Category Archives: Humanities and Social Sciences

Overcoming an initial language barrier

Originally from Italy, Martina Innocenti chose to study an MSc in Childhood, Youth and International Development at Birkbeck because of the in-depth course content and the flexibility evening study afforded. From being incredibly worried that her language skills might hold her back academically, to winning multiple prizes for her dissertation, this is Martina’s story.

Martina Innocenti

I kept saying to my tutor, ‘I’m not good enough to do a Master’s

I moved to the UK one year before starting my Master’s. At the time, I couldn’t speak English well. was taking language classes and working with early years children as Montessori early years educator. When I got accepted into Birkbeck, I was happy but I was also very worried about the language barrier, like I wasn’t good enough to do well in my studies because of it. I kept saying to my tutor, ‘I’m not good enough to do a Master’s – maybe mentally I’m ready to do it, but practically, I have this limitation.’ She encouraged me every step of the way, eventually suggesting that I convert to studying part-time rather than full-time, which made such a difference.

Being a part-time student was amazing

Being a part time student was amazing! It allowed me to continue working and gave me the vital time and space I needed to gain confidence in my English. I had time to really explore and deeply understand the specialist subjects I was learning about. It meant that I could actually enjoy the process of studying.

My language proficiency did not represent my intellectual capability

Now, when I consider that I was conducting evening interviews with youth in Peru, reviewing 50-page transcripts in Spanish then translating them to English and analysing data, all whilst working, it makes me feel quite proud. I was able to speak, work and think critically across two languages, neither of which were my native tongue, to gain very insightful data about something I’m passionate about. When I found out I won the Children, Youth and International Development prize for my dissertation, I couldn’t believe it! Then when I also won the Birkbeck Gender and Sexuality prize, I saw it as proof that my language proficiency did not represent my intellectual capability.

I felt like a proper researcher!

I’m so thankful that I had the opportunity to do my master’s over two years, and Birkbeck’s approach to structuring my course options was brilliant. I had room to grow at the pace I needed to become fully knowledgeable about my area of study and approach my dissertation with the attention, intensity and critical thinking it deserved. I felt like a proper researcher! Having a part-time structure to do all my literature reviews, data collection and analysis, and write the dissertation was empowering; I felt like I was able to give my best.

It was all just a matter of confidence

I realised through my Birkbeck journey that I’m a competent and multi-skilled professional, it was all just a matter of confidence. It took a while, and multiple strategies, to build this confidence. For instance, I made an effort to see my classmates in non-academic settings, so I could get more comfortable with listening to and speaking English. I also reached out for help whenever I could, asking my friends, housemates and tutors to review my writing style and feedback wherever possible. And I shared my thoughts and frustrations with my dissertation supervisor, who was a source of great inspiration and support. In the end, my determination combined with the support I got, meant that my dissertation was a uniquely valuable intersectional contribution to literature and research about Latin American working children.

Further Information:

Find out more about studying MSc Children, Youth and International Development

Find out more about being an International Student at Birkbeck

“Because of Birkbeck I’m living my dream as a writer”

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Tasneem Abdur-Rashid has just graduated from MA Creative Writing and is now pursuing her dream of becoming a writer, having just landed a book deal. This is her story.

Tasneem Abdur-Rashid

This is the moment I’ve been waiting for my whole life

I took the decision to quit my full-time job and go self-employed after finishing my degree at Birkbeck and securing a two-book publishing deal. My days are now filled with writing, reading and going to fancy coffee shops. It’s amazing!

I started the Master’s degree 16 years after my undergraduate degree

My first degree was in Writing and Media Studies at Middlesex University. Even after graduating back then I knew I wanted to do a Master’s in Creative Writing, but the timing wasn’t quite right because I chose to move to Dubai in my twenties. I lived there for 7 years, working for magazines and government in communications. I met my husband in Dubai and we returned to the UK to have children. After my second child was born, I had that niggling feeling in the back of my mind – I knew I still wanted to pursue my childhood dream of being an author. That’s when I applied for a scholarship from the Aziz Foundation to help fund my studies at Birkbeck; which I was thrilled to be awarded.

Life was incredibly hectic

I balanced studying part-time at Birkbeck with a full-time job in Communications at Barnardo’s and raising my two children, now aged 7 and 5. I also live an hour and a half away from Birkbeck in Essex, so I worked in Barnardo’s head office in Bloomsbury on the same days I had in-person lectures.

