The personal and the political in teaching, research and activism

In this essay, we consider the ways in which Sugden’s outline of critical proactivism plays out within our specific areas of research, teaching and activism. In particular, we consider how our understanding of “critical, practical, [and] empirical engagement, rather than fixating upon abstract debate and unmovable theoretical principles” (Sugden, 2010, 267) allows us to refine and develop as scholars and practitioners. We use personal narratives to demonstrate the self-reflective nature of our long-term engagement with a critical reading of sport, social justice, and different forms of activism. When considered together, these separate stories offer some insight into the ways in which critical proactivism is embedded within our work at the University of Brighton and will hopefully offer readers practical illustrations of the implementation of such strategies