Angela Carter and her Ecofeminist Imagination in ā€œThe Tiger’s Brideā€Ā Ā 

ā€œI was a young girl, a virgin, and therefore men denied me rationality just as they denied it to all those who were not exactly like themselves, in all their unreason.ā€ (Carter 63)

Angela Carter was one of the most inventive feminist thinkers of the late twentieth century. Though she was primarily known for her fiction, her writing spanned many genres. Her most celebrated work is a book of short stories title The Bloody Chamber (1979), which is a book of feminist retellings of classic fairy and folk tales. However, it is important to note that Carter goes far beyond the standard inversion of gender norms that one might expect from such a volume. She steers clear of ā€œstrong, independent womanā€ feminism and instead ventures into much darker waters, thereby creating evocative critiques of the mythologies and knowledge systems that are foundational to Western society.

In this post, I’m going to be looking specifically at ā€œThe Tiger’s Brideā€, which is based on the classic ā€œBeauty and the Beastā€, originally penned by the eighteenth-century French novelist Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve. In this particular story, Carter is critiquing the animal/human divide that is supported by Western patriarchal idea of reason. As Val Plumwood reminds us, the backbone of Western philosophy is the all-powerful binary—male/female, human/animal, culture/nature, and so on. And within these binaries, there is always a privileged term, often that which is aligned with the ā€œrationalā€ (male, human, culture) (3). Aristotle, arguably the father of Western philosophy, defined man as ā€œrational animalā€, positioning humans above non-human animals by virtue of our powers of reason (Keil and Kreft). 

The story, told from Beauty’s point of view, begins with an arresting opening sentence: ā€œMy father lost me to The Beast at cardsā€ (51). It then chronicles Beauty’s experience with the strange beast-man, his peculiar demands of her, and his desolate estate populated only by animals and woman-shaped automatons. At first, Beauty fiercely resists the Beast, desperately trying to fit him into a human-shaped mold so that she may judge him according to the standards that she’s used to. Then, there is a turning point during a horseback ride when she recognizes their shared subjugation: 

ā€œIf I could see not one single soul in that wilderness of desolation all around me, then the six of us—mounts and riders, both—could boast amongst us not one soul, either, since all the best religions in the world state categorically that not beasts nor women were equipped with the flimsy, insubstantial things when the good Lord opened the gates of Eden and let Eve and her familiars tumble out.ā€ (Carter 63)

The narrator, or Beauty, makes the choice to remain with the Beast at the end of the story despite being free to return home to her father. However, it is not because she’s in love or otherwise coerced—it is the sense of freedom that she feels around the similarly soulless: ā€œI felt I was at liberty for the first time in my lifeā€ (Carter 64). She stays because it’s her escape from the wicked game she was born into, wherein she is only a pawn subjected to the whimsies of men. Helen Hopcroft and Caroline Webb analyse the text as such: ā€œBy foregrounding the role that rationality plays in such binaries, Carter produces a profound critique of the postagrarian culture following the Enlightenment in which men perceived women, as well as animals, as not merely objects of dominance and consumption but as objects of exchange,ā€ (315). 

When read through this lens, ā€œThe Tiger’s Brideā€ anticipates the fields of ecofeminism and animal studies. Additionally, the ideas presented in this story can be extended to any non-male, non-white ā€œOtherā€, or those who are considered to be without true rational capacities. Angela Carter was a writer with incredible range who produced endlessly rich texts, and I contend that we revisit her often as we move forward with the ever-pressing work of ecofeminist organizing. 

Michaela Ashton Hayes is a master’s student in Literature and Modernity at The University of Edinburgh. She holds two B.A.s in Philosophy and English Literature from Colorado State University and originally hails from the prairies of Kansas. She has a number of research topics at the moment, but they broadly fit under the umbrella of knowledge systems, power, and 20th century feminist fiction.Ā 

Works cited:

Carter, Angela. The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories. Vintage Classics, 1995.

Keil, Geert, and Nora Kreft. ā€œHuman Beings as Rational Animals.ā€ Aristotle’s Anthropology, Cambridge University Press, 2019, pp. 23–96.

Plumwood, Val. Feminism and the Mastery of Nature. Routledge, 1994, doi:10.4324/9780203006757.Webb, Caroline, and Helen Hopcroft. ā€œā€˜A Different Logic’: Animals, Transformation, and Rationality in Angela Carter’s ā€˜the Tiger’s Bride.ā€™ā€ Marvels & Tales, vol. 31, no. 2, 2017, p. 314, doi:10.13110/marvelstales.31.2.0314.

March 2023 Newsletter

Welcome to our March newsletter! This month we have a whole host of opportunities for gender researchers including our very own 2023 conference ā€˜Going Steady: Gender Research in Turbulent Times’, set to take place in Glasgow on March 9th.

Our conference features a keynote delivered by Professor Yvette Taylor of University of Strathclyde, as well as research presentations from wonderful postgraduate gender researchers from across Scotland (and beyond). We will also be hosting a Peer Development Workshop to explore all the highs and lows of gender research in these turbulent times, including practical tips on surviving life in academia. 

Free tickets are now available here and we would love to see you all there!

Please get in touch via email or dm through our twitter (@PGRNScotland) if you have any questions.

GENDER EVENT

** Resources, Seminars, Materials and Events **

Feminist Protest in Africa

  • University of Edinburgh, The Centre of African Studies and GENDER.ED
  • 1st March 4pm to 6pm, Chrystal Macmillan Building and online (hybrid)
  • More information.

ā€˜The Master’s Tools Will Never Dismantle the Master’s House’: Harry & Meghan, ā€˜Spare’ and Theories of Abolitionism 

  • Glasgow Zine Library Social Theory & Pop Culture with Dr Gemma Flynn
  • 8th March, 7pm to 8:30pm, online
  • More information.

ā€˜Going Steady: Gender Research in Turbulent Times’ PGRN Scotland 2023 Conference

  • University of Strathclyde, Learning and Teaching Building Level 6, Room TL603
  • 9th March, 9am to 5pm, in-person
  • More information.

