All Outputs (42)

Feeling unstimulated and apathetic at work? You might be experiencing rustout. (2025)
Newspaper / Magazine
FITZSIMONS, S. and SMITH, D. 2025. Feeling unstimulated and apathetic at work? You might be experiencing rustout. The conversation [online], 5 August 2025. Available from: https://theconversation.com/feeling-unstimulated-and-apathetic-at-work-you-might-be-experiencing-rustout-260837

Tense, overworked employees everywhere will recognise the features of burnout: exhaustion, depersonalisation (feeling detached from others or yourself in the workplace) and a reduced sense of personal accomplishment. It happens when chronic workplace... Read More about Feeling unstimulated and apathetic at work? You might be experiencing rustout..

I'm not burning out, I'm rusting out: investigating the causes of rustout in teacher educators in Ireland and the United Kingdom. (2025)
Journal Article
FITZSIMONS, S. and SMITH, D.S. 2025. I'm not burning out, I'm rusting out: investigating the causes of rustout in teacher educators in Ireland and the United Kingdom. Humanities and social sciences communications [online], 12, article number 1211. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-025-05543-y

Higher education-based teacher educators (TEs) are responsible for the preparation of future teachers across the continuum of education. However, despite their significant role in the education ecosystem, their well-being and professional satisfactio... Read More about I'm not burning out, I'm rusting out: investigating the causes of rustout in teacher educators in Ireland and the United Kingdom..

Animals are my friends: exploring the relationship between animal companionship in childhood and moral concerns in adulthood. (2025)
Presentation / Conference Contribution
BERGER-MEUNIER, L., SMITH, D.S., MAREC-BRETON, N. and BONNETON-BOTTÉ, N. 2025. Animals are my friends: exploring the relationship between animal companionship in childhood and moral concerns in adulthood. Biology and life sciences forum [online], 45(1): selected papers from the 3rd International electronic conference on animal 2025 (IECA 2025), 12-14 March 2025, [virtual event], article number 2. Available from: https://doi.org/10.3390/blsf2025045002

Research on human–animal relationships suggests that close bonds with animals can enhance empathy, reduce speciesism, and improve human physical and psychological health. This study investigated whether pet ownership—particularly attachment to a comp... Read More about Animals are my friends: exploring the relationship between animal companionship in childhood and moral concerns in adulthood..

Just plough on and pretend it’s not happening: understanding burnout in teacher educators in Ireland and the United Kingdom. (2025)
Journal Article
FITZSIMONS, S. and SMITH, D.S. 2025. Just plough on and pretend it's not happening: understanding burnout in teacher educators in Ireland and the United Kingdom. International journal of educational research [online], 9, article number 100491. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedro.2025.100491

Though Teacher Educators play a significant role in teachers' induction and development at early childhood, primary, secondary, and further education levels, there has been relatively little research into their stress and well-being. This paper offer... Read More about Just plough on and pretend it’s not happening: understanding burnout in teacher educators in Ireland and the United Kingdom..

I spoke to men who swallowed the red pill: what incel culture is really like. (2025)
Newspaper / Magazine
SMITH, D.S. 2025. I spoke to men who swallowed the red pill: what incel culture is really like. Metro [online], 19 March 2025. Available from: https://metro.co.uk/2025/03/19/spoke-men-swallowed-red-pill-incel-culture-really-like-22752536/

Short for involuntary celibates, incels are men who believe a combination of their bad genes and modern feminism have left them romantically/sexually destitute. In short, they consider themselves scientifically unloveable. As a psychologist, I find i... Read More about I spoke to men who swallowed the red pill: what incel culture is really like..

Understanding teacher educators' quality of life: insights from the PERMA model. (2025)
Journal Article
FITZSIMONS, S., BOAG, L. and SMITH, D.S. 2025. Understanding teacher educators' quality of life: insights from the PERMA model. Applied research in quality of life [online], Online First. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11482-025-10435-z

Teacher Educators (TE) are a specific category of Higher Education (HE) academics whose primary responsibility is the preparation of Pre-Service Teachers (PSTs) for the Early Childhood, Primary, Secondary, and Further Education and Training contexts.... Read More about Understanding teacher educators' quality of life: insights from the PERMA model..

Animals are my friends: exploring the relationship between animal companionship in childhood and moral concerns towards animals in adulthood. (2025)
Presentation / Conference Contribution
BERGER MEUNIER, L., BONNETON-BOTTÉ, N., MAREC-BRETON, N. and SMITH, D.S. 2025. Animals are my friends: exploring the relationship between animal companionship in childhood and moral concerns in adulthood. Presented at the 3rd International electronic conference on animals, 12-14 March 2025, [virtual event]. Hosted on Sciforum [online]. Available from: https://sciforum.net/paper/view/21453

Several studies have highlighted the benefits of pet ownership on physical and psychological health. The literature has suggested that having a close relationship with an animal could enhance levels of empathy and reduce speciesism. However, little r... Read More about Animals are my friends: exploring the relationship between animal companionship in childhood and moral concerns towards animals in adulthood..

