Participatory Action Research Study Research Articles

Adaptive innovation and ethical dilemmas: a participatory action research study amongst cyclone-impacted households in Tamil Nadu, India

PurposeThis paper showcases how the PAR embedded in posthumanist perspectives enabled us to navigate several complexities in the field through methodological situatedness and pluralism. It also attempts to critically outline the drivers and barriers that shaped our capacities to engage with the PAR.Design/methodology/approachThe Tamil Nadu state in the Bay of Bengal along the southeast coast of India is one of the six regions in the world where severe tropical cyclones originate throughout the year. Storm surges in this region are well known for their destructive potential due to strong winds and heavy rainfall. This paper describes our participatory action research (PAR) journey towards strengthening grassroots action by providing access to safe and affordable housing for cyclone-impacted households (CIHs) in the Villupuram district of Tamil Nadu, India. The PAR was guided by an adaptive innovation model (AIM) that draws inspiration from posthumanism, action research and reflective practice traditions.FindingsThe insights from the PAR insist that we must recognise and work with diverse knowledge systems and situated practices to develop meaningful disaster risk reduction (DRR) and climate adaptation strategies. Our approach has to be rooted in the lived experiences of various vulnerable groups, their entanglements with nature and their everyday struggles of interacting with a complex social-ecological system.Originality/valueThis paper is an outcome of a PAR in a cyclone-impacted village in Tamil Nadu, India. The discussions and findings of the paper are original in nature and have not been published elsewhere.

Cancer centre information and support services and patient needs: participatory action research study

ObjectivesClear information and supportive care are necessary for oncology patients and their relatives to manage the disease (trajectory). Centres for information and support aim to address their needs by offering...

Developing a capacity-building intervention for healthcare workers to improve communication skills and awareness of hard of hearing and D/deaf patients: results from a participatory action research study

BackgroundHealthcare workers (HCWs) are commonly not prepared to properly communicate with D/deaf and hard of hearing (HoH) patients. The resulting communication challenges reinforce the existing barriers to accessing and benefiting from quality of care in these populations. In response, this study aimed to develop and evaluate a capacity-building intervention for HCWs to raise their awareness of D/deaf and HoH individuals’ experiences in healthcare and improve their capacity to communicate with these populations.MethodsThis study featured a participatory action research design using qualitative and quantitative methods. The intervention was developed and tested through 4 iterative phases. Reactions (i.e., satisfaction and perception of the intervention content, quality, appropriateness and usefulness) were assessed quantitatively and qualitatively after the intervention, whereas perceived knowledge and self-efficacy in communicating with D/deaf and HoH patients and organizational payoffs (use frequency of basic rules and tools improving communication) were quantitatively assessed before, after and 6-month post-intervention.ResultsMain qualitative and quantitative findings showed that the final version of the intervention reached high levels of satisfaction among participants. Next, perceived knowledge and self-efficacy scores obtained after receiving the intervention and 6 months later were significantly higher than those yielded in the initial assessment, although both scores significantly decreased at 6 months (compared to the scores obtained just after the intervention). Finally, findings showed no significant changes in organizational payoffs after receiving the intervention. Echoing these results, main qualitative findings documented that after receiving the intervention, participants felt more confident yet not more equipped to communicate with D/deaf and HoH patients.ConclusionsFindings suggest that the capacity-building intervention is a promising means to sustainably increase HCWs’ perceived knowledge and self-efficacy on how communicating with D/deaf and HoH patients, although complementary approaches and follow-up intervention reminders may be necessary to enable practice changes in the working environment.

Stacked Up Against Us: Using Photovoice and Participatory Methods to Explore Structural Racism's Impact on Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health Inequities.

While structural racism has profound impacts on adolescent health, little is known about how youth synthesize racialized experiences and work to dismantle systems of oppression. This article provides an overview of a Youth Participatory Action Research study that used Photovoice and community mapping to explore how structural violence, like racism, impacts the sexual and reproductive health of historically excluded youth as they navigate unjust socio-political landscapes. Youth participants used photography and community maps to identify how the experience of bias, profiling, and tokenism impacted their ability to navigate complex social systems. With youth voices prioritized, participants explored ways to address structural racism in their lives. The importance of co-creating opportunities with and for youth in critical reflection of their lived experience is emphasized. Through an Arts and Cultural in Public Health framework, we provide an analysis of the ways structural racism functions as a gendered racial project and fundamental cause of adolescent sexual and reproductive health inequities, while identifying pathways toward liberation in pursuit of health and well-being.

