Dr Wondemaghen | University of Hull (original) (raw)

Publications by Dr Wondemaghen

Drawing from Foucauldian discourse analysis, this study examines explicit news coverage about Ukr... more Drawing from Foucauldian discourse analysis, this study examines explicit news coverage about Ukrainian refugees' desirability compared to Syrian based on biological aesthetics and cultural proximity. Whilst this may raise questions about Western duplicity during humanitarian crises, biopolitical governmentality offers a more useful theoretical framework beyond traditional conceptions of race because biopolitical governmentality of Europeans, through humanitarian governmentality of Ukrainians, is not primarily concerned with the inherent value of the displaced but with the material and emotional well-being of host populations. These benefits are contingent on humanitarian communication that is based on the aesthetic value of the displaced rather than solely the ethics, highlighting the discursive power of humanitarian journalism in the biopolitics of humanitarian crises.

International Journal of Law and Psychiatry, 2024

This conceptual article examines the organizational crisis in England's National Health Service i... more This conceptual article examines the organizational crisis in England's National Health Service in light of the recently launched model of policing called Right Care Right Person introduced to reduce police hours spent dealing with mental health crisis calls. It is a move that has come with concerns for health services because these newly created gaps alongside the existing ones pose challenges around funding and timescales in implementing the new model. It is a curious case of organisational paradox that diverting mentally ill persons into health services and 'decriminalising' those whose health conditions bring them to the attention of the justice system, has raised concerns in the health sector about access to adequate mental health services unless an arm of the justice system is involved. Given the similarities in health and legal systems in the Anglo-Western world, this English model has international implications about organisational paradoxes in health systems.

Journalism

This article is interested in the ways in which a serious public health issue, the Covid-19 pande... more This article is interested in the ways in which a serious public health issue, the Covid-19 pandemic, was used to categorize and reconfigure sections of the British citizenry into conformists and deviants. In constructing these categories, the print press was utilizing specific labels to identify those who were sceptical and noncompliant of preventative health strategies. Scepticism of Covid policy was reported along political lines, distinguishing between right-leaning conspiracy theorists who pose threats to health and safety, and those sceptics who were simply without access to accurate information and guidance. In its claimsmaking activity, the print media was portraying some concerns as more legitimate than other equally significant social issues. The politicization of a biological vector is not without serious implications for public health communication and, ultimately, compliance with disease preventative measures.

Ideological shifts in mental health-care policy such as deinstitutionalization have meant police ... more Ideological shifts in mental health-care policy such as deinstitutionalization have meant police have had to make decisions about the care of persons with a mental-health crisis. This study examines how police in five English counties respond to crisis calls when employing the powers afforded in section 136 of the Mental Health Act 1983, and the effectiveness of the national Street Triage pilot scheme. Qualitative interviews with 30 police officers and mental-health nurses (MHN) were collected as data sources. The analysis shows that police have previously struggled with the significant number of crisis calls, whilst also finding mental-health services inadequately sourced, leading to some detentions in police cells as alternatives to health-based places of safety. However, the scheme has made positive changes in alleviating these issues when MHN are co-located with police, highlighting the need to strengthen their partnership by facilitating the sharing of information, responsibilities and decision making in order to ensure police cells continue to be avoided as alternative places of safety. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0025802421993363

Social Semiotics , 2018

When a lead character in a critically acclaimed and award-winning television programme is depict... more When a lead character in a critically acclaimed and award-winning television programme is depicted as a proficient and meticulous heroine with a mental disorder, it is crucial to examine if this reflects a change in the media depiction of people with mental illness. This article employs framing analysis to examine the portrayal of lead CIA agent with bipolar disorder, Carrie Mathison, in Homeland. Although the show did initially associate competence, intellect and astuteness to this character, as it progressed, the framing decisions used for dramatic and sensational purposes ultimately presented Mathison within the usual stereotypical depictions: as impulsive, irrational, unpredictable, unstable, dangerous and disordered. Given the popularity of the show, responsible depictions should take priority over dramatic effect at the expense of a character with mental illness because sufferers may be deterred in speaking about their illness and seeking appropriate treatment if such negative themes persist.

Psychology, Psychiatry, Law , 2017

The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is considered to be a radical internati... more The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is considered to be a radical international treaty that affords persons with disability recognition and protection of equal rights in socio-cultural, political, medical and legal arenas. Drawing from the Convention’s core principles of equality and non-discrimination, the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Convention’s Committee have called for a replacement of the insanity defence with a disability neutral doctrine. The rationale is that retaining this special defence is, in itself, discriminatory given its function is based on the presence of mental disability necessarily and the assumption that such disabilities impair capacity and reasoning. This article interrogates the rationale behind ‘abolitionists’ views, and asks whether equality necessarily means treating all persons identically regardless of one’s capacity to reason about their conduct.

