Dr Ben Powis
- Senior Lecturer in Sport
- Dorset House D219, Talbot Campus, Fern Barrow, Poole, BH12 5BB
Biography
Dr Ben Powis is a Senior Lecturer (Sport) in the Department of Sport and Event Management at Bournemouth University. He holds a First Class honours degree in sport studies and a master's degree with distinction in sport and society from the University of Brighton. In 2017, Ben was awarded a PhD, also from the University of Brighton, which examined the lived experiences of elite visually impaired cricket players. Prior to joining Bournemouth, he was course leader in Social Sciences at Solent University and has previously worked at Richmond American University London and the University of Brighton.
His research interests build upon this field of inquiry and include the sociology of disability sport, visually impaired peoples’ experiences of sport and physical activity and investigating the significance of sensuous sporting experiences. Ben is an expert in qualitative research methods, employing ethnography, observation, and semi-structured interviews in his previous projects. He is adept at disseminating his research findings for a range of audiences, including writing for academic and non-academic readers, and presenting at international conferences (such as the International Paralympic Committee’s (IPC) Vista conference)... Ben is also an experienced consultant who, alongside colleagues from ICF consultancy services, has collaborated with a range of stakeholders, including Sport England, British Blind Sport (BBS) and the Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB).
In 2020, Ben’s first monograph Embodiment, Identity and Disability Sport was published with Routledge. He is also the co-editor of Researching Disability Sport: Theory, Method, Practice (2022, Routledge). He has published in a number of internationally renowned academic journals, such as Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health (QRSEH), International Review for the Sociology of Sport (IRSS) and Disability & Society and is a regular peer-reviewer for, amongst others, QRSEH, IRSS and Sociology of Sport Journal.
moreResearch
Ben is currently working on two long-term projects. Firstly, with Dr Jess Macbeth (UCLAN), we are exploring blind and partially sighted peoples' experiences of running. Initially, our research explored how VI runners experienced outdoor running (or not) during the COVID-19 pandemic and the varied impact of changing restrictions, personal circumstances, and seasons. During this project, we also wanted to understand how blind and partially sighted people use their senses to develop unique ways of navigating and negotiating running routes - whether they run with a guide runner or not. The results are fascinating and establish the rich, creative and diverse sensory practices of VI runners. Central to both articles is the agency and skills of blind and partially sighted people: rather than being passively guided around a route, VI runners demonstrate ways of running which do not rely upon sight. The outputs from this project are open access and can be found in the below ‘Favourites’ section.
Secondly, alongside colleagues in the UK and New Zealand, we are researching the Disability Premier League (DPL) cricket tournament. In this qualitative project, we are analysing players and coaches’ experiences of participating in the DPL, both on the pitch and during training. The DPL has several unique elements – pan-disability teams, a franchise system, a player draft, mainstream media coverage – and therefore provides novel insights into high performance disability sporting cultures. The data collection phase of the study is complete, and the first outputs are in development...
Ben is interested in supervising MRes, MPhil and PhD projects relating to his research interests and encourages prospective candidates to contact him via email or social media.
moreFavourites
- Powis, B. and Macbeth, J.L., 2024. Running blind: the sensory practices of visually impaired runners. Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health, 16 (3), 244-258.
- Powis, B. and Macbeth, J., 2023. Navigating a sighted world: visually impaired runners’ experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic. Disability and Society.
- Researching Disability Sport: Theory, Method, Practice. Routledge.
- Powis, B., 2020. Embodiment, Identity and Disability Sport: An Ethnography of Elite Visually Impaired Athletes. Routledge.
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person's work contributes towards the following SDGs:
Good health and well-being
"Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages"
Peace, justice and strong institutions
"Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels"
