Lived Places Publishing – förlag

What is it like to be a child with SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) in schools today? What is it like to be a parent to four such children and fight for their rights?

Carrie Grant’s children have – like all of us – complex identities. Of the four of them, two are autistic, three have AD(H)D, one is adopted, all are of dual heritage, and three hold various queer and trans non-binary identities. In this inspiring and at times heartbreaking book, the presenter, coach, and advocate shares stories from her family’s experiences with education, schools and mental health services, as mum to children who are classified as SEND (Special Education Needs and Disabilities). These stories explore how school – when those delivering and managing education are poorly trained and ill equipped for a diverse population – can be at best ineffective, and, at worst, traumatising.

An inspiring call to action, this book is essential reading for:

What is it like to be a child with SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) in schools today? What is it like to be a parent to four such children and fight for their rights?

Carrie Grant’s children have – like all of us – complex identities. Of the four of them, two are autistic, three have AD(H)D, one is adopted, all are of dual heritage, and three hold various queer and trans non-binary identities. In this inspiring and at times heartbreaking book, the presenter, coach, and advocate shares stories from her family’s experiences with education, schools and mental health services, as mum to children who are classified as SEND (Special Education Needs and Disabilities). These stories explore how school – when those delivering and managing education are poorly trained and ill equipped for a diverse population – can be at best ineffective, and, at worst, traumatising.

An inspiring call to action, this book is essential reading for:

How did a group of higher education applied theatre placement students learn to connect with patients living with dementia, in an acute hospital setting, during a global pandemic? How did they navigate the liminal spaces of inhabiting a virtual space while striving for real-life presence and an equality of learning and knowledge exchange?

In this book, authors and project leaders Dr Nicola Abraham PhD and Ma. Victoria Ruddock BSN present narratives and anecdotal examples of how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the learning of these placement students and how they adapted the learning expectations of the project in order to account for the liminality of combining virtual and in-person space inhabitation.

Through stories and reflections from the project the authors explore the meaning of a pedagogy of reciprocity and ways of navigating uncertainty. They discuss the essential need for horizontal team structures to enhance learning experiences and consider the uses of transmedia communication tools.

How did a group of higher education applied theatre placement students learn to connect with patients living with dementia, in an acute hospital setting, during a global pandemic? How did they navigate the liminal spaces of inhabiting a virtual space while striving for real-life presence and an equality of learning and knowledge exchange?

In this book, authors and project leaders Dr Nicola Abraham PhD and Ma. Victoria Ruddock BSN present narratives and anecdotal examples of how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the learning of these placement students and how they adapted the learning expectations of the project in order to account for the liminality of combining virtual and in-person space inhabitation.

Through stories and reflections from the project the authors explore the meaning of a pedagogy of reciprocity and ways of navigating uncertainty. They discuss the essential need for horizontal team structures to enhance learning experiences and consider the uses of transmedia communication tools.

Follow nine young people as they move from racially isolated elementary and middle schools to a diverse – yet internally segregated – neighborhood high school.

In this illustrative book, author Rebecca Alexander draws from the lived experiences of the young residents of “Glenwood”, a historically Black suburb, and “Parkside”, the historically white, wealthy community just across the freeway. Focusing on an anonymised location in California during the sub-prime crisis, the book explores issues of segregation and gentrification in US schools and communities, while looking at how youth and families work to produce, contest, question, resist, and engage racialized space in and beyond schools.

Reframing (de)segregation work through the lens of dispossession, displacement, borders and frontiers to highlight the historic and ongoing labor of young people, families, and communities in the context of persistent dispossession, the author contextualises experience with theory to demonstrate how concepts in social and educational structures impact real lives.

Follow nine young people as they move from racially isolated elementary and middle schools to a diverse – yet internally segregated – neighborhood high school.

In this illustrative book, author Rebecca Alexander draws from the lived experiences of the young residents of “Glenwood”, a historically Black suburb, and “Parkside”, the historically white, wealthy community just across the freeway. Focusing on an anonymised location in California during the sub-prime crisis, the book explores issues of segregation and gentrification in US schools and communities, while looking at how youth and families work to produce, contest, question, resist, and engage racialized space in and beyond schools.

