Stein, Verena

Verena Stein
Start date:
October 2017
Research Topic:
Social and pedagogical aspects of mindfulness training a discourse analysis
Research pathway:
Research Supervisor:
Steven Stanley and Carina Girvan
Supervising school:
Primary funding source:
ESRC Studentship

Mindfulness trainings, whilst still a relatively new phenomenon, are entering mainstream society from a previously medical setting at a fast pace. Contributing to this surge in popularity is a large body of scientific evidence that proves a positive effect of mindfulness on the human brain, mind and body. The UK Mindfulness All-Party Parliamentary Group (MAPPG) even lobbied for the inclusion of mindfulness-based approaches to address the current mental health crisis. With this expansion comes an increased demand for highly qualified mindfulness teachers within the UK. However, despite the growing interest in mindfulness, mindfulness education and its wider implications for its participants and society at large remain mostly unstudied.

The suggested research would provide much needed social science groundwork into the pedagogy of mindfulness education. A direct impact of this study could be the provision of an empirical base which would inform teacher training for mindfulness teachers and ensure high quality standards. A more indirect impact could be the potential to inform the development of trainings for psychotherapists, school teachers, or within work settings.