Publications
My writing has concerned homelessness, youth and community work, participatory research and co-production and the scholarship of pedagogy in higher education, specialising in critical and queer pedagogy.I have written or am writing: 21 books, 31 book chapters, 20 peer reviewed journal articles, two journal special editions, and 35 other publications.
Books (monographs)
Seal, M. (2022) Class, Race, Disability and Mental Health in Higher Education: Questioning the Access, Success and Progression of Disadvantaged Students, Bloomsbury Press, London & New York.
Seal, M & Smith, A. (2021) Enabling Critical Pedagogy in Higher Education, Critical Publishing, St Albans.
Seal, M. (2019) The Interruption of Heteronormativity in Higher Education: Critical Queer pedagogies. Palgrave Macmillan, London
Seal, M. (2018) Participatory Pedagogic Impact Research: Co-production with Community Partners in Action. Routledge, London and New York.
Seal, M. and Harris, P. (2016) Responding to Youth Violence through Youth Work Policy Press, Bristol
Seal, M. and Frost, S. (2014) Philosophy in Youth and Community Work Russell House Publishing, Lyme Regis.
Seal, M. (2009) Not About Us Without Us: Client Involvement in Supported Housing Russell House Publishing, Lyme Regis.
Seal, M. (2006) Working with homeless people Russell House Publishing, Lyme Regis.
Seal, M. (2005) Resettling Homeless People: Theory and Practice Russell House Publishing, Lyme Regis.
Books (Editor)
Campbell, R, Palmer, L & Seal, M (forthcoming) Voices of New Black Scholars, St Marys University Press, Twickenham.
Mihovilovic, M & Seal, M (forthcoming) New Innovations in Educational Research, St Marys University Press, Twickenham
Armstrong, T, Everitt, J & Seal, M. (forthcoming) Conceptualizing and actualizing the post 1992 Doctorate, Bloomsbury, London and New York.
Gilsenan, M. & Seal, M. (forthcoming) Community Organising in the UK, Bloomsbury, London and New York.
Gormally, S., Maguire, A & Seal, M. (2025) Higher Education: Community Connections and Collaborations, Bloomsbury, London and New York.
Cullen, F., Seal, M, & Whelan, M. (2025) Pedagogies of Discomfort- spaces for working with challenging conversations and topics, Bloomsbury, London and New York.
Seal, M. (ed) (2021) Hopeful Pedagogies in Higher Education, Bloomsbury Press, London & New York.
Seal, M. (ed) (2019) Teaching Youth Work in Higher Education: Tensions, Connections, Continuities and Contradictions Tartu University Press, Estonia.
Seal, M. (ed) (2017) Trade Union Education – Transforming the World New Internationalist, Oxford.
Seal, M. (ed) (2007) Understanding and responding to Homeless experiences, identities and cultures, Russell House Publishing, Lyme Regis.
Book chapters
Seal, M (2025) Pedagogic Comings Out: Visceral Experiences in educating Youth and Community Workers in Cullen, F., Seal, M, & Whelan, M. Pedagogies of Discomfort- spaces for working with challenging conversations and topics, Bloomsbury, London and New York.
Cullen, F., Seal, M, & Whelan, M. (2025) Introduction, the agenda for pedagogies of discomfort Cullen, F., Seal, M, & Whelan, M. Pedagogies of Discomfort, spaces for working with challenging conversations and topics, Bloomsbury, London and New York.
Cullen, F., Seal, M, & Whelan, M. (2025) Conclusion, what now for pedagogies of discomfort in Cullen, F., Seal, M, & Whelan, M. Pedagogies of Discomfort- spaces for working with challenging conversations and topics, Bloomsbury, London and New York.
Gormally, S., Maguire, A & Seal, M. (2025) Are Community Connections and Collaborations Possible in Higher Education, Introduction. in Gormally, S., Maguire, A & Seal, M. (Sept 2024) Higher Education: Community Connections and Collaborations, Bloomsbury, London and New York.