Reframing (de)segregation work through the lens of dispossession, displacement, borders and frontiers to highlight the historic and ongoing labor of young people, families, and communities in the context of persistent dispossession, the author contextualises experience with theory to demonstrate how concepts in social and educational structures impact real lives.

Is politics the best way to make changes in your community? How can one find a political identity? What is the relationship between Black identity and the US political field?

Through reflection and recollection, author Stephen Graves explores these questions as he describes his journey from young Black student, to politician, to teaching at a university level – all as a way to engage with and effect change in his community. Focusing on the author’s lived experience, this book will bring life to political theory and studies of American politics.

Is politics the best way to make changes in your community? How can one find a political identity? What is the relationship between Black identity and the US political field?

Through reflection and recollection, author Stephen Graves explores these questions as he describes his journey from young Black student, to politician, to teaching at a university level – all as a way to engage with and effect change in his community. Focusing on the author’s lived experience, this book will bring life to political theory and studies of American politics.

What is the impact when a social identity is not chosen and embraced, but imposed upon you?

UK policy can be criticised for pressurising the education sector to funnel learners who fail their GCSEs into vocational learning courses such as Media Studies. With narratives drawn from the original, person-centred research conducted by the author in the Further Education sector, this book centres the often-discounted voices of the so-called “low ability” learners themselves.

They tell of the lack of agency that comes from having choices made for them, and the impact on their lives and identities as well as their post-education destinations. Featuring stories from a range of individual research participants, the book also explores intersectional issues, such as how race, ethnicity, socio-economic status, and language of origin can feed into the imposed identity and how it impacts their sense of self.

What is the impact when a social identity is not chosen and embraced, but imposed upon you?

UK policy can be criticised for pressurising the education sector to funnel learners who fail their GCSEs into vocational learning courses such as Media Studies. With narratives drawn from the original, person-centred research conducted by the author in the Further Education sector, this book centres the often-discounted voices of the so-called “low ability” learners themselves.

They tell of the lack of agency that comes from having choices made for them, and the impact on their lives and identities as well as their post-education destinations. Featuring stories from a range of individual research participants, the book also explores intersectional issues, such as how race, ethnicity, socio-economic status, and language of origin can feed into the imposed identity and how it impacts their sense of self.

How does being located in borderlands impact cultural identity, through both assimilation and distinctness?

This exploration of the self-identified Marma group, the second largest ethnic group in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) of Bangladesh, discusses various aspects of identity creation, maintenance and adaptation in the unique setting of the geo-political border between South and Southeast Asia. With the fluidity of change and ethnic composition that is typical of geographical borders, the expectation is constant adaptation resulting in slow change of cultural identity over time. In the Marma case, adaptations are made in order to maintain their cultural distinctiveness. Drawing from stories of the people who hold this identity, the book considers how cultural groups navigate the constant demands on their identity whilst living in borderlands.

How does being located in borderlands impact cultural identity, through both assimilation and distinctness?

This exploration of the self-identified Marma group, the second largest ethnic group in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) of Bangladesh, discusses various aspects of identity creation, maintenance and adaptation in the unique setting of the geo-political border between South and Southeast Asia. With the fluidity of change and ethnic composition that is typical of geographical borders, the expectation is constant adaptation resulting in slow change of cultural identity over time. In the Marma case, adaptations are made in order to maintain their cultural distinctiveness. Drawing from stories of the people who hold this identity, the book considers how cultural groups navigate the constant demands on their identity whilst living in borderlands.

Emotional courage is an underestimated characteristic of successful Black life in the segregated, unjust US south. Author Greg Freeland reflects on how music reflected, impacted, and influenced Black life in 1950s and 1960s North Carolina.