BFFS: The Radical Potential of Female Friendship

The First Resort and The Naked Room: How to Be Sane in an Insane World

  • Free event
  • 22nd March @ 5:30pm, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow Heritage
  • More information.

2023 Sexuality Summer School: (Up) Against Nature

  • Open to postgraduate students involved in study of sexuality in any discipline
  • 21st to 26th May 2023, University of Manchester
  • Registration opens 3rd March
  • More information.

Celebrating Women in Legal History: The Lives and Legacies of Early Women Legal Historians

  • Selden’s Sister Symposium
  • University of Liverpool School of Law and Social Justice, 1st September 2023
  • Abstract deadline: 21st April 2023
  • More information.

CALL FOR CONTRIBUTIONS/ABSTRACTS/PAPERS/MORE

ā€˜Connections, Collisions, Collapse’ Gender, Sex & Sexualities Conference

  • University of South Australia, 15th to 16th June 2023 (online)
  • Abstract deadline: March 13th 2023
  • More information.

Society for Medieval Feminist Scholarship ā€˜Bad Feelings in the Global Middle Ages’

  • Modern Language Association conference, 4th to 7th January 2024
  • Abstract deadline: March 25th 2023
  • More information.

ā€˜Disciplined and Resistant Bodies’ Feminist Perspective

  • Open call for short research based and/or research pieces
  • Submission deadline: March 17th 2023
  • More information.

SGSAH Research Showcase 2023

  • Open to doctoral researchers in arts & humanities in Scotland
  • Application deadline: 14th March 2023
  • More information.

BPS Psychology of Women & Equalities Review Special Issue on Coercive Control

  • Particularly welcome intersectional, feminist, queer and non-carceral approaches
  • Abstract deadline: 28th July 2023
  • More information.

JOBS, AWARDS AND PHD OPPORTUNITIES

SGSSS has compiled a list of current PhD studentships available in the Social Sciences in Scotland. Further UK-wide PhD opportunities can also be found at FindAPhD.com.

Intersectionality, social inclusion and engagement in the geographies and planning of higher education learning spaces

  • Heriot-Watt University, School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society
  • Full scholarship, tuition fees plus annual stipend for 42 months
  • Application deadline: 28th February 2023
  • More information.

CALL FOR RESEARCH PARTICIPANTS

Eating difficulties and sexuality in transgender & gender non-conforming individuals

  • Participants: 16-30 years old, currently living in Uk, currently experiencing eating-related difficulties or a diagnosed eating disorder, and self-identify as transgender or gender non-conforming
  • Participation: online survey, 15-30 minutes
  • More information.

Trans Women and Gender Non-conforming people’s experiences of their sexualities

  • Participants: 18+, trans woman/femme and/or gender non-conforming (including non-binary, genderqueer, etc), living in the UK
  • Participation: individual online interview (approx 1 hour)
  • Contact transsexuality@outlook.com to express interest
  • More information.

Exploring ā€˜queer’ ways of mapping urban geographies

Trans voices: using your voice in different context, changes over time and voice training

  • Participants: 18+, trans women, trans men and anyone who identifies outside of the gender binary, Scottish (based on own assessment)
  • Participation: survey
  • Contact j.pearce.1@research.gla.ac.uk for information
  • More information.

Narratives of higher education by care experienced graduate

Get Involved and Stay in Touch with PGRNS

Best Wishes,

PGRNS Committee

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Queer(y)ing Feminist Approaches to Prison Research

Women in prison have higher rates of poor mental health, self-inflicted harm, and suicide rates than their male counterparts. Commonly cited reasons include struggling with separation from children and family, bullying, and unmet mental health and substance misuse needs. These differences are said to be influenced by women’s trauma histories. Many women prisoners have been victims of much worse crimes than the ones they have been convicted for, with more than half (53%) reporting experience of emotional, physical, or sexual abuse as a child and a staggering 57% reporting experiences of domestic violence.

The Prison Reform Trust (PRT) indicates that these figures are likely to be an underestimate due to fear of disclosure. Trauma histories often lead to what we can describe as co-morbidity of condition, suggesting a high prevalence of depression, anxiety, and substance abuse rates among prisoners. Women are far more likely to report needing help with a drug problem when entering prison and are also twice as likely as men to be identified as suffering from depression.Ā 

As a result of these differences coming to light, we have seen an increase in support for the introduction of gender-sensitive responses. Gender-sensitive approaches are built on the understanding that women are uniquely affected by victimisation and have complex social and economic histories relating to drug use, abusive relationships, and overall poor mental health. It is also assumed that women have lower levels of education and poor job skills, while often also juggling being the primary caregiver. Therefore, it is argued that women’s prisons should reflect these complex social exclusion problems and they should be characterised by their rehabilitative nature, with less focus on security and more focus on proper officer training and treatment options. 

However, Braz (2006) argues that gender-sensitive prisons are being ā€œsold to feminist, reformers and progressives as better for womenā€ (p. 88), when in fact, these approaches simply serve to expand the prison industrial complex. Furthermore, Crenshaw (2012) highlights that despite a gender responsive approach recognising gender, it does little in the way of recognising how multiple identities intersect, particularly ignoring racial and sexual identities of marginalised women. Crenshaw argues that many feminist or women-centred analyses of the prison replicate the race-neutral framing of gender. Crenshaw, in documenting the experiences of women of colour and gendered violence, emphasises thatĀ systems of race, gender, and class domination converge, as they do in the experiences of battered women of colour, intervention strategies based solely on the experiences of women who do not share the same class or race backgrounds will be limited help to women who because of race and class face different obstacles (Crenshaw, 191, p. 1246).Ā 

Feminist criminologists have gone some way in challenging the androcentrism of criminology, however, the field remains largely heteronormative with sexuality and gender binaries often taken for granted. This is of particular importance in the women’s prison estate, with an estimated 22% of this population identifying as non-heterosexual (PRT, 2021). Part of my current research builds on the nascent field of Queer Criminology and seeks to explore the relationship between space and identity in the women’s prison estate, particularly among LGBTQ+ populations. Queer criminology is both a theoretical and practical approach that aims to highlight the rejections of queer communities within criminology. While in its infancy, queer criminology strives to put LGBTQ+ populations at the centre of criminological inquiry – moving away from the ā€œadd queer and stirā€ approach. 

