The Backstage Academic

Sep 04 2024 48 ep. 47 mins

The Backstage Academic Podcast artwork

I'm a sociology/criminology researcher at Manchester Metropolitan University, that blackmails numerous smart folk into doing podcasts on a whole host of academic subjects. I cover everything within the social sciences and believe in the free distribution of knowledge. In addition, I also produce regular book reviews/interviews with researchers and occasionally interview book authors about their recent publications. Researchers seeking to be on the show can reach me on Twitter @Social_Nomad

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The Art of Writing - The Do's and Don'ts and Everything in Between

Sep 04 2024 70 mins

Have you ever wondered what is means to be a great writer? Well wonder no longer. In this episode we tackle a whole host of topics from; the biggest challenges for writers, the importance of including you in your work, key difference between fiction and non fiction writing, growing author diversity and bringing lived experienced into your work, how to overcome writers block, the im

Cults and Coercive Relationships - Janja Lalich

Jun 10 2024 39 mins

This time we are peering into the world of cultic groups and thought reforms ideologies of all kinds, with sociologist Janja's Lalich and her amazing book 'TAKE BACK YOUR LIFE: Recovering from Cults and Abusive Relationships. Learn all about the techniques of cult leaders, fascinating case studies and the complex reasons victims stay for so long. You can find her book here: http

Adam Nicolson's 'The Mighty Dead: Why Homer Matters' - Book Review

Mar 20 2024 57 mins

This time we are exploring the surprisingly sociological book, The Mighty Dead: Why Homer Matters. As usual we cover a lot of ground, from poetry, writing style, oral history, to the urban and the rural, the origins of violence/gangs. There even some reflections around masculinity and intimacy in war.

'You're ALL Talk' - Book Review + Author Interview

Dec 06 2023 71 mins

Join me and my co host Saiqa as we explore the wonderful world of language and accents for this fascinating book review 'Your All Talk: why we are what we speak'. We discuss class, identity, inequality, prejudice around accents, history of speech, and share plenty of our personal experiences on the subject. In the second part of the episode I am also joined by Rob Drummond

Oliver Burkeman's 'Time Management for Mortals' - Book Review

Oct 31 2023 54 mins

Myself and Saiqa delve into the world of time management and the broader societal obsession with ever greater productivity and efficiency. We review Oliver's great book Four Thousand Weeks, Time Management or Mortals - packed full of useful tips on how to regain control of our stressful busy lives.

Fire in the Belly: On Being a Man by Sam Keen - Book Review

Sep 19 2023 68 mins

In this thought provoking review I am joined by my comrade in arms Saiqa Butt, a performing poet and fiction writer. We delve into Sam Keen's classic - a personal journey into masculinity, where he explores notions of male potency, strength, insecurity, personal development, violence and their relationship to women. There is so much here, we touched on war, class, sexual assault, f

How To Survive (And Dare I Say It Flourish) On Your PhD With Prof Steve Miles

Aug 17 2023 46 mins

Professor Steve Miles is a sociologist at Manchester Metropolitan University based in the Postgraduate Arts and Humanities Centre (PAHC). His area of expertise is in consumption and he is the Head of Faculty Research Degrees here at MMU. Steve completed his PhD in 1996 from the University of Huddersfield - his thesis is titled 'You just wear what you want don't yer'? An empirical e

The Challenge Of County Lines With DI Gary Stratton And Zoe Macdonald

May 04 2023 43 mins

County Lines is a form of criminal activity that utilises/exploits vulnerable people such as children, to create networks for the supply of illegal substances. The vulnerable individuals are exploited by gangs in a range of ways, from illegal transport, storing substances at their residences and even used in the selling itself. We are joined by Gary Stratton D/Insp County Lines Inv

Research In Hostile/Challenging Environments: From Consent To The Management Of Guilt

Apr 05 2023 66 mins

Conducting research in the field can be one of the most ethically fraught experiences of your career (maybe even life), and this can become even more salient if you are working with populations that are in some ways marginal and/or vulnerable. This episode should be especially useful to PhD students/early year researchers who are about to enter the field and would like to know abou

'The Last of Us' Review - From Academic Analysis To Mind Altering Fungus

Mar 21 2023 57 mins

'The Last of Us' games were hugely successful, offering one of the most immersive and terrifying gaming experiences to date for many a nerd (myself included). The recent release of the televised adaptation starring Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey has proven equally as successful and warrants a deep dive. Joined by my usual co-host Andrea, as we do an exploration of the serie