The celebratory aspect of the Black rhythm and blues, jazz, and gospel music of Freeland’s life is one of his clearest memories of the time. In this book, he recalls and reflects upon how music was integral to the solidary and resilience of his Black community in an unequal and unjust society. Through examples of music in the household, church, clubs, parties, and schools, this book explores how music worked in a manner that facilitated the development, mobilization, and realization of Black life.

Emotional courage is an underestimated characteristic of successful Black life in the segregated, unjust US south. Author Greg Freeland reflects on how music reflected, impacted, and influenced Black life in 1950s and 1960s North Carolina.

The celebratory aspect of the Black rhythm and blues, jazz, and gospel music of Freeland’s life is one of his clearest memories of the time. In this book, he recalls and reflects upon how music was integral to the solidary and resilience of his Black community in an unequal and unjust society. Through examples of music in the household, church, clubs, parties, and schools, this book explores how music worked in a manner that facilitated the development, mobilization, and realization of Black life.

How might a Sāmoan diasporic lens broaden our understanding of queer worlds?

Queer worlds are often theorized using Western frameworks of knowledge systems and power. In this book, queer author and researcher Seutaʻafili Patrick Thomsen brings diversity to the discourse, by exploring the stories of Korean gay men in and between Seoul in Korea and Seattle in the US. Drawn from lived experience and the author’s use of talanoa (Pacific research methodology), the book centres transnational, migrant and racialized realities – so contributing to the complication of West-centric ideas of gayness and coming out.

Looking at the intersections of race, globalization, diaspora, religion and queer identity, these stories add richness and complexity to the field of Queer and LGBT+ Studies.

How might a Sāmoan diasporic lens broaden our understanding of queer worlds?

Queer worlds are often theorized using Western frameworks of knowledge systems and power. In this book, queer author and researcher Seutaʻafili Patrick Thomsen brings diversity to the discourse, by exploring the stories of Korean gay men in and between Seoul in Korea and Seattle in the US. Drawn from lived experience and the author’s use of talanoa (Pacific research methodology), the book centres transnational, migrant and racialized realities – so contributing to the complication of West-centric ideas of gayness and coming out.

Looking at the intersections of race, globalization, diaspora, religion and queer identity, these stories add richness and complexity to the field of Queer and LGBT+ Studies.

What might it look like for an Autistic, non-binary person who lives with mental illness to live well and with hope?

In this book, author and advocate Yenn Purkis reflects on their experiences of life as an Autistic non-binary person who has a diagnosis of atypical schizophrenia. Exploring the intersecting areas of mental health and illness, neurodivergence and neurodiversity, and gender non-conformity, the narrative follows Yenn through experiences of incarceration, psychosis, employment, therapy both helpful and not, medication, diagnosis, stigma and anxiety.

Illuminating reading for students of disability studies, Autism studies, queer studies, and related social sciences, this book will also bring important perspective to those in practice and in training: doctors, psychiatrists, policy makers, teachers, and social workers. Yenn will describe a life well-lived, with and alongside Autism and mental illness, that will provide a vital perspective to anyone studying or working people who share these social identities.

What might it look like for an Autistic, non-binary person who lives with mental illness to live well and with hope?

In this book, author and advocate Yenn Purkis reflects on their experiences of life as an Autistic non-binary person who has a diagnosis of atypical schizophrenia. Exploring the intersecting areas of mental health and illness, neurodivergence and neurodiversity, and gender non-conformity, the narrative follows Yenn through experiences of incarceration, psychosis, employment, therapy both helpful and not, medication, diagnosis, stigma and anxiety.

Illuminating reading for students of disability studies, Autism studies, queer studies, and related social sciences, this book will also bring important perspective to those in practice and in training: doctors, psychiatrists, policy makers, teachers, and social workers. Yenn will describe a life well-lived, with and alongside Autism and mental illness, that will provide a vital perspective to anyone studying or working people who share these social identities.

What can experiences of social and sensory invalidation teach us about what in means to be autistic in a world created for the neuromajority?