Kayleigh Charlton is a PhD student at the University of Bath. Her thesis explores the possibilities and limits of queer(ing) spaces through the lens of the women’s prison estate. Her broader research interests include gender and sexuality research more broadly, LGBTQ+ prisoners experiences and queer spatial geographies. You can find Kayleigh on Twitter @Charlton _k

Braz, R., 2006. Kinder, Gentler, Gender Responsive Cages: Prison Expansion is Not Prison Reform. Women, Girls & Criminal Justice.

Bromley Briefings Prison Factfile., 2021. Prison Reform Trust. Available at: https://prisonreformtrust.org.uk/publication/bromley-briefings-prison-factfile-winter-2021/ 

Crenshaw, K. 2012. From private violence to mass incarceration: thinking intersectionally about women, race, and social control. UCLA L Review.


Why focus on reducing women’s imprisonment? 2017. Prison Reform Trust.Ā  Available at: http://www.prisonreformtrust.org.uk/Portals/0/Documents/Women/whywomen.pdf

February 2023 Newsletter

A very warm welcome to our second newsletter of 2023! We are working hard to make the final preparations for our upcoming conference, Going Steady: Gender Research in Tumultuous Times. We are all so grateful for the wonderful abstracts we’ve received and can’t wait to share our exciting conference programme with you very soon! Make sure you’re following our Twitter page for the latest updates and announcements. If you have any questions regarding the upcoming conference, or if you’re interested in writing a guest blog for us, or if you have any events, calls for research participants/papers or exciting news items you’d like to share, please do get in touch at pgrnscotland@gmail.com.

GENDER EVENTS 

** Resources, Seminars, Materials and Events ** 

Reproductive Justice: A Reading List

Gender and Sexuality Studies Reading Group Launched, University of Edinburgh

  • The Gender Politics Reading Group is now the Gender and Sexuality Studies Reading Group and under the aegis of GENDER.ED. It is an interdisciplinary collective dedicated to reading and discussing gender and sexuality scholarship and comprises academic staff and PGR students across the University. All academic staff and PGR students at the University of Edinburgh are welcome. 
  • On occasion, staff and students from other institutions have joined the group. For more details, or to join our mailing list, email Dr Rebecca Hewer: rebecca.hewer@ed.ac.uk.

CALL FOR CONTRIBUTIONS/ABSTRACTS/PAPERS/MORE 

Muslim Women’s Experiences in Academia, Call for Participants

  • Dr Amena Amer is looking for Muslim women students (undergrads, postgrads + PhD) in London-based universities to take part in walking interviews.
  • The current research is part of a wider project exploring the experiences of Muslim women students and academic staff in UK universities. It is conducted by Dr Amena Amer (Faculty of Education, Health and Human Sciences, University of Greenwich). This project is funded by the British Academy/Wolfson Fellowship for Early Career Researchers.
  • Visit https://twitter.com/amena_amk/status/1618198917883269128/photo/1 for details or email Dr Amer at a.amer@gre.ac.uk.

Shipbuilding in Glasgow and Belfast post-1970, Call for Participants

  • PhD Researcher Shonagh Joice is looking to speak to women about the familial impacts of shipyard decline in Glasgow and Belfast, post-1970. Their research investigates how the event impacted women and families, and how they coped in its aftermath.

International Marxist-Feminist Conference: Body, Work & Care in Contemporary Digital Capitalism (Warsaw, Nov 2023), Call for Papers

  • You are invited to submit your presentation proposal for the 5th International Marxist Feminist Conference which will take place in November 2023 in Warsaw and will focus on feminist theoretical, political, cultural, and artistic responses to current crises.
  • Visit https://socialhistoryportal.org/news/articles/311251 for details. 
  • Deadline: 31/01/2023.

The PhD Place, ā€˜PhD Stories’, Call for Blog Submissions

  • The ethos of The PhD Place centres around developing friendship and community between researchers, encouraging discussion, and sharing ideas.
  • PhD students are invited to write about their experiences on The PhD Place ā€˜PhD Stories’ blog. This is a great opportunity to lend your voice to our mission of tackling student isolation!
  • Visit https://www.thephdplace.com/submissions.html for details. 

Back Off Scotland, Experiences with Anti-Choice Protestors, Call for Participants

  • Have you experienced anti-abortion protests when accessing healthcare or going to work in Scotland? Back Off Scotland would love to hear about your experience, whether you had an abortion, accessed a different service, or you work in a healthcare facility. Any record will of course be kept anonymous.
  • Back Off Scotland is campaigning for harassment-free buffer zones around clinics that provide abortion services in Scotland.
  • Visit https://www.backoffscotland.com or email contact@backoffscotland.com for details. 

JOBS, AWARDS AND PHD OPPORTUNITIES 

SGSSS has compiled a list of current PhD studentships available in the Social Sciences in Scotland. Further UK-wide PhD opportunities can also be found at FindAPhD.com

The Political Participation, Social Inclusion and Social Wellbeing of LGBTQ+ Persons in Sweden, Uppsala University, PhD Opportunity

  • This PhD position is linked to the Swedish Research Council’s projects concerning the political participation, social inclusion and social wellbeing of LGBTQ+ persons in Sweden. 
  • The projects, led by Michal Grahn, involve – but are not limited to – large-N analyses of population register data. The chosen doctoral student will be part of two established research environments at the Department of Government: gender & politics and political behaviour and will benefit from both the resources and networks attached to these environments.
  • Visit https://uu.varbi.com/what:job/jobID:483627/?lang=en for details.
  • Deadline: 3/02/2023.

Undergraduate Feminist Trailblazers Award, GENDER.ED, Call for Nominations

  • Co-sponsored with EUSA, this award showcases the amazing feminist work done by undergraduates at the University of Edinburgh.
  • Find out more and nominate others or yourself at https://t.co/I53a2KeGs5
  • Deadline for nominations: 15/02/2023.

