Coffee & Cocktails

05/07/2024

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25/03/2024

As the Coffee & Cocktails Podcast looks to finally close its doors in the next couple of months, I wanted to thank all of you for coming along with me on this wonderful journey. We still have a few more cracking episodes to post in the lead up to summer, but in the meantime I wanted to let my fellow podcasters know that I still plan to be a part of the podcasting space. Should you ever need a guest-host, speaker, and/or researcher I am just an email away.

Otherwise I wish you all a wonderful week and stay tuned for the remaining upcoming episodes!

29/02/2024

We'd like to introduce you all to our latest guest speaker, Dr Chiara Cocco, whose Bonus Episode on 'Advocating for Autoethnography' is available now on our Patreon!

https://www.patreon.com/posts/bonus-episode-99322350

Chiara is an anthropologist with a genuine interest in people and their lived experience, especially marginalised and silenced communities. She worked as a Research Assistant in the Disability Inclusive Science Careers (DISC) project at the Heriot-Watt University, researching the experiences of disabled academics and delivering disability training to universities and professional bodies. Through this experience she became more aware of the stigma surrounding menstrual health and discrimination and marginalisation in the workplace faced by those who menstruate and experience (peri)menopause.

Chiara has recently joined the UKRI funded EDI Caucus, aimed at creating inclusive and accessible careers across the Research and Innovation ecosystem. Her research looks at the career life-cycle, focusing on menstrual health and (peri)menopause in the workplace, addressing the barriers to career development and progression for those who experience problematic menstruation and (peri)menopause.

Chiara is passionate about ethnographic methods, particularly autoethnography. Her own experience as a menstruating researcher with caring responsibilities heavily informs her work and drives her commitment to improve research careers for all.

23/02/2024

If there is one thing I learned over the course of my doctoral career, it is that anthropologists are storytellers. Our objective, if we are to follow the advice of novelist, Neil Gaiman, is to answer the question, ‘Why should the reader care?’ But more importantly, why should we care about the people we are writing about, and how do we ‘imbue’, as Gaiman puts it, ‘that care into [our] writing’ (2019) in order to instil a sense of urgency in our readers to turn the pages of an ethnographic text?

In this latest addition to the Coffee & Cocktails podcast, I offer my Patrons a private reading of what was, quite honestly, one of the hardest, but quite possibly one of the most important, chapters that I felt the need to write in my book, ‘Segregation in language education: the case of South Tyrol, Italy’.

Ethnography as a practice, let alone as a discipline, is deeply misunderstood both in the academic world as well as in industry. My hope with this chapter is to provide some clarity to a discipline which has so much to offer society as a whole. You don’t have to have a background in anthropology, journalism, or even Italian studies to appreciate the value that comes with being an ethnographer.

If you’d like to listen, make sure to check out my audio chapter via the Patreon link below:
https://www.patreon.com/posts/book-release-1-99056335

You can also go to Palgrave Macmillan’s website to learn more about my book:
https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-32747-6

Thank you.

This book is an ethnographic study which explores the social tensions between German- and Italian-speaking citizens in South Tyrol, and the long-term.

03/02/2024

None of this is surprising, but at least someone is talking about it.

Leading UK universities are employing research staff using gig-economy practices, says the University and College Union.

12/01/2024

Coffee & Cocktails® Podcast- New Episode!

Ep. 43: Workplace Taboos: Breastfeeding and Menstruation

‘Bodily functions’ are not normally brought into discussions meant for the general public. But what happens when those ‘functions’ take place in the workplace and/or around one’s working environment? In this episode with Dr Chiara Cocco, we discuss taboo topics like ‘menstruation’ and ‘breastfeeding’ and why these basic, normal aspects of the reproductive process can be seen as disruptive to the workplace. With some companies offering policies like ‘period leave’ for those with more serious biological conditions, the shame, disgust and concealment associated with periods means that some employees suffer in silence. This is made that much more difficult when some female employees are less sympathetic to those colleagues who are struggling.

If you have found yourself in a similar position, feel free to leave a comment below or write us directly if you would like to share your story so that others know that they are not alone.

For Audio: https://soundcloud.com/coffeeandcocktails/ep-43-workplace-taboos-breastfeeding-and-menstruation

For Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwq71VIwIls&t=28s

To support us on Patreon, visit: https://www.patreon.com/coffeeandcocktailspodcast

10/01/2024

Bravo, one and all!