Rejection after rejection

I had written my book before starting at Birkbeck, but I was growing increasingly frustrated because I kept being turned down by literary agents and couldn’t work out why. When I reached out to my Birkbeck tutor for advice, she said I needed to reduce the word count by nearly half so we reduced it by 60,000 words, cutting down subplots and characters. I pitched it again to agents and secured a two-book publishing deal straight away!

Tasneem Abdur-Rashid with her mother and sister

At school, I was the kid who bunked off school to go to the local library

I had three library cards, and even that wasn’t enough! I was a real bookworm and read a huge number of books growing up. What struck me was that none of the book characters were ever like me. As a Bengali woman born and raised in London, I couldn’t relate to anyone in young adult books, because my life was so different.

My book is the book I wish I had when I was a young girl growing up

Representation matters, and I want people like me to pick up my book and find characters they can relate to. My debut rom-com, Finding Mr Perfectly Fine, is being published this summer. It is about a 29-year-old Bengali, Muslim woman from London, trying to find a husband because of parental pressure to be married by 30. The inspiration for the main character comes from a mixture of people I know, but I think the story transcends culture because finding a partner is a universal challenge.

Birkbeck is special because everyone is there to make it count

It’s a close-knit community, filled with ambitious people. Regular creative writing workshops, where students submitted pieces of work that was critiqued by everyone else, were life-changing. I received so much support and praise for my work, which is when I realised that I could make a career out of writing. We continue to meet every couple of months as a group to share our work and successes, which is so valuable.

If I had to describe Birkbeck in three words, I would say it is supportive, empowering, and flexible. I would encourage anyone considering studying at Birkbeck to go for it, it might change your life, like it has mine.

Further information

Watch Tasneem’s video where she expands on how Birkbeck has changed her life

Undoing shame at the Shameless! Festival

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On Saturday 27 November, Birkbeck’s Sexual Harms and Medical Encounters project team hosted the Shameless! Festival with The Women of the World (WOW) Foundation. In this blog, Rebekah Bonaparte, a Communications Officer at Birkbeck shares her experience of attending the event.

Before attending the Shameless! Festival of Activism Against Sexual Violence I was not sure how I would leave feeling. With such an urgent and grave subject matter I wondered if I could really leave the festival feeling a sense of hope for a future free of sexual violence. Hosted by The WOW Foundation and Birkbeck’s Sexual Harm’s and Medical Encounters (SHaME) project, the festival combines arts, activism, and academia to confront and change attitudes towards sexual violence.

The festival took place in the Battersea Arts Centre on a bitterly cold and windy Saturday morning. Thankfully, once inside the atmosphere and building inspired a sort of warmth that was desperately needed on gloomy day in November. At the top of the grand staircase in the foyer I was greeted by the word, “Hope”, which was fitting as much of the day’s talks and activities inspired just that.

The panel at The Rape Myths talk

I first attended a talk titled ‘Power’ which delved into the power dynamics that exist in communities where sexual violence occurs, using both the experiences of the panellists and the government policies that exclude certain groups from reporting and getting justice for such crimes. I was struck by how, as a result of the hostile environment in Britain, migrant women were unable to access rape services for fear that they would be detained, demonstrating how wider policies have negative knock-on effects for all. The talk concluded with a powerful performance by Lady Unchained, poet Brenda Birungi.

Next was ‘The Rape Myths’, a panel discussion chaired by Birkbeck’s Professor Joanna Bourke with Rachel Thompson, Sarah Ozo-Irabor and Mary Morgan, where they highlighted and dispelled the rape myths that have entered public imagination and how this effects society. Set in the raw grandeur of the Grand Hall, the talk was candid and insightful, as academic research and experience was weaved together seamlessly, and ended with the advice that in order to counter rape myths, we can all start by educating ourselves and advocating in spaces that are safe for us to do so.

Following an hour of mandatory ‘Radical Rest’ where attendees and those running the festival were invited to take time for themselves, SHaME investigator George Severs led a panel discussion that discussed ‘Male Survivors and Masculinity’, with insights on how male victims deal with and process their trauma, as well as performances from fellow panellists, Tanaka Mhishi, poet and performer, and Beyond Equality representative Ben Hurst.