Gormally, S., Maguire, A & Seal, M. (2025) The Drivers of Higher Education regarding Community and Civic Engagement, Tensions and Possibilities, Sept in Gormally, S., Maguire, A & Seal, M. (Sept 2024) Higher Education: Community Connections and Collaborations, Bloomsbury, London and New York.
Gilsenan, M & Seal, M (2025) Re-defining University’s Civic Responsibility through Community Organizing in Gormally, S., Maguire, A & Seal, M. (Sept 2024) Higher Education: Community Connections and Collaborations, Bloomsbury, London and New York.
Gormally, S., Maguire, A & Seal, M. (2025) Conclusion, principles and practices for meaningful Community Engagement in Higher Education in in Gormally, S., Maguire, A & Seal, M. (Sept 2024) Higher Education: Community Connections and Collaborations, Bloomsbury, London and New York.
Cullen, F, Seal, M & Whelan, M (2025) ‘Walking the tightrope: exploring ‘risky’ issues and discomfort in the higher education classroom’ in Edwards-Leis, C & Price, M (eds) (2014) Pedagogy in Higher Education: A Critical Review, London, St Mary’s University Press.
Seal, M. & Harris, P. (2023) Youth Work and Gangs in Andell, P. & Pitts, J. (2023) The Palgrave Handbook of UK Gangs, London Palgrave.
Seal, M. (2021) ‘Introduction: Hopeful Pedagogies in Higher Education?’ in Seal, M. (Ed) (2021) Hopeful Pedagogies in Higher Education: Dancing in the Cracks, Bloomsbury Press, London & New York.
Seal, M. (2021) ‘Conclusion: Hopeful Pedagogies are Possible in Higher Education’ in Seal, M. (Ed) (2010) Hopeful Pedagogies in Higher Education: Dancing in the Cracks, Bloomsbury Press, London & New York.
Seal, M. (2021) ‘Key Concepts of Critical Pedagogy: How We Teach’ in Seal, M. (Ed) (2021) Hopeful Pedagogies in Higher Education: Dancing in the Cracks, Bloomsbury Press, London & New York.
Seal, M. (2021) ‘Conditions for Critical Pedagogy in Higher Education: the Literature’ in Seal, M. (Ed) (2021) Hopeful Pedagogies in Higher Education: Dancing in the Cracks, Bloomsbury Press, London & New York.
Seal, et al, (2021) ‘Foundation Years: Undoing Discourses of Deficit in Seal, M. (Ed) (2020) Hopeful Pedagogies in Higher Education: Dancing in the Cracks, Bloomsbury Press, London & New York.
Seal, M and McLoughlin, T (2021) ‘University as Community: Breaking the Circle of Certainty’ in Seal, M. (Ed) (2021) Hopeful Pedagogies in Higher Education: Dancing in the Cracks, Bloomsbury Press, London & New York.
Seal, M and Brooker, J. (2019) ‘Introduction: Tensions and Connections’ in Seal, M (Ed) (2019) Teaching Youth Work in Higher Education: Tensions, Connections, Continuities and Contradictions Tartu University Press, Estonia.
Seal, M. (2019) ‘Threshold Praxes: mapping our pedagogical terrain’ in Seal, M (Ed) (2019) Teaching Youth Work in Higher Education: Tensions, Connections, Continuities and Contradictions Tartu University Press, Estonia.
Bardy, H, Grace, P, Gilsenan, M & Seal, M. (2019) ‘How We Teach: an exploration of our pedagogical influences and approaches’ in Seal, M (Ed) (2019) Teaching Youth Work in Higher Education: Tensions, Connections, Continuities and Contradictions Tartu University Press, Estonia.
Seal, M. and Smith, A. (2019) ‘Teaching Youth Work Courses in Universities in the UK: still living with the tensions’ in Seal, M (Ed) (2019) Teaching Youth Work in Higher Education: Tensions, Connections, Continuities and Contradictions Tartu University Press, Estonia.
Seal, M. (2019) ‘Conclusion: Tension and Continuities’ in Teaching Youth Work in Seal, M (Ed) (2019) Teaching Youth Work in Higher Education: Tensions, Connections, Continuities and Contradictions Tartu University Press, Estonia.
