of the most infamous of our psychiatric institutions here in the UK (formally an asylum), join us as we review Levi's and French's fascinating account of its scandalous history, with a close and personal look into the history of mental illness. From Jimmy Saville to the Yorkshire Ripper this little book has it all, if you have an interest in the darker side of human nature or just...

This time we tackle the strange world of misogynistic extremism with Laura Bates's new book 'Men Who Hate Women; The Extremism No One Is Talking About'. From incels to pick up artists, this books explores all the levels of the manosphere with it's unflinching look into the dark world of online radicalisation. As usual, I'm joined by my co-host Andrea as we give our very honest run down analysis of...

I am joined this time by PhD researcher Emma Smith as she tells me all about her exciting work in addiction. Emma uses a technique called photovoice to tell the different stories of people’s recovery from substance abuse. Currently, she is at the University of Worcester, although Emma hails from the States originally. Anyone that has an interest in how addiction works, photography, alternative res...

Have you ever wanted to know about the types of ghosts, the seance movement, how they debunk mediums, or class and genders strange connection with the paranormal? We discuss a whole host of bizarre topics from ectoplasm, to the role of women in this strange movement, to haunted German U boats, it's got it all. Join us as we review Clarke's attempt at investigating some of the west's most interesti...

What exactly is social disorder? How do we judge what is anti-social, appropriate, and ‘civil’? This week Benjamin Archer and a PhD student and criminology lecturer from Sheffield University joins me to explore the controversial world of Public Space Protection Orders (PSPO). For those of you that don’t know what this is, it’s the criminal legislation that allows local authorities to police our so...

Coproduction is probably one of the biggest ideas you've never heard of and it promises to transform society from the bottom up - to democratise power and place decision making in the hands of marginalised communities, that usually have no voice. To help me this week I'm joined by the intriguing Dr Nigel Allmark, a lecturer of psychology at Manchester Metropolitan University. We discuss this elusi...

Have you ever wanted to know how forensic experts figure out the time of death with a corpse? Wanted to know the origins of fingerprinting or maybe wondered how Iphones solve murder investigations, whether you like it or not? How experts are used incorrectly in courtrooms? And many, many aspects to solving serious crimes. Join me and my crime obsessed friend Andrea as we review Val McDermids Foren...

This week I’m joined by the talented Daniel Buxton, a talented singer and songwriter in his own right Daniel he has also worked for many years as a sound engineer, producer and course advisor at SSR, for the next generation of budding musicians. We discuss humanities connection with music – why does music affect us the way it does? As usual, we take some tremendous questions from the audience and...

Bio: Pt Luke Murphy has been training in gyms for 15 years and a personal trainer for 6. Mainly he works with people who want to train in the bodybuilding style to build a body they have never had.  Love working with people on a personal level. Luke is currently studying to become a counsellor and in the future will be combining the personal training with psychotherapy, in order to offer the...

This week we are joined by the knowledgable Harry Armitage, a social policy researcher and PhD student who's currently researching homelessness at MMU. We look into the areas of personal responsibility, the role of the authorities, and the criminlisation of vulnerable groups. Heroically (although failing) trying to answer such questions as why does homelessness still exists in a wealthy country? A...

Join me as I review Darren's latest work 'Poverty Safari', a scathing look into the anger that exists in some of Britains most deprived communities. Great for those into politics, psychology, autobiographies, class. social sciences or anyone just wanting to understand points of view that are maybe a little alien to you.   Check out his website here for all his work: https://darrenmcgarvey.com...

I had the distinct honour of interviewing Kevin Wong, who is an associate Director of Criminal Justice at MMU (bio link below) for the universities annual researcher conference (link below). I got to ask him some fantastic questions, from some of the problems with the criminal justice system, how it targets certain groups/communities disproportionally, definitions of hate crime, COVID implications...

Damian (an American pastor and historian) joins me this week to discuss America's historical and contemporary problems with race, from slavery to the modern inequalities within the criminal justice system.

What an episode that was! This week we have Anita, a very passionate biology researcher from MMU talking a little about her PhD research and taking loads of really complex questions. Why do chimps bare their teeth? Do they have a sense of self? Can a primate understand fairness and have a sense of morality? We also cover some hilarious experiments and discuss some wider human implications for what...

I got to interview the talented Aaron Davies, a comedian/MC from New Zealand. We cover a lot of great topics, can anyone do comedy? The link between depression and comedians, the worst experiences while performing and the purpose of comedy itself.

Joined by the talented and nomadic Benjamin from Toronto Canada, we Cover china, lizard people, Illuminati and in general the psychology of conspiracy theories and why certain people so innately vulnerable to them.

Two legal boffins/students from the Netherlands and London respectively (Suzanne and Mat) explain to me some of the strange origins of our laws and what they mean for our understanding of right and wrong. .

Holly, a very talented psychology teacher joins me your host Anton War in an entertaining discussion into the fascinating world of criminology. We cover all sorts of ground from criminal ethics, definitions and understandings of psychopaths, push and pull factors of crime, models of justice, and much much more.

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