Using [un]popular culture in social work education: the only way is Essex and Katie Price: what Harvey did next?

Abstract

Traditional social work education in the UK has been successful in terms of widening participation, although there are some threats to this. Within the post 92 university sector in particular, social work students come from a diverse range of backgrounds. Some of these students will not have had positive experiences of formative education or would have been subject to state discrimination and hostility. We report on the use of pedagogical approaches which aim to support social work students to feel a sense of security and belonging within the higher education environment, develop safe ways to engage in critical self reflection, helps students engage with often nebulous, and complex theoretical concepts, and most importantly, serve to challenge the exclusionary culture of higher education, which at times can make students feel unworthy. We address these issues by using [un]popular culture in our teaching practices. Two UK TV programs in particular, TOWIE and Katie Price: What Harvey did Next, offer a wealth of pedagogical material and opportunities for deep learning. Using recognizable figures from popular culture, gives social work students permission to explore matters and theory relevant to social work, not least class, taste, gender and disability.