The insanity defense operates on the basis that individuals who do not have the capacity to under... more The insanity defense operates on the basis that individuals who do not have the capacity to understand the consequences or wrongness of their action should not

The Monash University shooting which occurred in 2002, in Melbourne Australia, is analysed using ... more The Monash University shooting which occurred in 2002, in Melbourne Australia, is analysed using claims-making theory and the four-stage natural history model of social problems. As Spector and Kitsuse argue, social problems 'are what people think they are' rather than objective problems. This incident -a shooting of two classmates by a mentally ill offender who suffered from persecutory delusions -was framed as a gun problem rather than a socially or psychologically related crime. In doing so, journalists made claims or emphasised the claims of selected voices in order to promote a specific social problem over others and, in turn, reinforce political arguments for tougher gun laws and policy measures. The implication with this type of coverage is that it results in not addressing appropriately the real causes of the problem; in this case violence as a coping mechanism by a mentally ill offender. This study offers a useful model to study media reporting of a claimed social problem and its influence in the policy process, decision and development.

Why has AMC's Breaking Bad (2008 -2013) become a global and cultural phenomenon in what has been ... more Why has AMC's Breaking Bad (2008 -2013) become a global and cultural phenomenon in what has been called the "Golden Age of Television"? The fascination and intrigue about the protagonist -Walter Whiteappears to reflect our recognition that this socially strained chemistry teacher who resorted to illegitimate and violent means of obtaining wealth is all too familiar. He draws on behavioral traits and defense mechanisms present in all of us and even essential to our existential process; self-presentation, compartmentalization, dehumanization and lack of empathy. He is a scapegoat upon whom we can project our deepest sentiments and desires about taking control of life situations whilst also expressing moral indignation and superiority in a process of unconscious denial about our capabilities.

Public Engagement by Dr Wondemaghen

It seems contradictory when one who engages in a set of goal-directed behaviours is also labelled... more It seems contradictory when one who engages in a set of goal-directed behaviours is also labelled ‘mentally ill’ or ‘psychotic’ for the purposes of psycho-legal detention. Such is the case of the ‘ginger extremist’ who seems to have had core beliefs that he was capable of bringing forth the Kingdom of Prince Harry by shooting Prince Charles: 'Kill Charles and Prince Harry becomes King'

Times Higher Education, 2024

Timeliness and rigour are vital, but the publishing and incentives systems are not set up to deli... more Timeliness and rigour are vital, but the publishing and incentives systems are not set up to deliver them.

Collateral Global, 2024

Recently, the UK Covid Inquiry heard testimony that the BBC consistently misrepresented Covid ris... more Recently, the UK Covid Inquiry heard testimony that the BBC consistently misrepresented Covid risk in order to boost public support for lockdown. Yet, to date, the Inquiry has not asked vital questions about the practices of the British media during the crisis and breaches in journalist standards and ethics. The political lens of the media during Covid demands more public scrutiny.

Policing Insight, 2023

Footage of the recent arrest of a mother in front of her young son for suspected fare evasion has... more Footage of the recent arrest of a mother in front of her young son for suspected fare evasion has once again ignited a debate about appropriate policing responses. This and other cases have highlighted the issues of what constitutes social harm, what is a proportionate response, and why a 'do no harm' principle should precede any law and order aims.

Policing Insight, 2023

There has been a lot of sympathy for the concerns voiced by policing the UK that officers are oft... more There has been a lot of sympathy for the concerns voiced by policing the UK that officers are often not the right people to respond to those in mental health crisis, and plenty of support for the Right Care, Right Person approach; but Dr Meron Wondemaghen, a Senior Lecturer in Criminology at the University of Hull, fears that trying to push through such significant change by a 31 August deadline will leave the health sector unable to cope, and those

The notion that Donald Trump is “mentally ill” is circulating more frantically than ever, with va... more The notion that Donald Trump is “mentally ill” is circulating more frantically than ever, with various mental health practitioners voicing unusually public concerns that someone with an unsound or disordered mind is in high office. This is a tricky debate to navigate – and a good place to start is to interrogate our ideas about what mental illness even is.

