My research engages with social theory to understand educational and societal connections related to a childhood social justice and equalities agenda. My research is located at the intersections of children's sector transformations; schools, social and multiple capitals; inter/professional knowledge and practice relations; independent schooling and privilege; spatio-temporalities of schooling; and gender, education and social policy.
Current Research
Centre for Child Wellbeing and Protection, University of Stirlng research collaborations. New chapter:
Forbes, J. (2018) Multi-agency working. Scottish Education. The Fifth Edition 2018. Pp748-759. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.
Leading Women Study (2017-2019) with Professor Claire Maxwell, University of Copenhagen and Professor Elspeth McCartney, University of Stirling. A Scottish Independent Schools Project (SISP) related study on elite schooling, agency and affect. New chapter:
Forbes, J. & Maxwell, C. (2018) ‘Bourdieu Plus: Understanding the Creation of the Agentic, Aspirational Girl Subject in Elite Schools’ in Stahl, G., Wallace, D., Burke, C & Threadgold, S. (2018) International Perspectives on Theorizing Aspiration: Applying Bourdieu’s Tools. Bloomsbury, London.
The Language for All study. Understanding child sector practitioners' knowledge, skills and social and multiple capitals across multiagency pathways for children with speech, language and communication needs (a research collaboration with the University of Newcastle and University of Stirling). New papers:
McKean, C., Law, J., Laing, K., Cockerill, M., Allon-Smith, J., McCartney, E., Forbes, J. (2017) A qualitative case study in the social capital of co-professional collaborative co-practice for children with speech language and communication needs. International Journal of Language and Communication Disorders, 52.4, 514-527.
Forbes, J., McCartney, E., McKean, C., Laing, K., Cockerill, M., Law, J. (2018) Co/productive practitioner relations for children with SLCN: an affect inflected agentic frame. Discourse: Studies in the cultural politics of education, https://doi.org/10.1080/01596306.2018.1451303
Children and young people's experiences and views of poverty and inequalities: policy and practice implications. Scottish Universities Insight Institute funded research programme. Programme Co-PI with Dr Daniela Sime, University of Strathclyde. Collaboration with Glasgow School of Art, Child Poverty Action Group, and Glasgow City Council. Four related policy briefings publications and seminar series information available at:
http://www.scottishinsight.ac.uk/Programmes/Equality2015/ChildrensViewsofInequalityPoverty.aspx
Paper:
Forbes, J. & Sime, D. (2016) Relations between child poverty and new migrant child status, academic attainment and social participation: Insights using social capital theory. Education Sciences, 6.24, doc: 10.3390/educsci6030024