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Becca

@beccalou.bsky.social
188 followers 184 following 22 posts

HE Lecturer, Research in sociology of education, care and disability, social justice, mental health. Views expressed here are my own.

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Reposted by Becca
Survival International @survivalinternational.org · 23h
🎧 Listen now to the Guardian's Today In Focus podcast, all about influencers and adventurers targeting uncontacted peoples for fame and clicks. www.theguardian.com/news/audio/2...
theguardian.com
Colonialism for clicks? The influencers targeting uncontacted tribes – podcast
Features writer Elle Hunt and indigenous activist María José Andrade Cerda on the growing phenomenon of influencers around the world trying to reach uncontacted tribes
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Reposted by Becca
Prem Sikka @premnsikka.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Swiss private equity firm and UK investor buy 1,570-bed student accommodation. Another sector taken over by PE, loaded with debt, high rents, profiteering. Rents outstrip govt maintenance loans. No UK tax charged on dividends paid to foreign investors.
living.insidehousing.co.uk
Swiss private equity firm and UK investor buy 1,570-bed student housing portfolio
A Swiss private equity firm and UK investor have bought a 1,570-bed student housing portfolio for £165m.
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Simon Pegg @simonpegg.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
FFS.
independent.co.uk
RNLI closes Portsmouth lifeboat station after huge anti-migrant protests
RNLI volunteers were branded ‘traitors’ after bringing migrants ashore
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Becca Harrison @beccaeharrison.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Just found myself in the weird position of turning down an academic job offer. I’ve decided not to apply for them before (recently enquiring about a research role I was told the ‘research budget’ came out of your salary) but never encountered t&cs so awful and exploitative that I’ve declined one
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Working Class History @workingclasshistory.com · 14/09/2026
#OtD 14 Sep 1911 1000s of schoolchildren in Dundee, Scotland, walked out of lessons demanding more holidays and less corporal punishment. Marching armed with sticks and stones, they pulled other children out and attacked schools which were still open stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/8626...
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Becca @beccalou.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Let's all donate to RNLI if we can afford to. Let decency win. news.sky.com/story/rnli-i...
news.sky.com
RNLI issues guidance over wearing uniform after staff suffer 'unacceptable abuse'
An RNLI boat carrying more than 100 migrants was denied access to the Port of Southampton and Port of Portsmouth on Sunday.
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Ilikecaketoo (UK) @ilikecaketoo.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Disgraceful that the RNLI have to say this today, but here we are 😞. If you would like to donate👇🏻. rnli.org/support-us/g... #RNLI #RNLISavesLives
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Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
“UK university management teams have so far struggled to take a principled position on AI, often embracing the technology uncritically and seeking to ‘partner’ with AI providers rather than consider its longer-term impact on pedagogy." (Steve Jones, University of Manchester)
timeshighereducation.com
Are device-free classrooms the way forward?
US universities embrace laptop and phone bans, but professor suggests policies may be more about political positioning than pedagogy
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Disability Culture Lab @disabilitylab.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
We’d love submissions at the intersection of disability and care be featured in Disability Culture Currents! We accept opinion, personal essay, and graphic storytelling. Care submissions due October 1, 2026. Visit tinyurl.com/DCCurrents to submit!
Graphic reads: “Disability Culture Currents. Call for care-related submissions! We’re looking for personal essays, opinion, and illustrated work from Disabled creators exploring disability and all facets of care. Deadline: October 1, 2026. Link in bio: tinyurl.com/DCCGuidelines.” Page 1.

The graphic is dark teal with a subtle lightning bolt pattern and white text. There’s a white speech bubble and a white and green DCC logo and megaphone, with page number “1.”Graphic reads: “We accept written submissions from 600 to 1,000 words, and topical comics/graphic storytelling with a combination of writing and illustration. Pieces from disabled creators that are either opinion or personal essay and... a) illustrate how a system of oppression is disabling, such as racism, ableism, colonialism, capitalism, transphobia, etc; b) explore the intersections of social movements and identity; or c) explain how an unexpected issue is a disability issue. Creators maintain ownership of their submissions. We do not accept submissions created using generative artificial intelligence (GAI). Disability Culture Currents. Pay: $75 per published submission. We aim to increase this as we fundraise additional resources.” Page 2.