Ofsted inspections affect not just teachers but also the people who train them. (2025)
Newspaper / Magazine
FITZSIMONS, S. and SMITH, D. 2025. Ofsted inspections affect not just teachers but also the people who train them. The conversation [online], 6 February 2025. Available from: https://theconversation.com/ofsted-inspections-affect-not-just-teachers-but-also-the-people-who-train-them-249084

Ofsted, England's education inspectorate, has proposed changes to the way it assesses schools, colleges and universities that offer teacher training. The suggested changes include the move to a report-card system rather than a headline judgment. In t... Read More about Ofsted inspections affect not just teachers but also the people who train them..

Don't do anything special for us coming: the mental health impact of Ofsted inspections on teacher educators in England. (2025)
Journal Article
FITZSIMONS, S. and SMITH, D.S. 2025. Don't do anything special for us coming: the mental health impact of Ofsted inspections on teacher educators in England. Cambridge journal of education [online], 55(1), pages 93-111. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1080/0305764X.2025.2451280

Ofsted inspections of Initial Teacher Education (ITE) providers aim to enhance training quality for pre-service teachers in England. However, research rarely examines the impact of these inspections on the wellbeing of Teacher Educators (TEs) based i... Read More about Don't do anything special for us coming: the mental health impact of Ofsted inspections on teacher educators in England..

I didn't leave inceldom; inceldom left me: examining male ex-incel navigations of complex masculinities identity rebuilding following rejection of incel-culture. (2025)
Journal Article
ADAMS, N.N. and SMITH, D.S. [2025]. I didn't leave inceldom; inceldom left me: examining male ex-incel navigations of complex masculinities identity rebuilding following rejection of incel-culture. Deviant behavior [online], Latest Articles. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1080/01639625.2025.2453443

This study explores experiences of ex-incels - men who have withdrawn from incel communities - through eleven qualitative interviews analysed using R.W. Connell's hegemonic masculinity (HM) framework. Findings reveal some ex-incels adopt flexible mas... Read More about I didn't leave inceldom; inceldom left me: examining male ex-incel navigations of complex masculinities identity rebuilding following rejection of incel-culture..

Just imagine Elon Musk... you really think he does that? Neoliberal subjecthood and the sexual marketplace in pornography abstinence/reboot communities. (2024)
Presentation / Conference Contribution
SMITH, D.S. 2024. Just imagine Elon Musk... you really think he does that? Neoliberal subjecthood and the sexual marketplace in pornography abstinence/reboot communities. Presented at the 3rd Joint international annual conference of the LEX Network, Violence Against Women and Girls Research Network, Feminist Legal Research and Action Network, and the Centre for the Study of Emotion and Law (LEX-VAWGRN-FRAN-CSEL 2024): activism, change and feminist futures: remembering the past to reimagine the future, 7-8 November 2024, Liverpool, UK.

Through a deterministic evolutionary psychology framework, the manosphere conceptualises an inflexible sexual market that positions men as entrepreneurs competing for a limited resource: women's interest. In recent years, researchers have explored th... Read More about Just imagine Elon Musk... you really think he does that? Neoliberal subjecthood and the sexual marketplace in pornography abstinence/reboot communities..

Unveiling "ex-incels": identity dynamics and juxtaposed hegemonic masculinity. (2024)
Presentation / Conference Contribution
SMITH, D.S. and ADAMS, N. 2024. Unveiling "ex-incels": identity dynamics and juxtaposed hegemonic masculinity. Presented at the 3rd Joint international annual conference of the LEX Network, Violence Against Women and Girls Research Network, Feminist Legal Research and Action Network, and the Centre for the Study of Emotion and Law (LEX-VAWGRN-FRAN-CSEL 2024): activism, change and feminist futures: remembering the past to reimagine the future, 7-8 November 2024, Liverpool, UK.

This study examines the experiences of former involuntary celibates (ex-incels) - men who frequented incel communities, but no longer identify with the label. We introduce a framework of Juxtaposed Hegemonic Masculinity to interrogate participants' s... Read More about Unveiling "ex-incels": identity dynamics and juxtaposed hegemonic masculinity..

Nia DaCosta, Candyman, Universal Pictures, 2021. (2024)
Journal Article
SMITH, D.S. 2024. Nia DaCosta, Candyman, Universal Pictures, 2021. Revenant [online], 11: supernatural cities: placing urban identities, memory and cultural crises, pages 335-338. Available from: https://www.revenantjournal.com/contents/nia-dacosta-candyman-universal-pictures-2021/

A review of the 2021 film Candyman that explores it in relation to location, memories and identities.