Gender, Place & Culture, Call for Editors

  • Gender, Place and Culture, published by Taylor and Francis, is a well-established geography journal with an international circulation in its field. Most editors serve a three-to-five-year term, and on rotational basis, therefore Gender, Place & Culture are looking for 2-3 new editors to join our editorial team in 2023.
  • Candidates should have a broad knowledge of the field of feminist geography and of gender studies, be open to a wide range of studies submitted by scholars from all world regions, have access to e- mail and internet, and have excellent editing skills.
  • Find out more (including details on how to apply) at https://genderplaceandculture.wordpress.com/2022/11/17/gender-place-and-culture-is-seeking-new-editors/.
  • Deadline: 31/01/2023.

Get Involved and Stay in Touch with PGRNS 

  • Join the mailing list to receive our monthly newsletter direct to your inbox. 
  • Email or DM us to share an event, call for paper/participants, job/PhD opportunities, etc. 
  • Join our Facebook group
  • Submit a blog idea to feature on our blog

Best Wishes, 

PGRNS Organising Committee 

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January 2023 Newsletter

Happy new year from us at PGRN Scotland! We hope you all have a restful winter break and wish you peace and prosperity in 2023!

Last week, we announced our 2023 conference ā€˜Going Steady: Gender Research in Tumultuous Times’ set to take place in Glasgow on Monday 27th February.  The conference will take place in-person, and aims to highlight the importance of community amongst postgraduate gender researchers.

Our call for papers is now open!! We are accepting abstracts from gender researchers in all fields of study. Suggested areas may include, but are by no means limited to: 

Gender and LawGender, Science and Medicine
Gender and SociologyGender, Film and Media Studies
Gender and BusinessGender, Language and Literature
Gender and ArtGender, History and Philosophy
Gender and PoliticsGender and Music

Please submit abstracts for a 15-minute presentation and a brief biography to pgrnscotland@gmail.com by 20th January 2023. More information is available on our twitter here

We look forward to receiving your submissions, and working with our network for another year. Be sure to get in contact if you would like to share any events, calls for research participants/papers or if there is anything else you would like to see from us this year!

GENDER EVENTS

** Resources, Seminars, Materials and Events **

Gender Based Violence Research Publications in Scotland 2022

  • Resource list detailing Scottish GBV-related research articles and reports published in the past five years.
  • Prepared by the University of Glasgow Gender Based Violence Research Forum.
  • More information

CALL FOR CONTRIBUTIONS/ABSTRACTS/PAPERS/MORE

European Conference on Domestic Violence

  • Open to doctoral researchers
  • Conference: 11-13th September 2023, Reykjavik (Iceland)
  • Abstract deadline: 12th January 2023
  • More information

Interdisciplinary Workshop on Environmental Justice and Time

  • 2nd-3rd May 2023
  • University of Stirling (hybrid event)
  • Abstract deadline: 27th January 2023
  • More information

ā€˜Diversity and Difference- Studies in Subjectivity’ International Conference

  • Conference: 28-30th September 2023, Kiel University (Germany)
  • Abstract deadline: 31st January 2023
  • More information

Big Feminism: The Fiftieth Anniversary Issue of Signs

  • Journal of Women in Culture and Society
  • Submissions deadline: 1st February 2023
  • More information

Methodologies for Imagining an Alternative Politics of (Human) Rights

  • LSE Department of Gender Studies Workshop
  • Abstract deadline: 1st February 2023
  • Event: 12th June 2023
  • More information

Feminist Economics: Global Reproductive Justice and Feminist Economics

  • International Association for Feminist Economics Journal, Special Issue
  • Submission deadline: 2nd February 2023

Broadly Conceived Conference 2023: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Reproduction

  • Particularly interested in engaging with postgraduate researchers outside of London
  • Conference: 8th July 2023, Birkbeck University of London
  • Abstract deadline: 25th February 2023
  • More information

2023 Women’s History Association of Ireland Annual Conference

  • Theme: ā€˜Reform, Repeal and Repression: Irish Women and the State’
  • Conference: 26th-27th May 2023, University College Cork
  • Abstract deadline: 27th January 2023
  • More information

JOBS, AWARDS AND PHD OPPORTUNITIES

SGSSS has compiled a list of current PhD studentships available in the Social Sciences in Scotland. Further UK-wide PhD opportunities can also be found at FindAPhD.com.

PhD in Transnational Women’s Literature & Translation

  • University of York, Centre for Women’s Studies
  • Fully funded
  • Application deadline: 3rd January 2023
  • More information

Ailsa McKay Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship, Glasgow Caledonian University School of Business & Society- Law and Economics

  • WiSE Centre for Economic Justice: focuses on gender analysis of economic and public policy from a feminist economics perspective
  • Full-time, fixed term 2 years
  • Application deadline: 3rd January 2023
  • More information

Research Associate ā€˜Designing Conversational Assistants to Reduce Gender Bias

  • University of Strathclyde, School of Psychological Sciences and Health
  • Application deadline:15th January 2023
  • More information

The Sally Wainwright PhD Scholarship for the Study of Anne Lister

  • Centre for Eighteenth Century Studies, University of York
  • Application deadline: 18th January 2023
  • More information

Archives Volunteer Role Glasgow Women’s Library

  • Open to people with experience of working in archives or working towards a career in archives, should be available for a minimum of 4 hours per week.
  • Travel expenses of up to Ā£5.50 per day included.
  • More information

CALL FOR RESEARCH PARTICIPANTS

Potential legal responses to gender-based public harassment in Scotland

  • PhD research, Glasgow Caledonian University
  • Participant requirements: 18-30 years old, lives in Scotland, have experienced harassment in public and believe it was, at least partially, based on your actual or perceived gender identity 
  • Participation: 1-1 interview with the researcher, Lucy. Interviews planned to last 1-1.5 hours. Following interview, you will be offered the opportunity to be part of the analysis process (option)
  • More information

Get Involved and Stay in Touch with PGRNS

Best Wishes,

PGRNS Organising Committee

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Celebrating the Imposter in the Postgraduate Research Community

I recently attended a workshop titled ā€˜Imposter Syndrome or Imposing Structures? Fitting In and Out of Universities’ by Professor Yvette Taylor. The workshop asked PGR attendees to think widely about imposterism, their own imposter feelings, and the role ā€˜imposters’ may play in higher education.