The graphic is dark teal with a subtle lightning bolt pattern. Text is white and dark teal. There’s also a white and green DCC logo and megaphone, with page number “2.”
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Reposted by Becca
Brian Groom @groomb.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
Evacuation of children from British cities began on this day 1939. My mum and her brother were evacuated from Hulme to Altrincham, but had returned home by the time a bomb destroyed their house in the 1940 Blitz. Family survived by diving under the kitchen table.
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Plashing Vole @plashingvole.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
Sacking news arrives, 24th August. Apparently they're extending the process to…3 weeks ago.
Screenshot of a university email describing 7th August as 'within the next two weeks'.
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Tom Shakespeare @tomshakespeare.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
www.theguardian.com/society/2026...
theguardian.com
People with severe intellectual disabilities live 24 years less on average
Exclusive: Research also finds stark ethnic disparities, and 40% of deaths among group classed as avoidable
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Carole Cadwalladr @carolecadwalla.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
Culture wars are not a natural phenomenon. And there will be another Arday. It’s not if but when. It’s not an aberration, it’s the business model. We have to get wiser about not just who’s behind them but how we fight back
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Carers UK @carers-uk.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
Are you a carer balancing work and caring? The Government is consulting on employment rights for unpaid carers, including a statutory right to paid Carer’s Leave. Your experience can help make the case for change. Have your say: gov.pulse.ly/pog1btqalo
An advertisement split vertically. On the left, a woman with brown hair tied back and wearing glasses, a brown sweater, and an orange high-visibility vest is focused on writing with a pen on a document on a table outdoors. On the right, a solid red background features bold white text reading: "Have your say on employment rights. Share your views as part of the Government’s consultation before 1 September".
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Leo McCann @leomc76.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
This is an important piece of research into bereaved persons' experiences of dealing with the stressful paperwork and conflicts that often arise after a person dies. Please consider completing the survey and sharing. Thank you.
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Peter Geoghegan @petergeoghegan.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
Behind the bewildering transformation of British universities, are management consultants being paid millions Really proud to have this vital piece on our unis are being gutted from the inside by @jheathershaw.bsky.social on Democracy for Sale. Do read democracyforsale.substack.com/p/inside-bri...
democracyforsale.substack.com
Inside Britain's university crisis
As teaching staff face job loss, their bosses have netted pay rises and bought advice from a “vampiric” management consultancy, writes Prof. John Heathershaw of the University of Exeter
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Nettlecake @nettlecake.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
Brilliant letter from Stuart Thompson to Jeremy Clarkson about his comments that benefit claimants should write weekly thank you letters to tax payers detailing how they spend their benefits each week.
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Gary Stevenson @garyseconomics.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
It should be upsetting
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Carers UK @carers-uk.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
What’s it really like to be a carer in 2026? The State of Caring 2026 survey is your chance to share your experiences of the NHS, financial pressures, support for your own health and wellbeing, and caring from a distance. Complete the survey today: surveymonkey.pulse.ly/pfg3e0zher
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Gav Maclean @gavmaclean.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
perverts using the pervert glasses are ruining everything
bbc.co.uk
CalMac bridge visits paused over passenger's secret filming with smart glasses
The ferry firm took the decision after a passenger filmed in a restricted area without permission.
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Al Jazeera English @aljazeera.com · 23/07/2026
The 'Patriotic Millionaires' say 'wealth and power have been concentrated in a small group for too long'.
aljazeera.com
More than 100 UK millionaires ask new PM Andy Burnham to tax them more
The 'Patriotic Millionaires' say 'wealth and power have been concentrated in a small group for too long'.
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Survival International @survivalinternational.org · 20/07/2026
Throwback to when Ngigoro, an Indigenous Hongana Manyawa man, traveled from the Indonesian island of Halmahera all the way to Europe to warn the world: “Stop the mining, or my people will die.”
Stop the mining or my people will die. Ngigoro, Hongana Manyawa people
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Survival International @survivalinternational.org · 07/07/2026
“If we destroy the lands of uncontacted Indigenous peoples, what will they eat?” Mandeí Juma is a survivor of the violence that her people the Juma faced throughout their history. Invaders massacred them, spead disease and forced them out of their lands. Learn more: uncontactedpeoples.org
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Harriet Cannon @harrietcannon.bsky.social · 05/07/2026
Interesting listen but disappointed that there was no mention of disabled students (almost a quarter of the student population) who are significantly impacted by attempts to combat AI misuse, especially in assessment. BBC Radio 4 - Currently, The Artificial University share.google/yHBZeVzQkWXM...
share.google
BBC Radio 4 - Currently, The Artificial University
Can university education survive AI?
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Carers UK @carers-uk.bsky.social · 03/07/2026
Have your say. Take part in the #StateOfCaring survey and build powerful evidence to drive real change for unpaid carers. Join thousands of carers sharing their experiences: 👉 bit.pulse.ly/s1cvtgdjyt
A man gently kisses a young boy on the forehead. The boy, seated in a wheelchair, leans affectionately towards the man. Text on the image reads "State of Caring 2026 Survey" with the Carers UK logo in the bottom right corner.
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Andrew Defty @adefty.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
Yesterday 142 academic staff at the University of Lincoln were put at risk of redundancy including the entire Politics and International Relations team. This follows cuts since 2024 which have already seen over 500 people leave the university. This is the 'University of No Regrets'.
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Survival International @survivalinternational.org · 27/06/2026
The genocide of the people of the Tanaru Indigenous Territory in the Brazilian Amazon passed unnoticed by the outside world. Now that they’re gone, their territory has been declared a National Park.
'Man of the Hole''s territory becomes a National Park in BrazilAn uncontacted man.