Drawing from Foucauldian discourse analysis, this study examines explicit news coverage about Ukr... more Drawing from Foucauldian discourse analysis, this study examines explicit news coverage about Ukrainian refugees' desirability compared to Syrian based on biological aesthetics and cultural proximity. Whilst this may raise questions about Western duplicity during humanitarian crises, biopolitical governmentality offers a more useful theoretical framework beyond traditional conceptions of race because biopolitical governmentality of Europeans, through humanitarian governmentality of Ukrainians, is not primarily concerned with the inherent value of the displaced but with the material and emotional well-being of host populations. These benefits are contingent on humanitarian communication that is based on the aesthetic value of the displaced rather than solely the ethics, highlighting the discursive power of humanitarian journalism in the biopolitics of humanitarian crises.

International Journal of Law and Psychiatry, 2024

This conceptual article examines the organizational crisis in England's National Health Service i... more This conceptual article examines the organizational crisis in England's National Health Service in light of the recently launched model of policing called Right Care Right Person introduced to reduce police hours spent dealing with mental health crisis calls. It is a move that has come with concerns for health services because these newly created gaps alongside the existing ones pose challenges around funding and timescales in implementing the new model. It is a curious case of organisational paradox that diverting mentally ill persons into health services and 'decriminalising' those whose health conditions bring them to the attention of the justice system, has raised concerns in the health sector about access to adequate mental health services unless an arm of the justice system is involved. Given the similarities in health and legal systems in the Anglo-Western world, this English model has international implications about organisational paradoxes in health systems.

Journalism

This article is interested in the ways in which a serious public health issue, the Covid-19 pande... more This article is interested in the ways in which a serious public health issue, the Covid-19 pandemic, was used to categorize and reconfigure sections of the British citizenry into conformists and deviants. In constructing these categories, the print press was utilizing specific labels to identify those who were sceptical and noncompliant of preventative health strategies. Scepticism of Covid policy was reported along political lines, distinguishing between right-leaning conspiracy theorists who pose threats to health and safety, and those sceptics who were simply without access to accurate information and guidance. In its claimsmaking activity, the print media was portraying some concerns as more legitimate than other equally significant social issues. The politicization of a biological vector is not without serious implications for public health communication and, ultimately, compliance with disease preventative measures.

Ideological shifts in mental health-care policy such as deinstitutionalization have meant police ... more Ideological shifts in mental health-care policy such as deinstitutionalization have meant police have had to make decisions about the care of persons with a mental-health crisis. This study examines how police in five English counties respond to crisis calls when employing the powers afforded in section 136 of the Mental Health Act 1983, and the effectiveness of the national Street Triage pilot scheme. Qualitative interviews with 30 police officers and mental-health nurses (MHN) were collected as data sources. The analysis shows that police have previously struggled with the significant number of crisis calls, whilst also finding mental-health services inadequately sourced, leading to some detentions in police cells as alternatives to health-based places of safety. However, the scheme has made positive changes in alleviating these issues when MHN are co-located with police, highlighting the need to strengthen their partnership by facilitating the sharing of information, responsibilities and decision making in order to ensure police cells continue to be avoided as alternative places of safety. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0025802421993363

Social Semiotics , 2018

When a lead character in a critically acclaimed and award-winning television programme is depict... more When a lead character in a critically acclaimed and award-winning television programme is depicted as a proficient and meticulous heroine with a mental disorder, it is crucial to examine if this reflects a change in the media depiction of people with mental illness. This article employs framing analysis to examine the portrayal of lead CIA agent with bipolar disorder, Carrie Mathison, in Homeland. Although the show did initially associate competence, intellect and astuteness to this character, as it progressed, the framing decisions used for dramatic and sensational purposes ultimately presented Mathison within the usual stereotypical depictions: as impulsive, irrational, unpredictable, unstable, dangerous and disordered. Given the popularity of the show, responsible depictions should take priority over dramatic effect at the expense of a character with mental illness because sufferers may be deterred in speaking about their illness and seeking appropriate treatment if such negative themes persist.

Psychology, Psychiatry, Law , 2017

The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is considered to be a radical internati... more The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is considered to be a radical international treaty that affords persons with disability recognition and protection of equal rights in socio-cultural, political, medical and legal arenas. Drawing from the Convention’s core principles of equality and non-discrimination, the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Convention’s Committee have called for a replacement of the insanity defence with a disability neutral doctrine. The rationale is that retaining this special defence is, in itself, discriminatory given its function is based on the presence of mental disability necessarily and the assumption that such disabilities impair capacity and reasoning. This article interrogates the rationale behind ‘abolitionists’ views, and asks whether equality necessarily means treating all persons identically regardless of one’s capacity to reason about their conduct.