29/12/2023

Coffee & Cocktails® Podcast's early release on 'Workplace Taboos' is now available on our Patreon!

https://www.patreon.com/coffeeandcocktailspodcast

Ep. 43: Workplace Taboos- Breastfeeding and Menstruation

‘Bodily functions’ are not normally brought into discussions meant for the general public. But what happens when those ‘functions’ take place in the workplace and/or around one’s working environment? In this episode with Dr Chiara Cocco, we discuss taboo topics like ‘menstruation’ and ‘breastfeeding’ and why these basic, normal aspects of the reproductive process can be seen as disruptive to the workplace. With some companies offering policies like ‘period leave’ for those with more serious biological conditions, the shame, disgust and concealment associated with periods means that some employees suffer in silence. This is made that much more difficult when some female employees are less sympathetic to those colleagues who are struggling.

If you have found yourself in a similar position, feel free to leave a comment below or write us directly if you would like to share your story so that others know that they are not alone.

11/12/2023

Our newest episode is now available on our Patreon on 'Teaching Trauma in the Classroom':

As educators we are given a certain amount of responsibility when it comes to teaching sensitive material. So how do we remain accountable if the subject matter that we teach focuses on traumatic content, which could potentially trigger students?

In this bonus episode with Dr William Tantam at the University of Bristol we discuss his opinions on teaching trauma in the classroom, and how to engage students with difficult topics. Since students’ lived experiences need to be safe-guarded, and some may bring their own personal traumas to class, the importance of preparedness and student-led teaching can make the classroom a much safer environment. ‘It’s not just what you teach, but how you teach that is crucial, especially coming from a position of power’, which is why making oneself vulnerable and honest can benefit the students’ learning experience, and create teaching moments where students feel like they are seen in order to make connections in the class.

To access the episode is full, visit:
https://www.patreon.com/posts/bonus-episode-in-94471494

30/11/2023

Coffee & Cocktails® Podcast

Ep. 42: The UK's Forgotten Students is available now on SoundCloud, Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Full bio:

Whenever anyone hears of students who are ‘kicked out’ of school, the responses as a whole tend to be negative towards students who are viewed as ‘troubled’ rather than towards educational government policies that have been put in place. With the UK's Pupil Referral Units (PRUs) showing mixed results, their effectiveness is not always guaranteed, resulting in many students feeling like they are ‘forgotten’ leading to more disruptive student behaviour.

In this November episode with anthropologist at UCL, Dr Alison Macdonald and Secondary teacher, Sally Dennehy, we discuss the uncomfortable truths that school exclusions have on students, particularly amongst England’s rural youths, and how permanent exclusion from mainstream education can affect students’ identities and their place within society.

For Audio, visit:
https://soundcloud.com/coffeeandcocktails/ep-42-the-uks-forgotten-students

For YouTube, visit:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opFwVnNZ6lc

30/11/2023

Check out the good news! My book is now available at the University of Oxford!

'Segregation in Language Education: the Case of South Tyrol, Italy'
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Segregation-Language-Education-South-Tyrol/dp/3031327462 #:~:text=This%20book%20makes%20a%20vital,%2C%20and%20Ladin%2Dspeaking%20communities.

30/11/2023

From high impact PhD memes 🐦

25/11/2023

Coffee & Cocktails® Podcast's early release is now available on our Patreon!

To listen to the first 5 minutes FREE, head to:
https://www.patreon.com/posts/early-release-ep-93502000

Early Release: Ep. 42- The UK's Forgotten Students

Whenever anyone hears of students who are ‘kicked out’ of school, the responses as a whole tend to be negative towards students who are viewed as ‘troubled’ rather than towards educational government policies that have been put in place. With the UK's Pupil Referral Units (PRUs) showing mixed results, their effectiveness is not always guaranteed, resulting in many students feeling like they are ‘forgotten’ leading to more disruptive student behaviour.

In this November episode with anthropologist at UCL, Dr Alison Macdonald and Secondary teacher, Sally Dennehy, we discuss the uncomfortable truths that school exclusions have on students, particularly amongst England’s rural youths, and how permanent exclusion from mainstream education can affect students’ identities and their place within society.

20/11/2023

Yeeeeep

Artist: safely Endangered

11/11/2023

07/11/2023

With love x

06/11/2023

Good news: with my book now published, I can finally dedicate more time to offering the following services:

- Tutoring in English language learning

- Prepping students for English, Italian, and French GCSEs

- Academic Editing & Proofreading

- Tutoring in Academic writing and practice

I offer these services both online and in-person in Oxford.

If you'd like to learn more and/or receive a free quote, feel free to DM me directly.

Otherwise, make sure to check out our other services at The Oxford Method
theoxfordmethod.co.uk

The Oxford Method is designed with one purpose in mind, to virtually enhance students’ academic credentials (i.e., academic writing, reading, and critical thinking) through intensive 6-week Oxbridge-style tutorials to fully prepare international students for British Higher Education.Discover The O...