About
Research Interests
Individual research Interests
Bio
Nadena Doharty joins us from England as an Associate Professor in Education. Nadena’s work brings together the theoretical strands of: critical race feminism, the sociology of emotion, and, more recently Black Critical Theory. Nadena’s theoretical frameworks have been applied, principally, to Black African and Caribbean young people and adults in school and post-secondary institutions. Nadena’s recently awarded Economic and Social Research Council large grant explores Black students’ mental health and well-being at four universities, and draws on Mad Studies, Black Studies, and Disability Justice. In Canada, Nadena is making a new theoretical pivot to Afropessimism. Specifically, Nadena’s research seeks to improve post-secondary institutions’ understanding of Black students’ mental health and well-being by examining both the socio-cultural and institutional discourses and structures mediating their experiences, and centring how Black students conceptualise and respond to their mental health and well-being. There continues to be a lack of knowledge in the specificity of anti-Blackness – distinct from anti-Black racism – in academe, and Black students are locked out of meaningful ways to inform universities’ responses to their distress. Therefore, the objectives of her research programme are: first, establishing a conceptual break with anti-Black racism by adopting Black Critical Theory as the framework for examining the functions and effects of anti-Blackness; second, applying de-pathologising methodologies that surface how Black students understand and address their mental health needs, providing post-secondary institutions with valuable insights for the effective implementation of the Scarborough Charter.
Research and Education
Education
B.A. Hons. Sociology & Politics – Goldsmiths College, University of London, UK
M.A. International Studies (Politics) – Goldsmiths College, University of London, UK
Ph.D. Education – University of Keele, UK
Awards
Research Projects
(2025-2028) Economic and Social Research Council – Amplifying the mental health of Black university students: A Black, Mad, and Disability Studies intersectional Inquiry.UKRI/ESRC responsive mode grant: https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/research/groups/rise/projects/mental-health.aspx
Selected Publications
Published refereed contributions
Doharty, N. (2024). Can Black Critical Theory sit with Mad Studies in education in Britain? Pedagogy, Culture & Society, 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1080/14681366.2024.2366287
Doharty, N., & Esoe, M. (2022). ‘Demonstrable experience of being a Mammy or Crazy Black Bitch’ (essential). A critical race feminist approach to understanding Black women Headteachers’ experiences in English schools. Race Ethnicity and Education, 26(3), 318–334. https://doi.org/10.1080/13613324.2022.2122520 [Doharty’s contribution 75%: title, literature review, data analysis and conclusion]
Doharty, N. (2020). “If she runs away, I’ll get to whip her”: anti-black humour and stereotyping in school. British Journal of Sociology of Education, 41(8), 1133–1148. https://doi.org/10.1080/01425692.2020.1816810
Doharty, N., Madriaga, M., & Joseph-Salisbury, R. (2020). The university went to ‘decolonise’ and all they brought back was lousy diversity double-speak! Critical race counter-stories from faculty of colour in ‘decolonial’ times. Educational Philosophy and Theory, 53(3), 233–244. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131857.2020.176960 [Doharty’s contribution 65% title, the literature review, Antonia’s story as composite character, her racial and gendered theorisation, and the overall coherence of the piece.]
Doharty, N. (2017). Black History Month and Black History with Key Stage 3 Students in English Secondary Schools: A Critical Race Theory Approach. Doctoral dissertation, University of Keele
- Other refereed contributions
Doharty, N. (December 2024). Anti-Blackness in Research Ethics. Paper presented at the University of Northumbria, UK
Doharty, N. (November 2023). When Becky Pulls ‘a Karen’: How university research ethics processes expose Black women to White rage. University of Birmingham’s Centre for Research in Race and Education
Doharty, N. (June 2023). Centre for Social Studies, University of Coimbra – Endangered Theories: Standing by Critical Race Theory in the Age of Ultra-Violence (2nd Edition). Summer School
Doharty, N. (April 2023) Northern Network for Medical Humanities Research (NNMHR) Congress 2023: Call for Submissions – Northern Network for Medical Humanities Research with Dr Niquita Pilgrim and Dr Arya Thampuran
Doharty, N. (April 2020) Invited keynote for the British Sociological Association’s Emotions Study group, University of Edinburgh Napier [online]
Doharty, N. and Gholami, R., (2020), Racialised Humanity. In: Humanity Under Duress, edited by Rowland Atkinson and Daniel Goodley. University of Sheffield: Multitude Press http://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/155940/
- Non-refereed contributions
Doharty, N. (May 2021). Invited to submit written evidence online to a policy inquiry for the Royal African Society (RAS) who were undertaking research in partnership with the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Africa and Justice to History on Africa and its Diaspora in UK School Curricula. This inquiry was led by Lord Paul Boateng and supported by a parliamentary committee of inquiry and Special Advisory Group. https://royalafricansociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Call-for-evidence-for-new-policy-inquiry-24th-May.pdf
Birmingham-Lewisham Black African-Black Caribbean Health Inequalities Review (BLACHIR) academic board. (March 2021). I was invited to contribute the findings of my consultancy report for Lewisham Council on race equality in their schools
Doharty, N. 2020. Anti-racism in schools in Lewisham. A consultancy report based on my research into race equity and anti-racism in the London borough
- Creative outputs
BBC sounds (4th July 2022) – Schools Apart. I was an invited speaker on this podcast documentary with Anwar Akhtar. It is about multiculturalism in British schools. Listen on any browser though may need to be based in the UK access the platform: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0018wz5
Economic and Social Research Council’s Festival of Social Science. (October 2024). I created and developed a funded podcast based on my engagement with Education charity, With Insight, based on the importance of mentoring Black students at post-secondary. Listen on any browser: https://audio.com/nadena/audio/podcast-nadena
Economic and Social Research Council’s Festival of Social Science. (November 2021). I created and developed a funded podcast based on my consultancy work with Lewisham Council to improve the experiences and attainment of Black Caribbean children in schools. Listen on any browser: https://player.sheffield.ac.uk/events/black-lives-still-matter
EDST Activity
Students Supervised
Courses taught