Facilitators and barriers to implementing a specialized care unit for persons with cognitive impairment in an acute geriatric hospital: a process evaluation

 BackgroundImplementing dementia care interventions in an acute hospital poses multiple challenges. To understand factors influencing the implementation, in-depth knowledge about specific facilitators and barriers is necessary. The aim of this study was to identify facilitators and barriers to implementing an interprofessional, multicomponent intervention of a specialized unit for persons with cognitive impairment in an acute geriatric hospital.MethodsWe conducted a process evaluation as part of a participatory action research study. For data collection, semi-structured individual interviews with fifteen professionals involved in the implementation of the specialized unit. We further conducted two focus groups with twelve professionals working on other units of the geriatric hospital. We performed a qualitative content analysis following Kuckartz’s content-structuring analysis scheme.ResultsWe identified the following barriers to implementing the specialized unit: uncontrollable contextual changes (e.g., COVID-19 pandemic), staff turnover in key functions, high fluctuation in the nursing team, traditional work culture, entrenched structures, inflexible and efficiency-oriented processes, monoprofessional attitude, neglect of project-related communication, and fragmentation of interprofessional cooperation. An established culture of interprofessionalism, an interprofessionally composed project group, cooperation with a research partner, as well as the project groups’ motivation and competence of managing change facilitated the implementation.ConclusionsThe implementation faced numerous barriers that can be described using the key constructs of the i-PARIHS framework: context, recipients, innovation, and facilitation. Overcoming these barriers requires an organizational development approach, extended project duration and increased process orientation. Furthermore, strategically planned, precise and ongoing communication towards all persons involved seems crucial. Differences between the work cultures of the professions involved deserve particular attention with regard to project-related roles and processes.

Creating Cohesion and Collaboration in Mathematics Classrooms: Implementing Interdepartmental Professional Learning Communities to Support Students with Disabilities

Professional learning communities (PLCs) support the growth of educators to improve learning outcomes for all students. Guided by social constructivist and social cognitive theories, this longitudinal participatory action research study explored the implementation of an interdepartmental PLC across Hord’s five dimensions of a successful PLC—supportive and shared leadership, shared beliefs values and vision, collective learning and its application, shared personal practice, and supportive conditions. Additionally, this study explored how engaging with an interdepartmental PLC influenced participants’ collective efficacy. During the PLC, the collective expertise of mathematics teachers, administrators, and additional educational specialists (such as occupational therapists and speech and language pathologists) (n = 13) were leveraged to develop strategies for the improvement of mathematical problem solving among elementary and middle school students with disabilities. Our findings indicate statistically significant increases in the five dimensions of the PLC over time, with qualitative evidence supporting the PLC’s effectiveness. However, our findings revealed no significant increase in participants’ overall collective efficacy, a group’s shared belief that together they can achieve a desired result. Implications for practice and research are discussed.

Voicing green learning in rural areas through service-learning: A participatory action research study

The paper explores the role of service-learning pedagogy in fostering green learning and skills, particularly in rural school setting. By triangulating data from photovoice, dyadic interviews, and reflective observations, the authors implemented an action research study, involving sixteen students from grades 5 to 8 in a Romanian public school. Initial and final interviews explored the participants' perceptions and strategies toward green learning, while photovoice documented their learning process. Observational tools further enriched data collection. The study found service-learning enhanced enjoyment, deep learning strategies, and a sense of community in multi-ethnic classrooms. Thus, experiential learning pedagogies coupled with participant research methods can significantly bolster green learning and competences.

