The Caring Professions, Not So Caring?: An Analysis of Bullying and Emotional Distress in the Academy

Abstract

In this chapter we analyze two case studies of bullying at United Kingdom (UK) universities, one involving a student of social work and another of a faculty member in a psychology department. The initial disjuncture in one case study occurred when a victim of bullying was labeled as 'mentally ill,' and the second was when someone was bullied because of a label of 'mental illness.' These two similar but opposing disjunctures offer an opportunity for comparative analysis. This includes an investigation of the processes and discourses at play within the broader context of UK higher education and constructions of bullying and emotional distress. The context of UK higher education has changed dramatically within a political and economic context of austerity, to include controversial increases in tuition fees, restructuring of support for students, as well as changes in how universities are assessed and funded. These transformations have resulted in notable changes in the working culture of UK universities, particularly in relation to unstable employment; increased pressure on staff to 'publish, not perish'; and documented bullying, harassment, violence, and emotional distress such as depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation. The current project examines the negative impacts of such changes on staff and student well-being by qualitatively analyzing two case studies of bullying at UK universities. We also analyze the role of sanism in the victimization of these two individuals, and interrogate the use of psychiatric labels to further justify bullying and abuse. These case studies are from the perspective of both faculty and student, in addition to examining the role of departments that center on issues related to emotional distress: social work and psychology. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)