Seal, M. (2017) ‘Key concepts in Popular Education’, in Seal, M. (Ed) (2017) Trade Union Education – Transforming the World’ New Internationalist: Oxford.
Seal, M. and Wooley, S. (2017) ‘General Federation of Trade Unions Youth Festivals: Critical Pedagogy in Action’ in Seal, M. (Ed) (2017) Trade Union Education – Transforming the World’ New Internationalist: Oxford.
Seal, M. and Frost, S. (2015) ‘Philosophy and youth and community work’ in Stanton, N. (Ed) (2015) Youth work innovations: Thinking in Practice, Jessica Kingsley: London.
Seal et al, (2014) ‘Finding a middle way between Faith and Secular Youth and Community Work Courses’ in Stanton, N & Smith, M. K. (eds) (2014), Youth Work and Faith: debates, delights and dilemmas Russell House: Lyme Regis.
Seal, M (2013) ‘Constructions of vulnerability in homelessness and housing policy’ in Brotherton & Cronin (eds) (2013) ‘Understanding Vulnerability: An Exploration of Policy and Practice’, Sage, London.
Seal, M (2007) ‘Homeless experiences and identity’ in Seal, M. (ed) (2007) Understanding and responding to Homeless experiences, identities and cultures Russell House Publishing, Lyme Regis.
Seal, M (2007) ‘Homelessness and its impact on our personal and societal identities’ in Seal, M. (ed) (2007) Understanding and responding to Homeless experiences, identities and cultures Russell House , Lyme Regis.
Seal, M. (2007) ‘Worker identities in the homeless industry’ in Seal, M. (ed) (2007) Understanding and responding to Homeless experiences, identities and cultures Russell House Publishing, Lyme Regis.
Dodson, T and Seal, M (2007) ‘Love on the streets’ in Seal, M. (ed) (2007) Understanding and responding to Homeless experiences, identities and cultures Russell House Publishing, Lyme Regis.
Seal, M (2007) ‘Lessons to be learnt and actions to be taken’ in Seal, M. (ed) (2007) Understanding and responding to Homeless experiences, identities and cultures Russell House Publishing, Lyme Regis.
Peer Reviewed Journal Articles
Baker, D, Corney, T, Downing, T, Lohmeyer, B, Seal, M & Seymour, K (2025) ‘The obligations and opportunities of ‘friendship as method’ in youth mentoring research: Investigating the intersections with youth work epistemologies, article, Journal of Applied Youth Studies.
Friis Søgaard, T, Andell, P , Coomber R , Chomczyński P, Bowden, M, Oppen Ingebrigtsen Gundhus, H Przemysław Frąckowiak, P, Szykut M,Tollin, K, Windle, J, Hansen Löfstrand , C & Seal, M (in press) Criminal exploitation and vulnerability in drug markets: A six-nation comparison of its recognition in international policy discourses and criminal justice systems, European Journal of Criminology
Aldred, P, Seal, M & Williams, S. (accepted) Teaching Youth and Community Work in Alldred, P, Seal, M & Williams, S. (eds) (2024) (Special Edition), ‘Formally Informal: Pedagogy, Community & Practice’, Youth
Gormally, S. Howard, F. & Seal, M (2024) ‘Youth Work Pracademia: Creativity, Community and Meaningful Careers’ (Special Edition), Journal of Applied Youth Studies.
Seal, M (being submitted) ‘Mitigating risks of exploitation when involving those who have experienced homeless in social enterprise trading activities: a rapid evidence assessment’, European Journal of Homelessness.
Seal, M (being submitted) ‘Representing the voice of those who have experienced multiple disadvantage in systems change: A rapid evidence assessment’. Voluntary Sector Review.
Cullen, F & Seal (accepted) ‘The future of Professional Youth and Community Work Education in Higher Education’ in Aldred, P, Seal, M & Williams, S (eds) (2024) ‘Formally Informal: Pedagogy, Community & Practice’, Youth.
