Season 8, Episode 1, Craig Johnston on Stigma & Alternative Provision

Send us Fan MailWe explore how stigma sticks to children when they are moved out of mainstream schooling and into alternative provision and how that shift can turn a young person into a visible “case” for the system to manage. We connect Goffman’s stigma theory with liminality, class and digital life, asking what it means to be a student when the ideal pupil is the only one the system truly recognises.What alternative provision means and how it differs from PRUsHow exclusion creates a liminal identity between being and becomingWhy AP is politically contested as either opportunity or segregationHow stigma becomes visible and fixed through labels and paperworkThe role of disciplinary language such as ‘at risk’ and ‘hard to reach’How blame often lands on the child and the motherWhy critical theory still matters for understanding structuresWhose voices are missing in AP research and practiceWorking class boys and the stereotype of the ‘angry’ young manClass as rational decision-making under risk and limited opportunityThe digital space as a new frontier for stigma and cultural capitalYou can find Craig on LinkedIn and at UWE (University of the West of England) Bristol.If you've enjoyed this episode, please consider sharing or reviewing.Support the showThank you for listening! Please share and subscribe the practice wisdom in this episode and create social change, one connection at a time. If you're feeling it, then leave a comment too!Learn more about Lisa here:www.lisacherry.co.ukBuy Books Here. Connect on Linkedin, Instagram and Substack by searching for Dr Lisa Cherry