Aside from the talks, you could buy literature and tote bags from the Feminist Bookshop, hear from the researchers at the SHaME project, and speak to member of the survivors’ support organisation, The Survivors Trust. In between talks poets took centre stage on the ‘Hope’ box, where these artists performed to an intimate audience, lending to the collaborative and open nature of the festival.

Professor Joanna Bourke standing on stage with a microphone, Jude Kelly sitting opposite Emily Ratajkowski.

Model and author Emily Ratajkowski closed the day with a talk discussion about her debut book.

In her final talk of the day Professor Joanna Bourke delivered her talk rather optimistically titled ‘How to deliver a rape free world’, in which she presented a solution that celebrated individual differences and moving beyond individual identities to unify under one goal: ending sexual violence.

At the beginning of the day, I was reminded of the quote by American writer and poet, Audre Lorde, who said “When we speak, we are afraid our words will not be heard or welcomed. But when we are silent, we are still afraid. So, it is better to speak.” And that played on my mind throughout the day, how shame is often what keeps people silent, so to hear such candid and informed conversations discussed in what felt like a safe space, I felt, invited people to not feel shame or shamed about the realities of what they have faced. This ultimately, gave me hope that moving forward, we can one day see a rape free world.

Further information

A cap, gown and hijab teach tolerance and triumph

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BA Politics graduate, Soumaya Z, moved to the UK from France to escape discrimination and overcome barriers to her education as a young, Muslim woman. Now she’s hoping to encourage others, like her, to pursue their ambitions. Here’s her #BBKstory.

Family values, discrimination and the will to persevere

At just twenty-years-old, Soumaya possesses the insights and wisdom of a person much older. It’s hardly surprising when you listen to her recall stories of her grandparents migrating from North Africa plus the lessons both her parents and grandparents have taught her along the way. Soumaya shares that her grandmother had made the move from Algeria to France and was forced to give up on her education in order to support her family. Despite this, she still reinforced in Soumaya the values of learning and was so proud of her granddaughter for her recent academic accomplishments. Her parents, too, sacrificed their education when Soumaya was born and always sought to push her beyond the limits, to always dream and aim high.

Soumaya credits those values with inspiring her to pursue her studies. However, despite being home-schooled by her parents, reading and writing at four-years-old, and completing the first year of her undergraduate degree in France aged just sixteen, Soumaya soon realised that the politics of her native country were counterintuitive to her progress and ambitions.

She says, “As a Muslim (in France), it’s impossible to find a job, access education or do simple activities when you wear a hijab and it’s difficult even if you are just practicing your religion, praying or fasting. Hijabs and other Islamic clothes are also not allowed in schools and I faced Islamophobia when I was at school. It was really hard. When I had exams for my French baccalaureate, I was insulted by a woman in the school talking negatively about my hijab. Alongside that, there is a lack of opportunities for Muslim women. I feel that I have a brighter future here in the UK.”

Tolerance

Fortunate to be able to make the move to London just two years ago, the advice of her English tutor helped her to apply through the clearing system, with sights set firmly on Birkbeck to complete the second and third years of her undergraduate degree.

Soumaya had to navigate a whole new academic system, alongside mastering a language which was not her mother tongue. There was also the added challenge of the pandemic and the ensuing isolation throughout her degree, though she applauds Birkbeck’s online programme for both her lectures and to be able to still meet with peers in the virtual world.

With the obstacles to education now behind her, she is hopeful that others around the world can cease the “close-mindedness” and “change their mindsets to assimilate more people into their societies.” She reflects on the benefits of more tolerant and inclusive policies as not only improving the opportunities for Muslim women, but also women, in general, and other marginalised peoples.

Triumph

With one degree firmly under her belt, Soumaya is is aiming to complete a master’s degree programme and is already considering a doctorate.

She reflects, “As a French student, it was a challenge to adapt to a new environment, country and language. However, I met incredible professors at Birkbeck who are committed to their work, as well as classmates from all over the world who made my university experience invaluable. In France, it would have been impossible to achieve what I achieved at Birkbeck, because of the adversity I suffered as a Muslim woman. Now two years later I have completed my bachelor’s in politics with an upper second-class degree at just 19 years old.

“I really hope that sharing my personal experience will help other students to understand that they are not alone in their academic journey and that despite their differences they can go beyond the limits and attain their goals, without forgetting who they are, their identity.”

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