About me/education: My undergraduate course in Anthropology at Goldsmiths college gave me a solid foundation to explore broad notions of what-makes-us-humans from an interdisciplinary, and creative, perspective. It enabled me to transfer anthropological knowledge and understanding as well as (observational) skills into the teaching profession in secondary school (Humanities teacher). I have been teaching in inner city London for 16 years and my doctoral research is certainly inspired by such a lengthy firsthand experience with young people.
My research: Given the growing evidence of worsening ill mental health amongst adolescents, I intend to investigate the extent to which these are mainly caused by the school experience and/or assessment procedures.
The difference my research makes: It aims to offer, following in depth ethnographic fieldwork in one London school (academy), a nuanced analysis of the extent school life plays a role in adolescent’s ill mental health. It adopts an interdisciplinary perspective through politics, psychology, anthropology, sociology and philosophy of education, to cast light on what I believe is the paradox of schooling seen as synonymous with learning and the correlated mental health issues stemming from the learning environment
Pathway: Sociology
Location: UEL
Supervisors: Dr Ian Tucker (UEL)
Email: danilo_di_emidio@hotmail.com