The only inhabitant of the Tanaru Indigenous Territory in the western Brazilian Amazon was known as ‘The Man of the Hole’ because of the deep pits he dug.

He was the sole survivor of massacres against his people. He rejected any form of contact with outsiders, living alone for at least 26 years.

He died in 2022.Genocide.

We know little about his people. It’s thought they were massacred in the 1970s.

50 years later, their biodiverse, abundant Indigenous territory is now people-less.

This is a human tragedy.Agribusiness.

Since the man died, big landowners in the region have been desperate to get their hands on the area. They claim it’s open for business now that no Indigenous people live there.
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Plashing Vole @plashingvole.bsky.social · 09/06/2026
Grief, sadness, anger - I’m currently experiencing ain’t eh things Glen O’Hara describes, as my department find waits to find out who of us will be sacked (60%) and who retained. isrf.org/blog/what-do...
isrf.org
What Does It Feel Like to Live Under the Threat of Redundancy?
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Carers UK @carers-uk.bsky.social · 04/06/2026
Carers Week is almost here! Add your name to the Building Carer Friendly Communities digital wall and help get the word out about the difference the right support from your community can make. 👉 carersweek.pulse.ly/z6efnxi5u5
Blue text on a white background surrounded by a blue border. The main quote inside the border discusses isolation in caring and the importance of carer-friendly communities for accessibility and awareness. Underneath, the logo for "Carers Week" is visible next to the text: "Together we're building carer friendly communities."
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Kath @kathyburke.bsky.social · 04/06/2026
My memoir, A Mind Of My Own is now available in paperback which means it’s cheaper. Hurrah! If you’d like a dedicated copy repost this and I’ll do a random pick of five winners in the next couple of days. If you’ve already bought/read or listened to the audible version thank you! ♥️📚
Photo of my memoir A Mind of my Own is now available in paperback. Repost for the chance to win a signed copy.
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Carers UK @carers-uk.bsky.social · 01/06/2026
Carers UK submitted a response to the Timms Review on the future of PIP - thank you to the unpaid carers whose voices and experiences strengthened our submission. We call on the Government to adopt a whole-family approach to PIP reform, recognising the vital links between PIP and carers' benefits.
Red background with white text: "Carers UK submitted a response to the Timms Review on the future of PIP. Thank you to the 740 unpaid carers whose experiences strengthened our submission." The Carers UK logo is at the bottom.
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Julia Childs @juliachilds.bsky.social · 28/05/2026
Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on Radio 4 Today has me screaming at the radio before 7am. Firstly, ADHD isn’t a ‘low level disability.’Secondly, how about looking at employers first, rather than disabled people.Poor inclusive practices stop so many from succeeding in the workplace.
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The Museum of English Rural Life (MERL) @themerl.bsky.social · 27/05/2026
Absolute Units returns tomorrow! We're joined by the brilliant disability rights activist and performance artist Anahita Harding. We discuss disability in museum collections and spaces, and how we can improve representation, access, and inclusion in the future. merl.reading.ac.uk/explore/abso...
merl.reading.ac.uk
Absolute Units podcast - The Museum of English Rural Life
Come for the big sheep. Stay for the history of rural England and its people.
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Survival International @survivalinternational.org · 27/05/2026
Eramet is a French mining company. Its activities in Indonesia threaten the very existence of the uncontacted Indigenous Hongana Manyawa people. 27% of the company is owned by the French government. French taxpayers’ money cannot be used to fund this. Tag @rolandlescure.bsky.social #STOPEramet
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Carers UK @carers-uk.bsky.social · 25/05/2026
🖊️ Join us for the first in a series of two workshops on writing and telling your stories. Writer and teacher Andrew Kauffmann will explore what you'd like to write, with gentle prompts. zoom.pulse.ly/hgbsynygmi
A close-up of a hand writing with a pen on lined paper. The text "Stories workshop: Writing your story, your way" and "Thursday 28 May, 2pm - 3pm" is displayed in red banners overlaying the image. The Carers UK logo is in the top right corner.
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Survival International @survivalinternational.org · 18/05/2026
⚠️ The Time Limit Trick is back…! 😱 The Time Limit Trick is a proposal by anti-Indigenous politicians. It argues that Indigenous peoples don’t have the right to have their lands demarcated and recognized...
Brazil.
The Time Limit Trick is back, promising the total destruction of Indigenous rights.
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Council for the Defence of British Universities @cdbu.bsky.social · 16/05/2026
🚨 CDBU FUNDING APPLICATIONS NOW OPEN! 🚨 #funding #projectfunding #researchfunding #CDBUresearch
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para-handy.bsky.social @para-handy.bsky.social · 12/05/2026
Palantir can now get full access to English and Welsh peoples personal data Name, Address, NHS Number together with their full medical records. No request, no sign-off, just type in the name and look.
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Onni Gust @onnigust.bsky.social · 12/05/2026
Every single member of the History Department at Uni of Nottingham is at risk of redundancy. Every single one of us.
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Survival International @survivalinternational.org · 06/05/2026
Uncontacted Indigenous peoples resist every day — but they can’t do it alone. Governments and companies must act, and we must all speak out to protect their lives and lands. 📢 Add your voice now. ✉️ Send your email → svlint.org/SurvivalB #AtTheEdge
How can uncontacted peoples survive?

