Ms Claudia Blandon

Biography

Doctoral Teaching Assistant (Institute of Education)

Project Title: Exploring the impact of human rights education (HRE) programmes on displaced women of African descent in Colombia

I obtained my BA in Anthropology and Sociology from Florida International University in 2002, and an MA in International Human RIghts Law from the American University in Cairo, Egypt, in 2010.

Qualifications

M.A. International Human Rights Law (2008-2010), American University in Cairo, Egypt

Thesis topic: Legal Evolutions &Legacies: The Saharawi & Self-determination. Fieldwork in five refugee camps in the Algerian Sahara

Graduate Diploma in Migration & Refugee Studies (2008), American University in Cairo, Egypt

B.A. Sociology & Anthropology (1998-2002), Florida International University, Miami USA

Teaching

Teaching interests

Research methods, ethics, praxis for change, gender and difference.

Research

Research interests

I have developed a keen interest in a number of topics, including:

Human rights and human rights education
Displacement and borders
Inclusive and participatory methodologies in research
Learning outside formal education
Evaluation research
Feminist new materialism

Other research

2010: Conducted qualitative research in five refugee camps in Southern Algeria

2013: Qualitative needs assessment of female asylum seekers in Plymouth

2013: Conducted fieldwork in a project with Spanish-speaking migrants in the South West of England.

2017: Conducted an evalution of an inter-generational arts and music intervention.

2020: Pursuing post doctoral studies in Education.

Creative practice & artistic projects

Commended entry (People category) at the Images of Public Engagement competition organised by the National Co-ordinating Centre for Public Engagement in 2018.

Publications

Key publications

Key publications are highlighted

Journals

Articles

Quinn J, Blandon C & Batson A (2019) 'Living Beyond Words: post-human reflections on making music with post-verbal people' Arts & Health 13, (1) 73-86 , DOI Open access

Quinn J & Blandon C (2017) 'The potential for lifelong learning in dementia: a post-humanist exploration' International Journal of Lifelong Education 1-17 , DOI Open access

Blandon CM, Tyrrell N & Guijarro Fuentes P (2014) 'Intergenerational language practices: a case study of Spanish-speaking families in Britain' Applied Linguistics Review 5 5, 305-325

Books

2020: Lifelong Learning and Dementia: A Posthumanist Perspective. Jocey Quinn and Claudia Blandon

https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007%2F978-3-030-42231-8

Quinn J & Blandon C (2020) Lifelong Learning and Dementia: A Posthumanist Perspective. Palgrave Pivot , DOI Open access

Conference Papers

Blandon CM, Quinn J & Waite S (2014) 'Under the open sky: Supporting young people´s well-being through outdoor experiences in formal and non-formal education-European perspectives'

Reports

The Making Bridges with Music Evalution Report (2017).

Waite SJ, Parkinson G, Blackwell I, Martignetti D, Blandon C & Moyeed R (2015) What do children learn when camping?: perceptions of parents, children and teachers.

Waite SJ, Blandon C & Quinn J (2014) Long term impacts of the Young Champion Experience with Exmoor National Park Authority.

Blandon CM & Quinn J (2014) Feeling their way: women and children using music to navigate transitions form domestic violence.

Blandon CM & Quinn J (2014) The Power of Songs: and Evaluation of Plymouth Music Zone’s Keepsinging Keepsake’ Project.

Presentations and posters

Blandon C Blandon C 'Exploring the impact of Human Rights Education on notions of empowerment among displaced women in Colombia'

Blandon C Blandon C 'Poster Presentation during Refugee Week 2022 at University of Plymouth'

Blandon C Blandon C 'The praxis of human rights: deconstructing legal norms and human rights knowledge from the ground up'

Blandon C Blandon C 'Title: The vibrancy of Tex(t)iles and letters that keep whispering incessantly: exploring notions of vulnerability through personal artefacts using a feminist new materialist (FNM) lens'

Blandon C Blandon C 'What’s in it for me?: Challenges in decolonising ethics in education research with women in settings of conflict and crisis'

Other Publications

Blandon C (2021) Research Ethics in Practice Amidst COVID-19: Overcoming Ethical Challenges in Conducting Research with Internally Displaced Afro-Colombian Women in Colombia. Refugee Law Initiative Blog Publisher Site

Blandon CM (2014) Book Review: Cross-cultural perspectives on early childhood, Edited by Theodora Papatheodorou and Janet Moyles, 2012, London: Sage,.

Personal

Other academic activities

Member of the Adventures in Post-humanism reading group (University of Plymouth)

Member of the Inclusion Research Node (Institute of Education)

Member of the Afro-descendent Working Group (The Americas)

Profiles

Doctoral Teaching Assistant

Plymouth Institute of Education (Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business)