‘Quiet activism’ in schools: conceptualising the relationships between the personal, the political and the Political in education

Swimming against the tide: Therapists' accounts of the relationship between p/Politics and therapy

“…This analysis therefore extends research that has considered only the impacts of big P, electoral politics in the therapeutic space (e.g., Solomonov & Barber, 2019). Furthermore, building on work in education (Winter et al, 2020), the present analysis illustrates the ways in which small p politics runs through the therapeutic disciplines. Participants' engagement with questions of identity politics, intersectional oppressions and power relations suggests that small p politics colours some therapists' understandings of their work.…”

“…Participants' engagement with questions of identity politics, intersectional oppressions and power relations suggests that small p politics colours some therapists' understandings of their work. The fact that the therapeutic relationship is viewed as political raises questions about whether or not therapy itself might be viewed as quiet activism (Winter et al, 2020). Nevertheless, therapy also has the potential to perpetuate oppressive systems (cf.…”

“…The feminist phrase 'the personal is political' has been drawn upon in counselling and psychotherapy (e.g., Milton, 2018;Winter, 2019), and the distinction is often made between big P and small p politics (Totton, 2000). Politics (big P), then, refers to electoral politics and systems of Government and politics (small p) to power relations and the social structuring of these (Winter et al, 2020). This builds on thinking from feminist writings and the work of Carol Hanisch in particular (Hanisch, 1970(Hanisch, , 2006, who wrote about women's therapy groups and their political (with a small p) nature.…”

“…Authors in education have considered the various interrelationships between the personal, political and Political. Winter et al (2020), for example, discussed teachers' and educators' quiet (small p) political activism in the context of austerity, such as buying sanitary products and food for students, extending breakfast school provision to parents, or other small acts of kindness, which challenged dominant power structures. These forms of activism in education were not 'loud' or explicit, such as protesting or being involved in Government, but instead looked at power on a more local and relational level.…”

“…I have researched and written numerous articles on social justice and associated ideas in counselling and counselling psychology, education and educational psychology. I am personally interested in p/Politics and have written about the intersection between these understandings previously (Winter et al, 2020). As the only researcher involved in the project, I conducted all stages of the process alone; however, when reviewing and refining the themes and codes, I invited a colleague to review my analysis.…”