EMBRACING THE QUEER ART OF FAILURE IN GERONTOLOGICAL RESEARCH AND EDUCATION

Abstract Halberstam describes the queer art of failure as a performance of dissidence in which lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer plus (LGBTQ+) people willing reject traditional conceptualizations of success. Yet, dominant theoretical frameworks in gerontology are predicated upon notions of success and productivity which may be problematic for understanding the life trajectories of LGBTQ+ people. The use of such heteronormative frameworks has implications for gerontological research in two important ways: 1) Research methods and researchers themselves may be constrained by the normative expectations placed on LGBTQ+ people and 2) Heteronormative frameworks obscure the nuance of LGBTQ+ older adults’ lived experiences and may limit important contributions to gerontological knowledge. This symposium applies the queer art of failure to examine LGBTQ+ aging scholarship that deviates from traditional research and education. Speaker one shares experiences from LGBTQ+ individuals facing dementia, using concepts that counter framing dementia as pathology and decline. Speaker two discusses how participants’ preferences for receiving research results via found poetry may reflect LGBTQ+ participants’ natural inclination to question hegemonic norms. Speaker three describes collaborating with a coalition of LGBTQ+ older adults of color on a participatory action research study, detailing how epistemic tensions shaped the research in unexpected ways. Speaker four discusses how institutional failure led to enthusiasm for LGBTQ+ curriculum development, student mentoring, and knowledge production. These presentations suggest that the inclusion of diverse conceptualizations of success and productivity should inform future aging scholarship, as they may center the experiences of historically marginalized populations such as LGBTQ+ older adults.

Doing and undoing gendered racism with racialized girls: A school‐based youth participatory action research study

AbstractThis article explores the ethics and transformative potential of youth participatory action research (yPAR) using data from a 2‐year school‐based yPAR study at an elite, independent school in Toronto, Canada. I use discourse analysis to show how school‐based yPAR with racialized girls intensified their experiences of gendered racism, shaping the research in a circular fashion. I demonstrate how youth researchers' strategies for counteracting this intensification contradicted the project's critical race feminist investments. This study concludes that yPAR facilitators must address the potential/actual harm of youth researchers' involvement in yPAR as part of the research process.

Cultural Restoration Participatory Learning Process on Tha Poetry to Promote Environmental Sustainability Conservation of Ethnic Students, Chiang Mai Province

This research aims to: 1) Synthesize knowledge regarding environmental management through the cultural introduction to Tha Poetry by the indigenous Pga K'nyau people in Chiang Mai province; 2) Develop a manual for the cultural restoration participatory learning process to promote environmental sustainability conservation of ethnic students in Chiang Mai province; and 3) Study the satisfaction towards the manual for the cultural restoration participatory learning process to promote environmental sustainability conservation of ethnic students in Chiang Mai province. This research is a Participatory Action Research (PAR) study. The samples used in the research consist of 1) a knowledge-providing group on Tha poetry, comprising 5 local Pga K'nyau scholars; 2) a manual assessment group consisting of 5 Pga K'nyau environmental knowledge experts; and 3) a trial group for the learning process, comprising 30 Pga K'nyau ethnic student teachers. The tools used in the research include 1) unstructured interviews; 2) a manual quality assessment form for Tha poetry of Pga K'nyau to promote environmental conservation; and 3) a satisfaction questionnaire. The qualitative data were analyzed using content analysis, and the quantitative data were analyzed by finding the mean and standard deviation. The research found that:
 
 1) The synthesis of knowledge concerning environmental management through the cultural introduction on Tha Poetry among the indigenous Pga K'nyau people in Chiang Mai province revealed that Tha serves as a poetic introduction reflecting the life and existence of the Pga K'nyau. “Tha” holds significance for everyone, acting as a medium for transmitting knowledge and wisdom. It is a poetic introduction that melds life, experiences, teachings, and memories from the older generation, being recited in every ceremony from weddings, pre-marital counseling, gender role socialization, New Year celebrations, guest receptions, blessings requests, illnesses, to funerals. The content of Tha thus encapsulates the relationships between individuals, between humans and nature, and between humans and supernatural forces. The Pga K'nyau people emphasize environmental conservation, believing that nature has local deities who protect and look after the area. Furthermore, there's a tradition of transmitting knowledge through Tha Poetry for environmental conservation to achieve sustainability. This document has been created to revive the knowledge embedded in the cultural introduction of Tha, a heritage of wisdom passed down through generations, for the training and education of descendants, delving deeply into the conservation of natural resources and the environment. This ensures that individuals studying this will gain understanding from the teachings of the Pga K'nyau community. Currently, the practice of reciting Tha Poetry has been diminished, necessitating adaptation and conservation to preserve Tha in the culture of the Pga K'nyau people.
 