Seal, M & Vainker, S. (accepted) Reflection and Evaluation on Work with CYP: Challenging the Mainstream in Aldred, P, Seal, M & Williams, S (eds) (2024) Special Edition, ‘Formally Informal: Pedagogy, Community & Practice’, Youth.
Kewley, S, Seal, M, Harris, P & Cutler, H. (2023) Preventing Harmful Sexual Behaviour: Developing a secondary prevention psychoeducational intervention for young boys using participatory research methods, Journal of School Violence.
Seal, M & Smith, A (2021) ‘The Contested Terrain of Critical Pedagogy and Teaching Informal Education in Higher Education’ in Education Science Special Issue “Educating Informal Educators” Professor.Dr. Pam Aldred and Dr Frances Howard (eds). 11(9), 476 (online)
Seal, M. (2020) ‘No homo: Reactions to the interruption of heteronormativity on a youth and community work course’, Journal of LGBT Youth, DOI: 10.1080/19361653.2020.1727394.
Seal, M & Parkes, P (2020) ‘Pedagogy as Transition: student directed tutor groups on Foundation Years.’ in Journal of the Foundation Year Network (2) p 7-20.
Seal, M (2019) ‘From critical reflective practice to the pedagogical practitioner: becoming a youth worker in late modernity’ International Journal of Open Youth Work, v3 (1) 93-110.
Parkes, S. Mathias, L. Seal, M Hall, P. and McGowan, C (2018) ‘Becoming a Newman Foundation Year Student: Conscientization to promote democratic engagement, meaningful dialogue and co-operative working’ Journal of the Foundation Year Network 1 (1) 71-86.
Seal, M and Anderson O (2017) ‘Managing hybrid agendas for youth work.’ With Osa Anderson in International Journal of Open Youth Work. 1 (1), 56-71.
Seal, M (2016) ‘Critical realisms potential contribution to critical pedagogy: human nature, agency and praxis revisited’. International Journal of Critical Realism, 15 (3) 263-276.
Seal, M (2011) ‘Rethinking Training on Health and Homelessness: Challenging Utilitarian Approaches and Re-Owning Client-Centeredness’ in Homeless in Europe Feantsha, Brussels 8 (2) p31-35.
Seal, M (2008) ‘Youth and housing: construction of a problem,’ (2008) Youth and Policy, v100 pp 45-52.
Seal, M (2007) ‘Roads from Home; European Perspectives on Leaving Home in the 20th Century’ (2007) (Book Review) Youth and Policy, National Youth Agency Issue 24 (3) 131-45.
Seal, M (2003) ‘Youth work, advice and organizational defensiveness’, Journal of school Nursing, 20 (6) 34-45.
Special Issue Editing
Gormally, S., Howard, F. & Seal, M (eds) (2024) Youth Work Pracademia: Creativity, Community and Meaningful Careers (Special Edition), Journal of Applied Youth Studies.
Alldred, P, Seal, M. & Williams, S (eds) (2025) ‘Formally Informal: Youth and Community Work Pedagogy & Practice’ (Special Edition), Youth.
Other Publications
Chivers, E & Seal, M (2025) ‘Bridging Futures: Educational Leadership in Youth Work and Schools for the Curriculum for Wales, National Academy for Educational Leadership’ (Wales)
McGlone, J, Manning, C and Seal, M (2022) Rapid Evidence Assessment Representing the Voice of those with lived experience of multiple disadvantage in systems change, Revolving Doors, London.
McGlone, J, Manning, C and Seal, M (2022) Evaluation of the National Expert Citizens Group: Representing the Voice of those lived experience of multiple disadvantage. Revolving Doors, London.
Burrows, M Helleren, S. & Seal, M. (2022) A Fair Deal: Ensuring fairness in social enterprises working with people experiencing homelessness – Research Report, Homeless Link, London.
Burrows, M Helleren, S. & Seal, M. (2022) A Fair Deal: Exploring fairness in social enterprises working with people experiencing homelessness Insights for best practice guide, Homeless Link, London.