This workshop caught my attention due to my own feelings of inadequacy and imposterism within the PGR community. Being a disabled (dyslexic and Autistic) gay man, I’ve always felt education (be it primary, secondary, further, or higher education) is a place that is not for me. It is superior than me. A place I cannot enter. Much of these feelings never showed throughout my educational journey. This changed when I reached university. Instead of teachers, I was now surrounded by people who had Dr or Prof in their name. Was I, little dyslexic-Autistic Jack, supposed to be here? Secondary school teachers repeatedly told me higher education was not possible for someone like me. Maybe I should be in a call centre job (which is what I’ve been told disable people do). Despite this, I continued through undergrad and Masters with minimal worries. However, imposter feelings began rising when I considered pursuing a PhD. Was this the right path? Were disabled people ā€˜allowed’ to pursue a PhD? Will my disabilities hinder my success and PhD completion? Imposter feelings continued throughout the PhD proposal stage, and have followed me into my PhD. I hoped this workshop would allow me to embrace these feelings.

Of the different activities during the workshop, one grabbed my attention: picking an animal that describes us. On the face of it, this may be rather simplistic. Yet when given time to reflect back, I feel I learned a lot about myself, others, and the university environment as facilitating or diminishing imposterism. My choice of animal – a penguin. My rationale – I plod along, and if I fall into the water then (hopefully) I swim. Other choices by attendees were dogs, cats, and bears. When I heard these animals, mine felt widely different. Had I done this activity wrong? ā€˜Gosh, you’re at an imposter workshop and just shown everyone that you don’t understand a basic exercise!’ However, upon sitting with my choice I realised that this activity was to show that we are all different animals, from different animal families, and from different animal hierarchies. There was no right answer at all. In fact, all animals were welcomed into the workshop space. There were no restrictions on what we could choose. This calmed my nerves. Next, we were to pondering where might our animal ā€˜fit’ into the university space? Does the penguin even fit to begin with? If so, then why is the penguin allowed in? If not, why not? I don’t necessarily have answers to these, but rather have thoughts. I find myself constantly returning to this activity and to my animal specifically. As a new first year PhD student, there are days where I feel I am plodding along just fine. However, there are those days I feel I’ve fallen into the water, questioning if I’m right for a PhD, and desperately trying to catch my breath.

I realise now the workshop allowed for a gathering of people who similarly experience those questionable feelings associated with imposterism. Seeing such a gathering gave me comfort knowing that while we all may be different animals, we all meet and support one another in university. A place that both can allow for, and the breakdown of, imposterism. However, breakdown can only come if we accept those imposter feelings, and accept other animals into the space. I thank Prof Yvette Taylor for creating not only a workshop around imposterism, but creating an open and accepting space for all imposters. A space that celebrated the imposter, alongside the uncomfortable and even the strange. Having some time away and reflecting on this event as a whole, I feel the term ā€˜Imposter Syndrome’ to be inadequate. I am not ill; I am a learner.

Jack McKinlay is a first year PhD student from the University of Strathclyde School of Education. His PhD is focusing on disabled-queer student experience of higher education. You can find Jack on Twitter @_jackmckinlay_ 

December 2022 Newsletter

Hello and welcome to our final newsletter of 2022. We’d like to wish the very best of luck to everyone who has approaching deadlines or exams: nearly time for an end of year break! But before we split up for the holidays, we have a few more exciting announcements and opportunities to share with you.

First and foremost, we can finally share details of our brilliant new committee members! See below for an opening round of introductions and look out for more detailed blog posts from each of our new members coming soon.

Alisha Palmer is a doctoral researcher at the University of Edinburgh in the department of Literatures, Languages, and Cultures. Her current research is investigating the politics and aesthetics of abortion representation in early twentieth century literature and culture. Her research explores the tensions between progressive abortion politics and its own history by exploring the discursive histories of abortion politics and representation. In doing so, she hopes to contribute the neglected radical histories of abortion to present conversations. After completing an MA in English Studies: Criticism and Theory at the University of Exeter where she wrote her dissertation on abortion, failure, and modernist aesthetics, she has been inspired to continue researching at the intersection of history, politics, literary studies, and critical theory. Her other research interests include cultural and theoretical engagements with the body, sexuality, nature, and posthuman subjectivities. 

Atim Ubong Utuk is a minister of The Presbyterian Church of Nigeria (PCN), through which she was ordained on 11 December 2016, having been licensed a minister on 22 July 2012.She is currently a student at the School of Divinity, University of Edinburgh where she is studying for an MSc in World Christianity. Her Research interest is in Gender Justice and mainstreaming, and deconstructing feminism. Atim thinks that there’s something Beyond feminism. Atim is the World Christianity programme Postgraduate Taught representative in School of Divinity and School of Divinity’s Representative in the Student Council of the University of Edinburgh. She is an active participant in the weekly worship at New College and have officiated in the college’s weekly Holy Communion. Until leaving Nigeria in September 2022, Atim was an Associate minister in PCN Uyo Cathedral, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria and also served as a chaplain for Uyo Presbytery and the Presbyterian International Nursery and Primary Schools (PINS), Uyo. In addition, she was the coordinator of the Women’s Guild in Akwa Synod and general secretary, Akwa Synod Female Ministers’ Network. Atim distinguished herself creditably from Essien Ukpabio Presbyterian Theological College, Itu, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria, where she obtained her Bachelor of Divinity and at Akwa Ibom State College of Education, Afaha Nsit, Nigeria where she studied for National Certificate in Education (NCE), Mathematics/Computer Science. Atim is a gifted minister with excellent intergenerational and intercultural communication skills, she has a gentle spirit and has the capacity to shape leadership effectively.

Charley Rose Lloyd-Jones (she/they) is a PhD student at the University of Aberdeen. Their research takes a unique interdisciplinary approach to menstrual health, from contemporary medical concepts to historical and literary perspectives. She has an undergraduate degree in English Literature and History – which is where her interests in gender and health began – and an MSc in Global Health Policy, both from the University of Edinburgh. When not reading or writing, Charley enjoys travelling around Scotland, moshing at punk gigs, and finding hidden gems in charity shops.  