 2) The development of a manual for the cultural restoration participatory learning process on Tha Poetry to promote environmental sustainability conservation of ethnic students in Chiang Mai province revealed that the manual comprises the meaning of Tha, Tha poetry sections for promoting environmental conservation through synthesis, and activity sheets for learning Tha poetry to promote the environmental sustainability conservation. The manual has a highly appropriate learning standard level. 3) The study on satisfaction towards the manual for the cultural restoration participatory learning process on Tha Poetry to promote environmental sustainability conservation of ethnic students in Chiang Mai province found that the majority of the students expressed satisfaction towards the manual, indicating that it is clear and highly beneficial for learning, rating it from high to the highest level.

Investigating critical citizenship education within primary school art curriculum

Background: Visual art at school can create a learning environment where learners can learn, reflect and express opinions on critical citizenship and social justice issues as an informal modality that draws on different skills and allows for expression of thoughts and ideas in a medium other than words and numbers. A relevant issue in South Africa is the need to create a sense of citizenship to help South Africans to engage with and reflect on the country’s complex colonial and apartheid history.Aim: The aim of this study was to engage primary school learners in critical citizenship and social justice education to determine how this can deepen their conceptions and to communicate these through an art project.Setting: A primary school in the Western Cape.Methods: This participatory action research (PAR) study was designed for learners to engage with critical citizenship through project-based learning at a primary school in Cape Town, South Africa. Learners investigated critical citizenship by creating folktales as a narrative for their artwork.Results: Primary school learners’ conceptions of citizenship progressed from a general understanding of what citizenship means during the start of the PAR to a much deeper and personal experience of belonging, caring and connecting at the end of the PAR. The use of folktales, digital storytelling and visual art was effective in creating a message about citizenship that the learners practically experienced and valued.Conclusion: The creative process and artistic expression deepened the learners’ understanding and engagement of critical citizenship and social justice. The reflections on the individuals’ and the group’s learning experiences revealed that critical citizenship education could influence learners’ conceptions and interpretations of folktales with a socio-political message.Contribution: This research contributes to critical citizenship education and curriculum development.

Deportigualízate: enacting critical intersectional feminist pedagogy in Spanish PESTE

ABSTRACT Background Physical education is seen as a subject that can both entrench but also challenge inequities. Within Spain, there is legislation requiring educators to teach about gender equity in schools across all subjects. Given this, topics around gender (and equity more broadly) are being taught in some Spanish Physical Education-Sport Tertiary Education (PESTE) programmes. Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore university students’ experiences of engaging with a critical intersectional feminist pedagogy unit in a Spanish PESTE programme. Methods This paper represents one participatory action research study that is part of a larger research project exploring equity in physical education. The authors use qualitative data generation methods (including interviews, evaluations, field notes, and others) as well as data analysis (narrative analysis, descriptive coding, concept coding) to develop the findings. Findings The findings examine two teaching moments from the unit that students resonated with the most. In so doing, the authors examine the specific factors that the students discussed the most as affecting the way they think about equity in health, physical activity, and education. Conclusions The authors conclude by arguing that critical approaches to physical education that draw on embodied pedagogies and emplaced criticality have the ability to make ripples of change that can help raise issues of equity amongst future physical education professionals.

Developing STEM Career Identities among Latinx Youths: Collaborative Design, Evaluations, and Adaptations during COVID-19.

In response to the low representation of Latinx adults in STEM occupations, this community-based participatory action research study aims to increase the number of middle school youths developing STEM career identities and entering high school with the intention to pursue STEM careers. The students were provided with summer and after-school activities focusing on network science and career development curricula. Using a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design and career narratives, this study examined the changes in STEM and career self-efficacy, as well as career identity. The results show improvements in self-efficacy, an increased number of youths with intentions of pursuing future STEM career opportunities, and deeper reflections on their talents and skills after program participation. This paper also describes the program development and implementation in detail, as well as the adaptations that resulted from COVID-19, for scholars and educators designing similar programs. This study provides promising evidence for the quality of STEM and career development lessons in supporting the emergence of a STEM career identity and self-efficacy.

Operationalizing the Capabilities Approach to Understand Neighborhood Well-Being in a Participatory Action Research Study

The capabilities approach is useful for evaluating progress toward the just city. We report how a Participatory Action Research consortium studying neighborhood change and well-being designed a survey instrument measuring respondents’ ability to fulfill a set of common life priorities. We present data on priority endorsement and fulfillment, and conduct a factor analysis to explore the underlying structure of the instrument. We argue that the instrument operationalizes the capabilities approach and serves as a model for using participatory methods to evaluate the impact of planning interventions on social justice and health equity.