Even though I’m not an incel, I’m still an involuntary celibate: a journey in and out of inceldom. (2024)
Journal Article
SMITH, D.S., BUTLER-WARKE, A. and STEVENS, G. 2025. Even though I'm not an incel, I'm still an involuntary celibate: a journey in and out of inceldom. Communication review [online], 28(1), pages 1-25. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1080/10714421.2024.2383814

Incels, or involuntary celibates, represent a sub-section of the manosphere: an informal confederacy of digital communities where men construct and strengthen anti-feminist/male hegemonic narratives. Inceldom represents a beta masculine identity, wit... Read More about Even though I’m not an incel, I’m still an involuntary celibate: a journey in and out of inceldom..

It made me feel powerful in a way: the role of suicidality in incel communities. (2024)
Presentation / Conference Contribution
SMITH, D.S. 2024. It made me feel powerful in a way: the role of suicidality in incel communities. Presented at the 8th Suicide and self-harm early and mid-career researchers’ forum 2024, 17-18 June 2024, Glasgow, UK.

Incels (involuntary celibates) are young men who see themselves as naturally inferior to others ("the red pill") and believe this cannot be changed ("the black pill"). Research suggests they are very likely to experience suicidal ideation. This proje... Read More about It made me feel powerful in a way: the role of suicidality in incel communities..

Land of woke and glory? The British war on wokeness. [Conference Event] (2024)
Presentation / Conference Contribution
SMITH, D. 2024. Land of woke and glory? The British war on wokeness. Presented at the 2024 Robert Gordon University community seminar series, 12 March 2024, Aberdeen, UK.

Wokeness is discussed in the media on a daily basis, and has been called "one of the biggest threats to modern civilisation" by the then world's richest man. Yet its specific meaning is extremely vague. The term originated among black American commun... Read More about Land of woke and glory? The British war on wokeness. [Conference Event].

Threads, Tweets and TikToks: the ethics and challenges of online qualitative research. (2024)
Presentation / Conference Contribution
SMITH, D.S. and MEECHAN, A. 2024. Threads, Tweets and TikToks: the ethics and challenges of online qualitative research. Presented at the February 2024 School of Applied Social Studies (SASS) research and development hour, 14 February 2024, Aberdeen, UK.

Since the late 90s, social media has revolutionised how people interact and communicate. Among other things, they help old friends keep in touch, people from marginalised communities meet safely, and individuals explore aspects of their identity and... Read More about Threads, Tweets and TikToks: the ethics and challenges of online qualitative research..

Members in good standing? The relationship between NoFap/reboot communities and the manosphere. (2024)
Journal Article
SMITH, D.S. 2024. Members in good standing? The relationship between NoFap/Reboot communities and the manosphere. International journal of communication [online], 18, pages 528-541. Available from: https://ijoc.org/index.php/ijoc/article/view/20524/4448

NoFap/reboot communities are online groups of mostly men trying to abstain from pornography and/or masturbation. For researchers exploring the manosphere, a loose collation of digital communities in which men affirm and replicate antifeminist/promale... Read More about Members in good standing? The relationship between NoFap/reboot communities and the manosphere..

One of the biggest threats to modern civilisation? The weaponisation of "wokeness" in the UK press and political discourses. (2023)
Presentation / Conference Contribution
SMITH, D.S. 2023. One of the biggest threats to modern civilisation? The weaponisation of "wokeness" in the UK press and political discourses. Presented at the 2023 International PhD scholar conference: researching sensitive subjects and fragile lives, 5-7 December 2023, [virtual conference].

Though the term originated in the early twentieth century, it is only recently "wokeness" has become a staple of British media discourse. Typically, the concept features in commentaries and exchanges about institutional power, censorship, minority ri... Read More about One of the biggest threats to modern civilisation? The weaponisation of "wokeness" in the UK press and political discourses..

Land of woke and glory? The conceptualisation and framing of "wokeness" in UK media and public discourses. [Article] (2023)
Journal Article
SMITH, D.S., BOAG, L., KEEGAN, C. and BUTLER-WARKE, A. 2023. Land of woke and glory? The conceptualisation and framing of "wokeness" in UK media and public discourses. Javnost: the public [online], 30(4), pages 513-533. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1080/13183222.2023.2273656

Though the term originated in the early twentieth century, it is only recently "wokeness" has become a staple of British media discourse. Typically, the concept features in commentaries and exchanges about institutional power, censorship, minority ri... Read More about Land of woke and glory? The conceptualisation and framing of "wokeness" in UK media and public discourses. [Article].