Clare Binning (she/her) is a PhD candidate at the University of Strathclyde working on character resonance within virtual involuntary celibate networks. She recently graduated with an MRes English (with Gender Studies) and her research interests include literary and screen media’s role within both the manosphere and the alt-right radicalisation process. When not trawling the Deep Web for data, she enjoys watching ASMR and Revenge of the Sith. Twitter: @ciarebinning.

Ella Phillips is currently undertaking a SGSAH funded PhD supported by Jane Scoular the University of Strathclyde law school and co-supervised by Kirstie Blair at the University of Stirling. Her research explores how ā€˜fallen’ women were identified, categorised, and ā€˜reformed’ in mid-to-late 19thc legal and literary spaces. Ella is currently undertaking an internship with the Scottish Government, supporting the research and evaluation of a Minimum Income Guarantee. Outside of this, Ella enjoys teaching and practicing yoga, listening to folk music, wild swimming, and exploring nature. She is also a proud dog mum to an energetic but very cuddly black Labrador called Dennis. 

Ellie Hunter is a Masters student at the University of Strathclyde studying Applied Gender Studies. She done my undergrad in History and Politics, with a dissertation focusing on the diagnosis of hysteria in the 19th century and the growing assumption amongst doctors that this was an illness faked by women. Ellie could see parallels between the treatment of women in the 19th century and women today who suffer with endometriosis, whose pain often goes unacknowledged or is minimised by medical professionals. The medical treatment of women is where her main research interests lie particularly issues with menstruation and the pill, generally the struggle women faced to be believed by doctors and why this is the case. Outside of studying, Ellie enjoys walking her 4 year old cockapoo Angus and in her spare time reads books not related to research and gets annoyed at the state of UK politics.

Finn Manders is an MPhil History student at the University of Glasgow, working on early modern Scottish recipe books. She is particularly interested in embodiment, ā€˜the everyday’ and time – and thinking about gender in relation to each of these. Having worked in Widening Participation for two years after graduating from her Undergraduate degree, Finn continues to be involved in projects tackling educational inequality and access to Higher Education. In her spare time, she runs, attempts to not get injured on the shinty pitch, and enjoys playing fiddle at trad music sessions!

Lucy Mackay is a 2nd year PhD student at Glasgow Caledonian University. After completing her undergraduate in Law at GCU, Lucy continued in the department on a social justice based studentship, beginning a PhD in October 2022. Following from her undergraduate dissertation looking at gender and hate crime in Scotland, her research now focuses on potential legal responses to gender-based public harassment in Scotland. Outside of research, Lucy enjoys spending her free time cooking, wandering around Glasgow and escaping to the countryside to spend time with her family.

Thanks again to all that applied, we were thrilled to have so many fascinating researchers interested in working with us!

We’d also like to share that the planning for our fifth annual conference is now officially underway. We’re still working out all the kinks but keep your eyes peeled for the release of our Call for Papers before the end of the year. The conference will take place early next year, and we very much look forward to welcoming postgraduate students researching gender in all fields, across any discipline.

GENDER EVENTS 

** Resources, Seminars, Materials and Events ** 

Centre for the Study of Women and Gender (Warwick), Graduate Seminar Series 2022/23

  • The CSWG Graduate Seminar Series welcomes graduate research students from across the UK and beyond to share their work on gender, sexuality and feminism, in a supportive and friendly interdisciplinary environment. The seminars are free to attend and open to students at all stages of study, staff and the general public.
  • The seminars are free to attend and open to students at all stages of study, staff and the general public.
  • First event: 1st December, 2022.
  • Find out more and register for tickets here.

The Naomi Mitchison Memorial Lecture: ā€œThings that are so…things that are not so.ā€ Presented by Professor Louise Welsh

  • The Naomi Mitchison Memorial Lecture is hosted annually by Scottish PEN and the Edwin Morgan Centre for Creative Writing at the University of Glasgow. This year’s lecture, Things that are so…things that are not so – Fiction and lies in a fragmented world, will be presented by Louise Welsh, Professor of Creative Writing at The University of Glasgow.
  • This event will be both in-person at the University of Glasgow and online via Zoom.
  • 1st December, 2022.
  • Register for free here.

Women and the Media in Jordan: Gender, Power, Resistance, Dr Ebtihal Mahadeen (IMES), Book Launch

  • GenderED and Islamic and Middle eastern Studies invite you to a book launch and discussion of ā€œWomen and the Media in Jordan: Gender, Power, Resistanceā€ by Dr. Ebtihal Mahadeen (IMES).
  • The book provides a feminist, critical study of how gender power relations are played out through and across multiple mediated arenas in the contemporary Middle East, with Jordan as its case study. It examines the dynamic relationship between women and the media as it manifests at three key levels: labour, representation, and activism.
  • 29th November, 2022.
  • Register for free here.  

From Greenham to Faslane – Craftivism and Memory Share Session, Glasgow Women’s Library

  • As we approach the 40th anniversary of Embrace the Base, the iconic action that brought Greenham Common Women’s Peace Camp to international notoriety, Glasgow Women’s Library are excited to host social archivers Greenham Women Everywhere and activists from Faslane Peace Camp in a day of banner making, information sharing, memory recording and song!
  • This event will be both in-person at the University of Glasgow and online via Zoom.
  • 26th November, 2022.
  • Register for free here.

CALL FOR CONTRIBUTIONS/ABSTRACTS/PAPERS/MORE 

Big Feminism: The Fiftieth Anniversary Issue of Signs, Call for Papers

  • Signs was founded in 1975 as part of an emergent tradition of feminist scholarship and has been publishing continuously ever since, establishing itself as a preeminent journal in women’s, gender, and sexuality studies
  • To honour half a century of publication, our fiftieth anniversary issue aims to generate new questions and critical discussion about ā€œBig Feminismā€ – about the role and power of feminist theory – today and into the future.
  • Deadline for submissions: 1st February, 2023.
  • Find out more here.