The insanity defense operates on the basis that individuals who do not have the capacity to under... more The insanity defense operates on the basis that individuals who do not have the capacity to understand the consequences or wrongness of their action should not

The Monash University shooting which occurred in 2002, in Melbourne Australia, is analysed using ... more The Monash University shooting which occurred in 2002, in Melbourne Australia, is analysed using claims-making theory and the four-stage natural history model of social problems. As Spector and Kitsuse argue, social problems 'are what people think they are' rather than objective problems. This incident -a shooting of two classmates by a mentally ill offender who suffered from persecutory delusions -was framed as a gun problem rather than a socially or psychologically related crime. In doing so, journalists made claims or emphasised the claims of selected voices in order to promote a specific social problem over others and, in turn, reinforce political arguments for tougher gun laws and policy measures. The implication with this type of coverage is that it results in not addressing appropriately the real causes of the problem; in this case violence as a coping mechanism by a mentally ill offender. This study offers a useful model to study media reporting of a claimed social problem and its influence in the policy process, decision and development.

Why has AMC's Breaking Bad (2008 -2013) become a global and cultural phenomenon in what has been ... more Why has AMC's Breaking Bad (2008 -2013) become a global and cultural phenomenon in what has been called the "Golden Age of Television"? The fascination and intrigue about the protagonist -Walter Whiteappears to reflect our recognition that this socially strained chemistry teacher who resorted to illegitimate and violent means of obtaining wealth is all too familiar. He draws on behavioral traits and defense mechanisms present in all of us and even essential to our existential process; self-presentation, compartmentalization, dehumanization and lack of empathy. He is a scapegoat upon whom we can project our deepest sentiments and desires about taking control of life situations whilst also expressing moral indignation and superiority in a process of unconscious denial about our capabilities.

It seems contradictory when one who engages in a set of goal-directed behaviours is also labelled... more It seems contradictory when one who engages in a set of goal-directed behaviours is also labelled ‘mentally ill’ or ‘psychotic’ for the purposes of psycho-legal detention. Such is the case of the ‘ginger extremist’ who seems to have had core beliefs that he was capable of bringing forth the Kingdom of Prince Harry by shooting Prince Charles: 'Kill Charles and Prince Harry becomes King'

Times Higher Education, 2024

Timeliness and rigour are vital, but the publishing and incentives systems are not set up to deli... more Timeliness and rigour are vital, but the publishing and incentives systems are not set up to deliver them.

Collateral Global, 2024

Recently, the UK Covid Inquiry heard testimony that the BBC consistently misrepresented Covid ris... more Recently, the UK Covid Inquiry heard testimony that the BBC consistently misrepresented Covid risk in order to boost public support for lockdown. Yet, to date, the Inquiry has not asked vital questions about the practices of the British media during the crisis and breaches in journalist standards and ethics. The political lens of the media during Covid demands more public scrutiny.

Policing Insight, 2023

Footage of the recent arrest of a mother in front of her young son for suspected fare evasion has... more Footage of the recent arrest of a mother in front of her young son for suspected fare evasion has once again ignited a debate about appropriate policing responses. This and other cases have highlighted the issues of what constitutes social harm, what is a proportionate response, and why a 'do no harm' principle should precede any law and order aims.

Policing Insight, 2023

There has been a lot of sympathy for the concerns voiced by policing the UK that officers are oft... more There has been a lot of sympathy for the concerns voiced by policing the UK that officers are often not the right people to respond to those in mental health crisis, and plenty of support for the Right Care, Right Person approach; but Dr Meron Wondemaghen, a Senior Lecturer in Criminology at the University of Hull, fears that trying to push through such significant change by a 31 August deadline will leave the health sector unable to cope, and those

The notion that Donald Trump is “mentally ill” is circulating more frantically than ever, with va... more The notion that Donald Trump is “mentally ill” is circulating more frantically than ever, with various mental health practitioners voicing unusually public concerns that someone with an unsound or disordered mind is in high office. This is a tricky debate to navigate – and a good place to start is to interrogate our ideas about what mental illness even is.

US Attorney General Jeff Sessions has recently called for mandatory minimum laws to be reinstated... more US Attorney General Jeff Sessions has recently called for mandatory minimum laws to be reinstated, ending Obama-era sentencing
reform for non-violent drug offenders designed to reduce the prison
population. These, like 'three-strikes' laws, often affect the poor and
disadvantaged, and people of colour. This article considers law and order rhetoric during politically sensitive times and the legacy of mandatory minimums.