Deborah Brewis

I work principally in three areas Critical diversity studies, Creative methodologies for management research and learning, and Digital labour.

I am interested in the ways that organisational discourses and practices create forms of knowledge and emotional response that function to ‘organise difference’ in particular ways. I ask: Which differences between people do we understand as being important? What meanings do we attach to forms of difference? How do we seek to ‘manage’ difference? What are the material consequences of these processes? I extend these questions into a variety of empirical settings, including organisational ‘diversity’ practices and digital work, and develop novel creative methodologies to learn about them.

I am one fourth of the collective Building the Antiracist Classroom that have been working to develop practices of antiracism in higher education since 2017. We have been developing knowledge, networks and partnerships to advise cross-institutionally about engaging with antiracism in our teaching and research. Institutions we have collaborated with include: University of Kent, Exester University, Queen Mary University London, Middlesex University, Loughborough Uniersity, Leeds Beckett.

I also am part of the Writing Differently collective, and active in engaging with artistic practices as a part of learning; and continually seek to explore how they can enrich our writing, research, and teaching. Part of VIDA- The critical management women's association, and a founding member of the Decolonising Alliance.

Research interests:

-           Critical analysis of inclusion, diversity and equality as organising concepts and practices

-           Gender and race in working life

-           Intersectional research

-           Digital identity (self)work

-           Digital inclusion and exclusion

-           Management/government of subjectivities at work

-           Writing differently and creative methodologies in research

-           Psychic life, anxiety, and affect

-           Solidarity communities

-           Practices and strategies of anti-racism

Please see my website for details of my current projects

I am The Provocations Essays Editor for the journal Management Learning, curating important conversations about the future of learning in managment and organisation studies and management practice.

I am the former Social Media Editor for the same journal and developed an innovative new video series for them called 'Management Learning Meets...', which promotes dialogue and reflection around issues of organisational learning and the process of doing research and publishing within Management and Organisation Studies.

I am a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and within the School of Management I am also Senior Tutor.

I am currently supervising two PhD students internally: Katty Abdelmalek and Elif Nur Duman Cogen; and one PhD students externally: Ruth Abrams (Kingston University).

I welcome enquiries from prospective doctoral students who are interested in pursuing research related to my areas of interest outlined above. Please get in touch detailing your specific research interest and credentials.