Hi,

The dynamics of enclosure are helpfully understood as involving very personal and emotionally-charged experiences. Not least among such experiences would be the experience of being bullied. What's of interest to me is the way in which bullying becomes normalized within an environment, and the ways in which those being bullied can often become the collateral damage of the "environment of enclosure". I think there's also the issue of the role of legislation and official procedure as well - to what extent is it possible to deploy official procedure to deal with the issue without either 1) reproducing the sense of oppressiveness and despair that someone being bullied often feels, as they get lost in bureaucratic nightmares and feel that no-one is taking them seriously, or 2) reproducing an unhelpful dynamic of blame and shame which is hardly going to improve the relational dynamics in the long term. Are there times when it is helpful in the short term to turn to official authorities in an institution for the primary purposes of standing up for oneself, laying a situation bare and transparent, calling people to account for their actions, and somehow address the serious consequences of bullying without in turn counter-oppressing the bullies themselves, who would likely be helped by support and counselling or at least personal re-evaluation. In a sense I suppose it's a microcosm of the legal justice/penal system/crime and punishment debate, which is pretty complex as they go. A few sites to help you in thinking about bullying in the workplace and at school and how to deal with and understand such situations:

FAQ for bullying in the workplace:
http://www.bullyonline.org/workbully/faq.htm
http://www.bullyonline.org/workbully/bully.htm

http://www.bullying.co.uk/

http://www.support4learning.org.uk/counsel/bullying.htm

http://www.scre.ac.uk/bully/

http://www.dfes.gov.uk/bullying/

http://www.childline.org.uk/Bullying.asp

http://www.nobully.org.nz/advicek.htm

http://www.kidscape.org.uk/

Sharp et al. "How Long Before it Hurts?: An Investigation into Long-term Bullying." School Psychology International. 2000; 21: 37-46.

http://www.successunlimited.co.uk/bully/staffuni.htm

Okay, back again. Life has been a little insane of late (is it ever anything but?), but I have finally managed to get myself a permanent job, at Sheffield Hallam University in England. I have moved at least every two years since 1988, so I may have an opportunity now to stretch that record a little! :) I'm lecturing in Visual Culture, Cultural Policy and Management, and Media Studies (particularly Alternative Media). It keeps me busy.

So now I'm hoping that I can be a little more regular with my postings on this weblog. There are some very interesting enclosure-related events coming up at the end of June and I will report on them soon enough. There's also the G8 Summit at Gleneagles, and partly in Sheffield as well, which should be interesting. Then there's the problems at Lancaster University, where some peaceful student protesters have been charged with aggrevated trespass and face time in jail. Never mind all of the problems facing activist academics at the moment, particularly in the United States. I'll get to updating on some of these things soon.

Most sincere apologies for being lax about this weblog. Teaching alternative media last semester has made me more aware of the importance of at the very least proclaiming the presence of difference (not spectacular difference, but the difference that happens to be part and parcel of who we are and can be), and I hope that this weblog can go some way to achieving at least that.

More soon.