Scottish Universities Press, Open for Monograph Submissions

  • The Scottish Universities Press aims to provide a clear and cost-effective route for researchers to make their work freely available to a global audience, meeting the requirements of funders and realising the ambition to extend the impact of research across society. 
  • Scottish Universities Press (SUP) welcomes proposals for monographs in any subject by academics at Scottish HEIs and the Open University. Before submitting your proposal you may wish to view the About section and the FAQs to learn more about SUP.
  • More information, including submission timeline, here.

JOBS, AWARDS AND PHD OPPORTUNITIES 

SGSSS has compiled a list of current PhD studentships available in the Social Sciences in Scotland. Further UK-wide PhD opportunities can also be found at FindAPhD.com

Feminism Between the Waves: A Political and Cultural History of the Six Point Group, PhD Opportunity

  • The Six Point Group, Britain’s leading gender equality organisation between the two world wars, was closely associated with Time and Tide which regularly promoted its activities and campaigns. The doctoral student appointed to this project will reconstruct the history of the Six Point Group from its archive at the Women’s Library (TWL@LSE) alongside periodicals including Time and Tide and enrich our understanding of feminist campaigning between feminism’s so-called ā€˜first’ and ā€˜second’ waves.
  • ā€˜Feminism Between the Waves: A Political and Cultural History of the Six Point Group’ was devised by Catherine Clay (Nottingham Trent University) and Gillian Murphy (The Women’s Library at London School of Economics) and is a Collaborative Doctoral Award funded by the AHRC’s Midlands4Cities Doctoral Training Partnership.
  • For full details including information on how to apply, please visit the M4C website which can be found here.

A LGBTQIA+, Black and Marginalised History of the British Psychological Society, 1892-2022, PhD Opportunity

  • The British Psychological Society (88,000 members) is the voice of UK psychology. Its internationally significant archive collection (founded in 1891-2) contains numerous neglected hidden histories of LGBTQIA+, Black and marginalised people. A ground-breaking research partnership with the University of Leicester, rediscovers filed and forgotten histories, closed for over a century.
  • Lead HEI Supervisor: Professor Elizabeth T. Hurren, Chair in Modern History, School of History, International Relations and Politics, University of Leicester.
  • For full details including information on how to apply, please visit the M4C website which can be found here.

The National Library of Scotland, Call for Three New Board Members

  • The National Library is the largest library in Scotland, one of the pre-eminent research libraries in Europe and the major centre for the study of Scottish literature and culture. In recent years it has developed a reputation for highly innovative approaches to widening access to its collections and expanding engagement with the many diverse communities in Scotland.
  • The Library seeks Board members who reflect the many and diverse communities in Scotland and who can bring their lived experience, as well as their skills and knowledge to the Board.
  • Application deadline: 25th November, 2022.
  • Find out more, including details on how to apply here.

GenderED Communications and Events Intern (Undergraduate)

  • The central role of the internship is to communicate and promote the diverse research, teaching, and knowledge exchange work on gender and sexualities at the University of Edinburgh. You will ā€˜bring to life’ the rich resources contained within our on-line directories and produce interesting and accessible outputs; help us to collate a forthcoming book based on the Dangerous Women Project; engage with staff, students and alumni; and contribute to the development of this exciting interdisciplinary initiative.
  • Application deadline: 22nd November, 2022.
  • Find out more, including details on how to apply here.

Part Time Researcher (4 months), Glasgow Caledonian University

  • GCU is seeking a researcher for 4 months, 2 days per week, as part of a British Academy/Leverhulme funded research project on women, class, and sexual violence. The postholder can start early January, or earlier if you are available.
  • Further details on position available here.  
  • To discuss or apply for the position, contact Dr Karen Lorimer at karen.lorimer@gcu.ac.uk.

Get Involved and Stay in Touch with PGRNS 

  • Follow us on Twitter and Instagram!  
  • Join the mailing list to receive our monthly newsletter direct to your inbox. 
  • Email or DM us to share an event, call for paper/participants, job/PhD opportunities, etc. 
  • Join our Facebook group
  • Submit a blog idea to feature on our blog

Best Wishes, 

PGRNS Organising Committee 

If you no longer wish to receive updates from PGRNS, unsubscribe here

November 2022 Newsletter

Welcome to our November newsletter! We are starting to feel the pressure as we approach deadlines before December, but we’ve still got many events and opportunities available for you listed below. 

We are delighted to announce that new committee members will be joining us very soon and that they have already been contacted. Thank you to everyone that applied to our call, we were pleased to receive a lot of great applications. Their individual descriptions and research interests will soon be published on WordPress throughout the coming weeks! 

CALL FOR CONTRIBUTIONS/ABSTRACTS/PAPERS/MORE 

Writing Global History: Perspectives from the Global South 

Women in World-Literature: A Reader 

Women and Gardens Conference 

 ā€˜The Women, Peace and Security Agenda: History, Politics, and Practice’ 

Recovering Imaginaries of Illness and Disability in Scottish Literature and Culture: Sources, Contexts, Theory 

JOBS, AWARDS AND PHD OPPORTUNITIES 

SGSSS has compiled a list of current PhD studentships available in the Social Sciences in Scotland. Further UK-wide PhD opportunities can also be found at FindAPhD.com

Women’s Fund for Scotland 

  • The grant programme will offer unrestricted grants to sustain existing work with women and girls or to support new work in line with investment themes and priorities 
  • Application deadline: 29th November 
  • More information 

Gender and Sexuality in Poland: Feminist Queer Approaches PhD Project 

  • Funded PhD at Edinburgh Napier University 
  • Supervised by Dr Roberto Kulpa 
  • Application deadline: 29th November  
  • More information 

Women’s Studies Group 1558-1837 Bursary 

  • Ā£750 research Bursary open for PhD students 
  • Application deadline: 30th November 
  • More information 

Postdoc in Social Studies of Science and Technology with specialisation in Gender and Medical Technologies 

  • Chalmers University of Technology Gothenburg 
  • Application deadline: 1st December 
  • More information 

GENDER.ED Postdoctoral Fellowship 

  • The Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities, University of Edinburgh 
  • Application deadline: 28th April 2023 
  • More information 

Young Women Lead Highland 

  • Leadership programme open for self-identifying young women and non-binary people aged 16-30 who live in the Highland Council Area 
  • Programme of meetings from November 2022 to June 2023 
  • More information 

CALLS FOR RESEARCH PARTICIPANTS 

Were you employed in Scotland between the 1960s-1980s and ā€˜on the pill’? 

