A Different Drum is a multinational, multidisciplinary group of academics and activists. We are driven by the belief that diverse ideas and grassroots action are the catalysts for meaningful change.

We have two central aims:

• Promoting scholarship and scholars from the global south. Good ideas shouldn’t be constrained by linguistic or financial barriers
• Empowering marginalised groups, communities, and allies. By offer good ideas (from scholarship and elsewhere), we want to support you in building change from the ground up.

We are expanding upon the work of Afro-Asian Critical Psychology, a volunteer effort supporting and promoting scholarship in critical psychology from the majority world. Initially this focused on editing scholarly papers for publication and arranging seminars.

This core remains. But gradually the mission has expanded, as has the network of people involved. One example of this expansion is facilitating presentations in the UK by the neurodiverse.

This work is too important to be a volunteer effort. Much more needs to be done.

This is how A Different Drum was born.

We advocate for and support those outside the mainstream – the global south, ethnic and religious minorities, the neurodiverse. Those traditionally excluded from privilege and power. We’re outside the mainstream too. We all “walk to the beat of a different drum”.

We believe that anyone seeking to make grassroots changes or become more inclusive will benefit from the ideas we have to offer. (However, please note that we are not clinicians and we are not offering individualised advice)

We will work in five main spheres.

1. Our core mission - promoting the work of scholars from the global south, predominantly in critical psychology. We facilitate equitable access.
2. Disseminating good ideas to those who need them, and encouraging their application in local communities.
3. Empowering individuals as they navigate information around them, making the tools we’ve accumulated as researchers accessible. We believe that critical thinking is a fundamental foundation.
4. We offer paid services as a further source of fundraising for our mission. At this stage, we have some availability to offer writing services, as well as academic proofreading and editing (please contact us for more information). We are also preparing classes in core academic skills (such as writing, critical thinking, and source analysis).
5. Our work is for the marginalised, by the marginalised. Our mission is to seek equity for those who are disadvantaged by society, and our empathy comes in part from personal experience. As we expand, we will be focused on providing safe, accommodating environments and opportunities for those who might struggle to find them elsewhere.

Key elements in our approach are:

Prioritising work with academic merit, without regard to linguistic barriers or prestige. Removing prohibitive costs for scholars, we edit it into academic English*, and help scholars find appropriate outlets to publish their work. In time, we hope to publish some of this work ourselves, as well as providing remote networking and conference opportunities.

* Although we recognise that much can be lost when work is streamlined into a single language, we have decided to prioritise wider access to scholarly work. (We will expand upon our stance in the future)

This blog is our centre for public outreach and fundraising, providing ideas and resources as a catalyst for change that people can use in their own communities.

To the extent that this platform allows, we have formatted our blog in line with the Dyslexia Friendly Style Guide.

In keeping with this guideline, our background is off-white and we use sans-serif fonts. We also use navy blue font where possible. We are a small team and do not have personal experience of requiring such accommodations. We’re open to suggestions on how to be more inclusive in our design. Please do let us know if we can do better for people with dyslexia or others with accessibility needs (subject to the limitations of sites where we post).

Our logo has been adapted from this image from Asba Drums, in accordance with the terms of the Unsplash License.

A different photo, by ASBA Drums on Unsplash

Disclaimer:

None of A Different Drum’s content (text, graphics, images, or other material) should be construed as medical, clinical or therapeutic advice.

We are first and foremost scholars: while psychology is among our areas of expertise, this is not clinical psychology. (Clinical psychologists treat patients). We strive to provide information that is useful, well researched and considered, and helpful for a broad audience, but this is not a substitute for professional advice tailored to you.

The content provided is for informational and educational use only, and does not form all or part of a medical or therapeutic plan, or ground or provide any basis for client relationship where medical or therapeutic advice is dispensed or conveyed.

You should always consider all of your own circumstances (including but not limited to medical conditions) before considering if anything you read online might relate to your specific needs. Seeking licensed professional advice based on your specific circumstances is the best way to address personal problems which may relate to material found online including in this site.  This site is not a substitute for that advice.

Please consider subscribing

If you like what we do and would like to find out more, please subscribe to receive our work directly in your inbox.