Living as an undiagnosed autistic person in the loudest sensory city in the world, NYC, author Becca Lory Hector details her lived experience of social and sensory invalidation. Whether she refused to put on shoes, wore sunglasses inside, or asked direct questions, her very way of being was called into question, leading her to feel insignificant and unimportant. In a world created by and for the neuromajority, Becca’s needs took a back seat as others felt her reality couldn’t possibly be true.

Growing Up Undiagnosed is a collection of stories filled with lessons on the importance of validating the lived experiences of all. This book is ideal reading for students of Disability Studies, Autism Studies, DEIB Studies, Social Work, Education Studies, Medical students and practitioners, as well as psychiatrists, teachers, and social support workers in practice and training.

What can experiences of social and sensory invalidation teach us about what in means to be autistic in a world created for the neuromajority?

Living as an undiagnosed autistic person in the loudest sensory city in the world, NYC, author Becca Lory Hector details her lived experience of social and sensory invalidation. Whether she refused to put on shoes, wore sunglasses inside, or asked direct questions, her very way of being was called into question, leading her to feel insignificant and unimportant. In a world created by and for the neuromajority, Becca’s needs took a back seat as others felt her reality couldn’t possibly be true.

Growing Up Undiagnosed is a collection of stories filled with lessons on the importance of validating the lived experiences of all. This book is ideal reading for students of Disability Studies, Autism Studies, DEIB Studies, Social Work, Education Studies, Medical students and practitioners, as well as psychiatrists, teachers, and social support workers in practice and training.

How does a patient with sensory disability – such as a hearing or vision impairment, or both – get effective communication from a health care provider?

Too often, the answer is that they don’t. Communication is crucial for any professional–patient relationship, not least when disability is in the mix. For people living with sensory disability, however, the challenge of knowing what is going on with their healthcare, participating in shared decision making, and retaining an appropriate level of agency, is even greater. Using verbatim testimony from people with first-hand experience of sensory disability, this book explores issues such as accessibility barriers in consent forms, patient information sheets and other paperwork; situational vulnerability to abuse and neglect; and dehumanisation, infantilisation, and disempowerment in care.

Written by Dr Annmaree Watharow MD PhD, a doctor and author with personal experience of sensory disability, the stories in this book are told using people’s own words, to allow readers to hear directly from the people who most need their own agency. Vital reading for doctors, nurses, health care providers, and social support workers in practice and training, this book will change the way you view sensory disability.

How does a patient with sensory disability – such as a hearing or vision impairment, or both – get effective communication from a health care provider?

Too often, the answer is that they don’t. Communication is crucial for any professional–patient relationship, not least when disability is in the mix. For people living with sensory disability, however, the challenge of knowing what is going on with their healthcare, participating in shared decision making, and retaining an appropriate level of agency, is even greater. Using verbatim testimony from people with first-hand experience of sensory disability, this book explores issues such as accessibility barriers in consent forms, patient information sheets and other paperwork; situational vulnerability to abuse and neglect; and dehumanisation, infantilisation, and disempowerment in care.

Written by Dr Annmaree Watharow MD PhD, a doctor and author with personal experience of sensory disability, the stories in this book are told using people’s own words, to allow readers to hear directly from the people who most need their own agency. Vital reading for doctors, nurses, health care providers, and social support workers in practice and training, this book will change the way you view sensory disability.

How does the concept of love fit with Black identity?

When Black Lives Matter activist Marissa Johnson was pressed to address why she “hates white people”, she responded with this question: do you love Black people? This book is an exploration of the issues raised by this radical question – a refusal to centre Black identity on whiteness, a question of how love, and self-love, fit with Black identity, and a queering of how Black identity is understood.

Told through autobiographical reflection, this book contains the story of one Black woman’s process of iterative identity formation, grappling with the intersections of sexuality, gender, self-image, and love. Focusing on lived experience, the book places theories in context, exploring what ideas look like when applied to real life, making it invaluable reading for Black Studies and related courses.

How does the concept of love fit with Black identity?