  • University of Strathclyde (Undergraduate) 
  • Participants: Women who were in employment between 1960 and 1990 and were taking an oral contraceptive pill 
  • Participation: Interview about female attitudes to using the contraceptive pill, entering the workforce, workplace friendships, relationships and communication.
  • Contact emma.mcilwraith.2017@uni.strath.ac.uk 
  • More information 

Women living in rural/remote Scotland who have experienced domestic abuse and/or sexual violence 

  • University of Glasgow (PhD) 
  • Participants: Live in a rural/remote area in Scotland, self-identify as a woman (of all identities), has experienced domestic abuse and/or sexual violence 
  • Participation: Share your story, views and experiences via an interview over the phone or via Zoom 
  • Contact u.baturoglu-balci.1@research.gla.ac.uk 
  • More information 

Get Involved and Stay in Touch with PGRNS 

  • Follow us on Twitter and Instagram!  
  • Join the mailing list to receive our monthly newsletter direct to your inbox. 
  • Email or DM us to share an event, call for paper/participants, job/PhD opportunities, etc. 
  • Join our Facebook group
  • Submit a blog idea to feature on our blog

Best Wishes, 

PGRNS Organising Committee 

If you no longer wish to receive updates from PGRNS, unsubscribe here

October 2022 Newsletter

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Welcome to our October newsletter. After a short break at the beginning of the new academic year, we are back with a whole host of events and opportunities for you!

This month we are excited to announce that we are looking for new Committee members! If you a researcher in any field with an interest in gender, we would love to hear from you! Maybe you just started a Master’s and you want to get more involved in the academic community, or you are a PhD student looking for support from likeminded people- this could be the role for you!

Being a committee member involves social media management, contributing to our monthly newsletter, organising blog posts, and helping us organise our upcoming conference! It’s an excellent opportunity to gain new experience and share your skills and interests with others.

We would like to emphasise that you do not need previous experience of these tasks and we are looking for researchers at all postgraduate stages.

Please express your interest by emailing us at pgrnscot@gmail.com by 21st October 2022 with:

  • Your name
  • Your institution
  • Discipline/area of research
  • A few lines about why you would like to join the committee and what you would bring to the role.

GENDER EVENTS

** Resources, Seminars, Materials and Events **

The Queer Politics of Postcoloniality @ University of Edinburgh

  • genderED, Centre of African Studies, Centre for South Asian Studies
  • 5th October, 4pm at 50 George Square, Room G06 (in-person)
  • More information

Has Brexit had an impact on Women in Scotland?

  • Scottish Women’s Convention Hybrid Conference
  • 8th October, 10:30am-12:30pm, Glasgow Grosvenor Hotel
  • More information

Ada Lovelace Day 2022 @ University of Edinburgh

  • Celebration of the achievements of women in STEM
  • 11th October, 11am- 5pm at University of Edinburgh Main Library
  • More information

Dr Maria Tomlinson, ā€˜The influence of Social Norms and the Media on Young People’s Perceptions of Endometriosis’

  • Strathclyde Feminist Research Network
  • Free online seminar
  • 12th October, 4pm
  • More information

Women’s History Network Black History Month Seminar

Hybrid workshop: Equality and Democracy in Europe: Gendering the Conference on the Future of Europe

Queer Heritage & Collections Network Symposium 2022 

CALL FOR CONTRIBUTIONS/ABSTRACTS/PAPERS/MORE

Centre for the Study of Women & Gender Graduate Seminar Series 2022/2023

  • Online presentations throughout academic year 2022/2023
  • Open to PG students working in gender and women’s studies or any related field
  • For queries: cswgseminarseries@gmail.com
  • Abstract deadline: 1st October 2022
  • More information

Women in World-Literature: A Reader

Emotionally Demanding History Group Edinburgh: Call for blogs

  • Open to researchers working on a violent/traumatic topic
  • Short reflective pieces 750-100 words
  • Email edhg@ed.ac.uk
  • More information

YWCA Scotland Black History Month 2022: Call for blogs

  • Paid opportunity for Black women and non-binary people based in/or from Scotland
  • Closing date for pitches: 6th October, 12pm
  • Email pitches to blog@ywcascotland.org
  • More information

JOBS, AWARDS AND PHD OPPORTUNITIES

SGSSS has compiled a list of current PhD studentships available in the Social Sciences in Scotland. Further UK-wide PhD opportunities can also be found at FindAPhD.com.

GENDER.ED Postdoctoral Fellowship

  • The Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities, University of Edinburgh
  • Application deadline: 28th April 2023
  • More information

Revealing Abledment: Ableism and the Body Politic

  • Self-funded PhD at University of Dundee
  • Application deadline: 31st October 
  • For enquiries contact f.k.campbell@dundee.ac.uk
  • More information

Gender and Sexuality in Poland: Feminist Queer Approaches PhD Project

  • Funded PhD at Edinburgh Napier University
  • Supervised by Dr Roberto Kulpa
  • Application deadline: 29th November 
  • More information

Women’s Studies Group 1558-1837 Bursary

  • Ā£750 research Bursary open for PhD students
  • Application deadline: 30th November
  • More information

Postdoc in Social Studies of Science and Technology with specialisation in Gender and Medical Technologies

  • Chalmers University of Technology Gothenburg
  • Application deadline: 1st December
  • More information

Young Women Lead Highland

  • Leadership programme open for self-identifying young women and non-binary people aged 16-30 who live in the Highland Council Area
  • Programme of meetings from November 2022 to June 2023
  • More information

Get Involved and Stay in Touch with PGRNS

Best Wishes,

PGRNS Organising Committee

If you no longer wish to receive updates from PGRNS, unsubscribe here.