Chelsea's PhD research examines the social, cultural, and economic implications of the COVID-19 lockdowns on young people in Stoke-on-Trent.

Owen's PhD research explores hedonism within Stoke-on-Trent's night-time economies through the use of ethnographic methodology.

James’ PhD research, inspired by the changes in the scene that arose out of the socio-economic culture of football in the early 1990s, involved extensive study of a football hooligan group in the North of England using ethnography in the form of participant observation.

Introduction

This chapter is borne out of an unusual collaboration and role reversal in academia, the conventional norm being that academic staff school PhD students and guide them through the process. In contrast, reversing these norms’ role, we considered the frustrations and challenges of the PhD from the point of view of two doctoral candidates, Chelsea and Owen, and one supervisor, James, both sides trying to be honest. The conventional story of the PhD, of course, is that of the ‘academic apprenticeship’ served by candidates where the master draws on their extensive subject area expertise and knowledge of the subject, knowledge of research methods, and skills to see the PhD successfully completed, learning from an established supervisor who is the senior and expert. In reality, the truth is that the process is one of collaboration, where all learn from one another and find their way through imperfectly.