Connections: Linda Cole

Linda Cole

BA French Studies (4 Year), 2003

Inspired by the late Dr James (Jim) Shields, I am taking a multi-disciplinary approach to further research. Over 20 years after graduating from Warwick with a degree in French Studies, I'm set to start a PhD in equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) and taking an approach that has been informed by French Studies in the early 2000’s.

I am aiming to understand the barriers and facilitators to volunteers with disabilities in charitable organisations, and in the wake of the EDI/diversity, equality, inclusion (DEI) backlash, following the inauguration of President Trump, it seems important to look at it from the perspective of all stakeholders and using the experience of multiple academic disciplines to prevent the "othering" of a minority (disabled people) and make for a more equitable and just society.

There is much talk of the polarisation of politics, or indeed of society, in the UK today, and this was also the case in the 2000s in France. I believe there are chilling parallels between the way the Far Right in France rose to power, with Front National, now National Rally (the subject of my final year dissertation) "othering" immigrants. Most chillingly of all, there are links to Eugenics to the "othering" and potential marginalisation of both people with disabilities and "immigrants". Full copy is available on my blog www.lindacole.uk.