Dr Richard (Rik) Kennedy

Dr Rik Kennedy is a Senior Lecturer in Education at De Montfort University specializing in social justice, race, social class and critical consciousness. His research areas include Critical Race Theory and Education, Critical Whiteness Studies and structural racism. Rik was previously a Youth and Community development worker for Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire County council with over 20 years’ experience of working with disadvantaged groups in non-formal settings.

Institute for Research in Criminology and Community and Social Justice

• Lead Consultant Newsround Special (2020) - Young Black and British, 23rd OCT. Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m000np36/newsround-specials-young-black-and-british-hear-us-part-1
• African Caribbean show(2019)BBC radio Leicester, 4th June.
• De Leon, M and Chikwendu, D (2009) Hair Equality Report 2019
• Kennedy, R, Ogunnusi, M and Sallah, M. (2017) Intersectionality and resistance in youth work: young people, peace and global development in a racialized world. In Alldred,P Edwards, K and Fusco, D The Sage Handbook of Youth Work Practice. Sage: London
• Sallah, M and Kennedy, R (2015) ‘Race’, Ethnicity and Young People in C. Cooper, G. Hughes and S. Gormally (Eds) Social Justice and Radical Alternatives for Education and Youth Work Practice. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
• Kennedy, R (2014). Neoliberalism and Youth Policy. [Online].
• Kennedy, R and White-Simmons, L. (2007) The impact of formal education of Black young people. In Howson, C and Sallah , M (Eds) Working with Black Young People. London: Russell House

Conferences

• Demontfort University Peace, Equality and Social Justice and SDG 16 Conference-From BAME to BEM. 19-20 May 2022
• Demontfort University Education webinar series - Whiteness in education December 2021
• Demontfort University BAME Language and Terminology Talk part of decolonising DMU series Nov 2021
• Demontfort University Questioning the logic of the system: Whiteness and education March 2018
• Northampton University Interdisciplinary Research with children, young people and families: crossing, boundaries, sharing stories. Deciphering the saliency of race within society and the research process: constructing the Bespoke Critical Bricolage (BCB) 7/9/2016
• Demontfort University Educational Research Seminar Series: Negotiating the hidden curriculum of otherness- Black young people's educational experience in predominantly white areas 30th September 2015
• Demontfort University Questioning the logic of the system: A critical look at global learning and global youth work March 14/15/ 2013

Research areas include neoliberalism and youth policy, social construction and the context of ‘otherness’ and whiteness within Western Societies. The social dynamics of race and ethnicity within educational settings and how these superstructural institutions support and recreate the normalisation of oppression. The intersections of oppressions within society, how these have developed and are interlinked with the past in the context of colonialism through to globalisation.

Social Justice, Racism, Critical Race Theory, Critical Whiteness studies, Social Class, Decolonisation.

• PhD Sociology
• Fellowship of Higher Education Academy
• Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM)
• Team Leaders Award
• A1/V1 Assessors Award
• BA (Hons)JNC Youth and Community Work

EDUC 5016 - Current and Emergent Issues in Educational Policy, Supervisor for EDUC 5022 Negotiated Study and EDUC 5023 Dissertation/Major Project Module Leader EDUC 3312 Education & Equality: Class Race & Ethnicity Module Leader EDUC 2245 Perspectives on Diversity

Editorial Advisory Board of JCEPS Reviews Panel

BERA 2019-ONGOING
The British Educational Research Association (BERA) is the leading authority on educational research in the UK, supporting and representing the community of scholars, practitioners and everyone engaged in and with educational research both nationally and internationally.

Previously JNC Field work supervisor Bishop Grosseteste University