When Black Lives Matter activist Marissa Johnson was pressed to address why she “hates white people”, she responded with this question: do you love Black people? This book is an exploration of the issues raised by this radical question – a refusal to centre Black identity on whiteness, a question of how love, and self-love, fit with Black identity, and a queering of how Black identity is understood.

Told through autobiographical reflection, this book contains the story of one Black woman’s process of iterative identity formation, grappling with the intersections of sexuality, gender, self-image, and love. Focusing on lived experience, the book places theories in context, exploring what ideas look like when applied to real life, making it invaluable reading for Black Studies and related courses.

A Cantonese-Tauiwi queer man reflects on his lived experiences as a means to explore the intersection of Asian-ness and queerness in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Queer Asian communities in Aotearoa New Zealand can suffer erasure caused by the dominance of whiteness in queer spaces. Written as a deliberate challenge to this invisibility, author Sidney Gig-Jan Wong 黃吉贊 reflects on his life and upbringing in order to explore the intersections of his own identity and ongoing coming out experience, and also highlight the perspectives of a minoritized community.

Ideal reading for students of LGBTQIA+ studies and Asian studies, as well as anthropology and sociology, this book draws on queer theory and the author’s life in a way that personalises concepts and highlights the humanity in the social sciences.

A Cantonese-Tauiwi queer man reflects on his lived experiences as a means to explore the intersection of Asian-ness and queerness in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Queer Asian communities in Aotearoa New Zealand can suffer erasure caused by the dominance of whiteness in queer spaces. Written as a deliberate challenge to this invisibility, author Sidney Gig-Jan Wong 黃吉贊 reflects on his life and upbringing in order to explore the intersections of his own identity and ongoing coming out experience, and also highlight the perspectives of a minoritized community.

Ideal reading for students of LGBTQIA+ studies and Asian studies, as well as anthropology and sociology, this book draws on queer theory and the author’s life in a way that personalises concepts and highlights the humanity in the social sciences.

What does it mean to be Mexican American in Houston, TX?

For the Mendoza-Martinez family, the answer to this question is complicated and evolving. In this fascinating memoir, author Dr Louis Mendoza tells his family’s story over three generations, exploring the ongoing efforts to negotiate intense racialization in Texas. Examining questions of community, belonging and home, migrancy, and social strata, the book considers the interconnectedness of ethnic identity and place through the lens of lived experience.

Explicitly addressing the challenges of constructing—or reconstructing—a multi-generational family narrative when the traditional resources of family archives are limited, this memoir will enhance and illuminate courses in Latinx or Latin American studies, migrant studies, American studies, sociology, oral history, and cultural anthropology.

What does it mean to be Mexican American in Houston, TX?

For the Mendoza-Martinez family, the answer to this question is complicated and evolving. In this fascinating memoir, author Dr Louis Mendoza tells his family’s story over three generations, exploring the ongoing efforts to negotiate intense racialization in Texas. Examining questions of community, belonging and home, migrancy, and social strata, the book considers the interconnectedness of ethnic identity and place through the lens of lived experience.

Explicitly addressing the challenges of constructing—or reconstructing—a multi-generational family narrative when the traditional resources of family archives are limited, this memoir will enhance and illuminate courses in Latinx or Latin American studies, migrant studies, American studies, sociology, oral history, and cultural anthropology.

How does fear – deep, ongoing, systemic fear – impact on Black lives?

Through reflections on her own life, anthropologist Dr Linda Jean Hall PhD draws on traditions of African storytelling to explore the question of how systemic fear affects the twentieth- and twenty-first-century Afro American experience. By using the framing of pandemic waves – a concept all too familiar in the wake of COVID-19 – Hall employs a personal lens to parse out the implications of different “waves of fear" through impactful stages of her life, allowing readers to examine the shifting relationships that define Blackness and survival.

Gifting resilience: A pandemic study of Black female resistance is ideal reading for students of Black studies, African American studies, and related courses, as well as for students of feminist and womanist studies, gender studies, cultural studies, history, sociology and anthropology. Unflinchingly honest, this book gives a human face to viewpoints and ideas that originate deep within the complex and diverse African Diasporic lived experience.