Seal, M and Coyne, B. (2016) Running a peer research project with offenders in the community: a handbook for staff’ Revolving doors, National offender Management Service and the Ministry of justice.
Seal, M and Coyne, B. (2016) Improving your prisoner involvement systems: a handbook for staff, Revolving doors, National offender Management Service and the Ministry of justice, London.
Seal, M and Coyne, B. (2016) Service user involvement with offenders in the community: a handbook for staff’, Revolving doors, National offender Management Service and the Ministry of justice.
Seal, M and Maktuna, T. (2014) ‘The York Report: Researching the Women’s IOM team & housing services in the London Borough of Wandsworth’, Revolving Doors, London.
Seal, M. and Helleren, S. (2014) The Escape Plan: Breaking the Cycle of Street Homelessness, Groundswell, London.
Seal, M. and Coyne, B. (2013) Hertfordshire Probation Peer Research Project Report, Revolving Doors. London.
Seal, M. and Coyne, B. (2013) Bedfordshire Probation Peer Research Project Report (2013) Revolving Doors. London.
Seal, M (2009) The nature of conflict YMCA George Williams College Distance Learning Materials.
Seal, M (2009) Youth workers cultures around conflict YMCA George Williams College Distance Learning Materials.
Seal, M (2009) Entrenched conflict, YMCA George Williams College Distance Learning Materials
Seal, M (2009) Working with conflict: Macro perspectives, YMCA George Williams College Distance Learning Materials
Seal, M (2008) Conflict and Human rights, YMCA George Williams College Distance Learning Materials.
Seal, M (2009) Refugees and Human rights, YMCA George Williams College Distance Learning Materials.
Seal, M (2008) History of, and lessons learnt from, Client Involvement in the UK, FEANTHSA, Lisbon.
Seal, M (2007) Let them call me rebel: The Life and Work of Saul Alinsky www.infed.org.uk/thinkers
Seal, M (2007) Establishing needs, YMCA College, INFED1 Distance learning materials.
Seal, M (2007) Managing your work (expanding on work by Ted Milburn) YMCA College, INFED1 Distance learning materials.
Seal, M (2007) Evaluating your project, YMCA College, INFED1 Distance learning materials.
Seal, M (2007) ‘The Road to Home’ in Connect: Journal of homelessness, 27 (3) 12-15, London: Homeless Link.
Seal, M (2007) Worker Identities in the homeless sector: A study of the demographic makeup, working conditions and attitudes of workers accessing short courses, occasional paper, YMCA George Williams College, London.
Seal, M (2005) Trainers manual for User involvement in Homeless Services, Groundswell, London. Seal, M (2005) Training homeless people to become trainers Groundswell, London.
Seal, M (2005) Organisational Conflict Management: the macro, the micro, the personal and the structural Rank Foundation 2001-2005 YMCA George Williams College Occasional Paper.
Seal, M (2005)’ ‘Cathy Come Home: 10 years on’ in Connect: Journal for the homelessness sector, issue 26, Homeless Link, London.
Seal, M (2005) ‘Key working and supporting people: opportunities’ in ROCC Journal issue 23 (2)32-45
Seal, M (2005) ‘Advice and resettling homeless people’ Advisor issue 14 (2) 23-32.
Seal, M (2005) The state and education, YMCA College, ICE 308 Distance learning materials
Seal, M (2003) ‘The Professionalisation of the Homeless Service in Connect: Journal for the homelessness sector, 18, (2) 45-56 London: Homeless Link
Seal, M (2003) ‘Connexions: new service or new threat’ in Community Health Practitioner Journal 23 (1) 2-8
Seal, M (2002) ‘Youth work and homeless work: re-inventing a wheel we already have’ in Connect: Journal for the homelessness sector, issue 12 (1) 25-37, National Homeless Alliance, London
Professor.Dr Mike Seal
Professor, Researcher, Educator, Author, Youth and Community Worker and Freelancer
Where We Are
Birmingham, United Kingdon
Professor.Dr Mike Seal 