“I have my family right here”: Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) and peer support among a cohort of fosterscholars

This paper presents findings from a focus group conducted as part of a larger Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) study with a cohort of university students with experience in foster care. Six foster scholars (ages 18–21) participated in a research collective offered as a collaboration between the School of Social Welfare and the Educational Opportunities Program (EOP) at a large Northeastern public research university. Over the course of several semesters, students received an overview of research methods, evaluated existing research regarding the educational outcomes of youth with foster care experience, then designed an interview guide for a focus group that they later participated in. Focus group data was transcribed and then analyzed in two ways, first through thematic content analysis using ATLAS TI qualitative software, and simultaneously through participatory narrative analysis using an adapted version of Carol Gilligan’s Listening Guide. The cluster of findings presented in this paper highlights co-researchers’ experiences of a YPAR approach to research. Three themes emerged: validation of experience and peer support, connection to available resources, and YPAR as a tool of collective action and empowerment. An overview of the significant actions and change efforts associated with the YPAR process is also provided. Findings highlight the importance of peer support and the possibility of participatory research approaches in catalyzing peer connectivity and agency among foster scholars in higher education. Integrating youth voice and perspective to the existing body of knowledge about youth with foster care experience in higher education adds an important perspective needed to more holistically understand what resources and supports are most critical in ensuring their success. Recommendations are made for both universities and child welfare scholars desiring to center the voices and experiences of youth with foster care experience.

An action research partnership in an urban Texas county to explore barriers and opportunities for collaborative community health needs assessments.

The Affordable Care Act mandated triennial community health needs assessments (CHNAs) for greater nonprofit hospital accountability in responding to community health needs. Over 10 years later, hospital spending on community benefits remains largely unchanged. While greater collaboration in CHNA implementation can increase hospital investment in community-based initiatives, nonprofit hospitals in conservative states are subject to policy, political, and economic factors that inhibit public health partnerships and magnify existing disparities in health care access. This participatory action research study explores the decision-making environment of collaborative CHNA implementation within a group of nonprofit hospitals in a north Texas urban county. In 2017 faculty from an urban anchor institution initiated an academic-community partnership with a coalition of nonprofit hospitals, public health departments, and academic institutions. An interdisciplinary research team engaged in multi-method document review and qualitative data collection to describe historical barriers for local CHNA processes and develop practical strategies for joint CHNA initiatives. Local CHNA documents were first reviewed through team-based content analysis and results applied to develop a qualitative study protocol. Key informants were recruited from county-based nonprofit hospitals, community-based nonprofit organizations, and public health systems. Seventeen senior- and mid-level professionals participated in semi-structured research interviews to describe their perspectives relating to CHNA-related planning and implementation decisions. Through iterative data collection and analysis, the research team explored CHNA-related knowledge, experiences, and processes. A constructivist lens was subsequently applied to examine historical barriers and future opportunities for local collaboration. Findings reveal CHNA implementation is a multi-stage cyclical process in organizational environments with accountability to a wide range of public and private stakeholders. This promotes varied levels of inclusivity and conservatism in data collection and community benefit implementation. Decisions to collaborate are hindered by competing priorities, including compliance with existing guidelines, administrative simplicity, alignment with health care service delivery, and efficient resource use. Efforts to promote greater CHNA collaboration may be facilitated through intentional alignment with organizational priorities and clearly communicated benefits of participation for leaders in both public and private nonprofit health systems. We consider implications for policymakers and health systems in restrictive political environments and advance a conceptual framework for greater CHNA collaboration.