Act now: svlint.org/SurvivalGovernments must protect uncontacted peoples' lands and stop invasions.Companies must cut ties to materials sourced from those territories.Uncontacted peoples are being pushed to the edge.

Join their fight for survival now: svlint.org/Survival
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Tom Shakespeare @tomshakespeare.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
This is a scandal - and only adds to stress of having an impairment, or running a pharmacy. BBC News - The struggle to get hold of medication in England is set to get worse - BBC News www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
The struggle to get hold of medication in England is set to get worse
People living with conditions include heart problems, stroke risks, eye infections and bipolar are unable to get hold of the drugs they rely on.
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Plashing Vole @plashingvole.bsky.social · 24/04/2026
Whether I'm there or not next year, here are the things that have been replaced by a generic skills module including 3 weeks on Using AI: 1. My linguistics colleagues on accent and dialect change, and atittudes towards the local accent. Led by the accents in the room.
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Felicity Callard @felicitycallard.bsky.social · 20/04/2026
More on the state of British academia. Such cruelty and brutalisation effected through these processes that are dismantling disciplines and universities in the face of governmental indifference
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Gav Maclean @gavmaclean.bsky.social · 17/04/2026
media.tenor.com
a group of cartoon characters are sitting at desks in a classroom including bart simpson
ALT: a group of cartoon characters are sitting at desks in a classroom including bart simpson
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Plashing Vole @plashingvole.bsky.social · 13/04/2026
My uni’s marketing department: we won’t advertise your course. It’s not a ‘hero’ course. Management: you haven’t recruited. We’re shutting you down.
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Plashing Vole @plashingvole.bsky.social · 03/04/2026
My uni's head of digital' - previously IT specialist in banking his entire career: 'the future of HE is tech- and process-led, not academic led'. Managers/BoG: 'hook it into my veins'. What we're actually *for* other than sharing profits between senior managers and PA Consulting remains unexamined
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Andrew Defty @adefty.bsky.social · 02/04/2026
Just out of an emergency @uculincolnbranch.bsky.social meeting - large turnout despite many members being on leave reflects deep concern about latest voluntary severance scheme, announced on Monday, and what may follow. Widely expressed lack of confidence in senior management.
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Jen Hicken @greatnorthmum.bsky.social · 30/03/2026
Huge numbers of colleagues will be leaving the NHS this week following restructuring of ICBs; same is happening in NHS England. Staff are distracted, demoralised and exhausted by the whole thing. How well the NHS operates involves more than the frontline. www.theguardian.com/society/2026...
theguardian.com
NHS restructure is greatest danger to Streeting’s effort to revive service
Health secretary still confident of success but critics say scrapping of NHS England has been ‘a total car crash’
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Plashing Vole @plashingvole.bsky.social · 25/03/2026
A photographer friend of mine is starting a visual and literary project around dementia, memory and time - if anyone would like to join in, it's here: www.becomingunmapped.com
becomingunmapped.com
Becoming Unmapped
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