Symeon Dagkas

Professor Symeon Dagkas serves as Head of the School of Psychology & Life Sciences at the University of East London, specializing in the intersection of physical education, social inclusion, and superdiverse communities. His research critically examines barriers to sport participation among marginalized groups, particularly focusing on Muslim women, ethnic minorities, and youth from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds in East London contexts.

His primary research interests center on physical education inclusion, superdiverse health equity, and critical pedagogies for diverse classrooms. Through Bourdieusian frameworks, he investigates how race, religion, and social class intersect to shape physical culture experiences. Key projects include the Newham Every Child a Sport Person (NECaSP) initiative and Schools on the Move intervention, examining family structures, pedagogical practices, and institutional barriers affecting youth physical activity.

Analysis of his recent publications reveals a consistent focus on intersectional exclusion mechanisms in sport settings, with increasing emphasis on superdiversity theory and decolonizing physical culture. His work bridges academic research and practical interventions, documenting discrimination patterns among Asian European footballers while developing inclusive pedagogical models for culturally diverse classrooms.

Professor Dagkas has led significant funded projects including:

• Youth Sport Trust's 'Schools on the Move' evaluation
• Newham Borough's Every Child a Sport Person program
• BASS Project on Muslim girls' participation

His scholarly contributions include edited volumes like 'Families, Young People, Physical Activity and Health: Critical Perspectives' (Routledge, 2016), establishing him as a key voice in critical sport pedagogy.

His research teams frequently collaborate with East London community organizations, focusing on:

• Racialization in physical culture
• Family health pedagogies
• Religious inclusion frameworks
• Urban youth engagement models

Current work examines superdiverse adolescents' activity patterns through mixed-methods approaches, developing context-specific inclusion strategies for London's multicultural schools.