Identifying creative and participatory approaches to respond to existing challenges for Irish language teaching and learning at English-medium primary school level

ABSTRACT This paper argues that the combination of (i) creative language pedagogy informed by sociocultural theory (SCT), and (ii) a participatory, democratic approach to language learning inclusive of learner voice, supports language (re-) engagement for Irish language learners and educators in English-medium education, and in society at large. Firstly, existing challenges for Irish language learning and teaching at the primary level in English-medium education (EME) are explored within the broader context of Irish language engagement. In response, a school-based participatory action research (PAR) study which piloted SCT-informed pedagogical approaches of peer-tutoring, student-parent tutoring, and technology-mediated language learning is then presented. Focusing on overarching outcomes, the findings of this small-scale study are outlined which indicate an increase in both Irish language use and self-assessed proficiency, and overall motivation level consolidation amongst learners. In addition, the potential of a PAR approach in supporting engagement and partnership in Irish language learning is considered. In conclusion, recommendations for policy, practice, and research are suggested to further Irish language engagement in EME.

What helps your mental health? ‘People being interested in your experience, sincerely’: A participatory action research study with LGBTQ+ young people in Argyll and Bute

Research over a number of years has found that children and young people in the LGBTQ+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, +) community experience disproportionately high levels of discrimination and bullying which impacts negatively on their mental health. Qualitative research was conducted within the authority to consult with LGBTQ+ young people of secondary school age focusing on their experience of the school environment, mental health support, and on their suggestions for change. Based on participatory action research, this mixed methods study, involving semi-structured focus groups and on-line questionnaires, was carried out. This involved consulting with young people and adult allies through different stages of the research and working towards young people being more actively involved and sharing power in decision making. A thematic analysis found common themes across the participants. These included the structure of the school environment, a need to educate and change attitudes of some young people and adults, and to tackle bullying. A number of suggestions for change were provided and guidance for schools within the authority has been created which will be distributed and promoted. During the research process, young people interested in being involved in further shared decision making were invited to join a sub-group of the authority LGBTQ+ Network. Through this group the research process will continue with input on participatory action research by the Educational Psychology Service.

Housing Vacancy Outlined with Delphi Survey. Contributions of Participatory Research to a Just Transformation Process on Trial

Rising housing prices, associated supply gaps and displacement processes have revived the “housing issue” in Germany. This is particularly true for certain social groups socially marginalized by high competition in the housing market. The participatory action research study “Wohnungsleerstand wandeln!”(WohL) - “Worthy places from un-used spaces” examines the coexistence of housing scarcity and housing abundance in a district of the Munich metropolitan area. The goal is to use a participatory multi-method design, including a two-stage qualitative Delphi Survey, to find tailored solutions for the housing situation in each community. The Delphi method was used to reflect the diversity of perspectives in housing as well as the principles of participatory action research such as participation in research, proximity to the field, and capacity building through mutual learning. In the case of sustainable housing solutions, a group discussion process, in which facts are listed by participants (who remain anonymous) without taking into account local social structures, can lead to conclusions that are not accepted by the community. Hence, this paper explains how a Delphi Survey can be designed as a qualitative element of participatory action research. Therefore, the WohL Study and its qualitative Delphi Survey are presented, followed by a methodological reflection on the findings. It becomes clear that consensus and anonymity have to be balanced with solution sustainability. Criteria like the selection of participants, the process of group discussion as well as data collection and analysis have to be adapted to the specific field to be explored. New, diversity-sensitive and method-based approaches to decision making pave the way for a transformation of housing that must imply “vacancies” are to be (re)used, but also that collective decision-making brings “overlooked” groups “back into play.” Ultimately, the essential prerequisite for managing the transformation is the participation of the people of the community.

“It can be very easy to feel uncomfortable”: Socio-spatial constructions of campus safety among university students and administrators

Research about campus safety focuses primarily on identifying problematic student behaviours (i.e., toxic partying, sexual violence) and institutional infrastructure (i.e., lighting, emergency services), to the exclusion of how safety, as an idea and embodied experience, is constructed. Using qualitive interview data from a participatory action research study conducted at Western University, this article uses a critical feminist lens to examine how undergraduate students (n = 23) and administrators (n = 7) spoke about campus safety as well as spatial vulnerability. Study participants shed compelling light on the “uncomfortable” feelings that pervade their movement across and within the university campus. Often presumed to be a spatially distinct place of privilege for all who work and attend classes within its reach, this is not always the case. Participants experienced this space as one of precarious privilege that reflects, reproduces, and sometimes protects hegemonic systems of white, male, cis-gender institutional power. This glimpse into the emotional geography of the campus sheds new light on safety culture and allied feminist research, specifically that which relates to the interplay between contested notions of safety as well as spatial vulnerability for two stakeholder communities in the neoliberal university.