Our podcasts kick off again after a short break with another panel presentation from the BSP Annual Conference in 2016.
Season 1 episode 8: 7 April 2017
This recording is of Philip Tovey’s presentation ‘A Remote Outpost Under Siege: A phenomenological understanding of officers and staff operating under a new core operating model’. You can listen to this episode on the BSP’s Podbean site, and you can also find it on iTunes and all good podcasting apps by searching ‘BSP Podcast’.
Abstract: “Much is written about the increasing tightening and stifling effects of the current austerity measures UK Police Forces are contending with and a new, leaner, more efficient organisational structure is often the selected adapted action that ensures the organisations economic survival. This driver predisposes a quantitative approach to understanding the affects of change, fearing the intangible for is subjective complexity, its difficulty in translating into monetary measures and determinate outcomes; and, as this paper will argue, is encapsulated in existential uncertainty. The largest Policing assets base is in its human, and subsequently social capital; domains best suited to a qualitative understanding, therefore, this embedded study conducted phenomenological inquiry into the phenomena of policing in a new operating model as part of an organisational reshaping. Findings suggest an experiential essence of isolation and remoteness, a knowledge ‘updraft’, hollow promises and a classical moralistic composition of ‘good vs bad’ in the subjects policing raison d’etre; all of which contrasts sharply with an evolving operational reality. Phenomenology as a methodological approach to influencing organisational change is discussed before the constituent themes are explored through an existential phenomenological framework, highlighting potential implications for policing human resource management and development.”
The British Society for Phenomenology’s Annual Conference took place at The International Anthony Burgess Foundation, Manchester, UK during September, 2016. It gathered together philosophers, literary scholars, phenomenologists, and practitioners exploring phenomenological theory and its practical application. It covered a broad range of areas and issues including the arts, ethics, medical humanities, mental health, education, technology, feminism, politics and political governance, with contributions throwing a new light on both traditional phenomenological thinkers and the themes associated with classical phenomenology. More information about the conference can be found here.