Gender
Gender and the Social Sciences at Newcastle University

The Institute for Social Science are working across all university faculties to support the work of our researchers through showcasing strength, developing networks and nurturing future collaboration.
The Institute launched its gender focus with a showcase and networking event, Gender Agenda@Newcastle, on January 21st 2020 in collaboration with Professor Peter Hopkins, Dean of Social Justice. You can read more about the talks and speakers below. These demonstrate the diversity and excellence in gender research at Newcastle University.
Gender Studies: Reframing for a new context - Diane Richardson, Geography, Politics and Sociology
Gender Studies: Reframing for a new context - Diane Richardson, Geography, Politics and SociologyDiane Richardson spoke about the evolution of gender research at Newcastle University which started as the Centre for Gender and Women’s Studies (CGWS) back in 1996. The CGWS promoted collaborative interdisciplinary projects across a wide range of Schools and departments. It ran research projects and taught programmes including an ESRC recognised MA in Gender Studies as well as MLitt, MPhil and PHD programmes. Reflecting various shifts in ‘gender mainstreaming’ and the changes we have seen institutionally in the provision of higher education lack of dedicated CGWS staff and investment put the sustainability of the Centre in question. It subsequently evolved into what is now the Faculty Gender Research Group. This trajectory highlights the longstanding vibrancy of gender research and feminist scholarship at Newcastle. The importance of this history and of the current vibrancy in teaching and research is all the more significant in these times when gender studies is under attack in universities in other parts of the world.
Newcastle's Gender Research Group
Newcastle's Gender Research GroupStacy Gillis highlighted the work of the Gender Research Group (https://research.ncl.ac.uk/grg/) which brings together a large number of scholars, primarily, but not exclusively, from within the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, including Arts, Law, Culture and Music, Education, English, Geography, History, Modern Languages, Politics, Sociology.
Gender and Social Justice
Gender and Social JusticePeter Hopkins, Dean of Social Justice, spoke about the importance of our understanding of the diverse forms of gender inequalities and sexual equality as a University and how we might share and promote social justice.
Gender research and EDI at Newcastle University
Gender research and EDI at Newcastle University
Kate Chedgzoy, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, spoke about her role as Director in the HaSS Faculty, and outlined the kind of activities she has undertaken in this role and the influence she has been able to have.
Doing gender as cross-cultural work - Karen Ross, Arts and Cultures
Doing gender as cross-cultural work - Karen Ross, Arts and CulturesKaren spoke about Advancing Gender Equality in Media Industries (AGEMI), a web-based, research-driven and globally-focused resource which comprises curated and created materials: the primary impacts are on: understanding, learning and participation (amongst students, civil society and media professionals); and influencing media professionals (journalists). AGEMI resources have been used in university and non-university education and training contexts with young people and media professionals in a range of workshops and courses across several continents, generating positive and transformative feedback. It is listed as a good practice resource in publications aimed at educators, and on the websites of European and global NGOs and media unions as well as the UK Association of Journalism Education.
Women and politics - Maarja Luhiste, Geography, Politics and Sociology
Women and politics - Maarja Luhiste, Geography, Politics and SociologyMaarja presented on her work on gender and female representation in the context of European Parliament elections. She is particularly interested in how different institutions - such as political parties, media (both traditional and new media), and electoral rules - either facilitate or hinder women’s representation across contexts and how citizens respond to that.
Women in Agriculture in the Scottish Islands - Hannah Budge, Natural and Environmental Sciences
Women in Agriculture in the Scottish Islands - Hannah Budge, Natural and Environmental SciencesHannah spoke about conducting PhD research as a woman, with women, in a male dominated industry. Hannah Budge is an ESRC funded PhD researcher at the Centre of Rural Economy. Her research is examining the role of women in agriculture in the Scottish Islands, looking at the barriers, in what was traditionally viewed as a masculine industry, experienced between and within these communities. Hannah is interested in how gender impacts on everyday life in rural areas.
Emerging frontiers in feminist methods - Natasha Mauthner, Newcastle University Business School
Emerging frontiers in feminist methods - Natasha Mauthner, Newcastle University Business SchoolThis talk explored how the emergence over the past two decades of theoretical developments associated with a cross-disciplinary ‘material turn’ are giving rise to new frontiers for feminist methods, albeit ones that are indebted to and echo long-standing feminist concerns. Specifically, feminist new materialist philosophies of science are opening up alternative ways of understanding the nature and role of research methods in the production of knowledge. These developments are also making possible innovative ways practising feminist methods drawing on a “diffractive” methodology as a replacement for reflexivity, which involves research (rather than simply researchers) holding itself ethically and politically accountable for its ontological consequences.
Leading change: Mentoring and women's activism in a male dominated industry Ana Lopes, Newcastle University Business School
Leading change: Mentoring and women's activism in a male dominated industry Ana Lopes, Newcastle University Business SchoolAna’s research focusses mostly on gender equality in employment and on precarious work. Ana presented her work on the Alta project, a mentoring scheme for women in aviation and aerospace, which is based upon a knowledge exchange partnership between academics and industry partners, and co-funded by the Economic and Social Research Council. The mentoring scheme is based on rigorous research and offers career and social support to women who often feel isolated, un-heard and under-represented in this male-dominated industry. The findings of the research that underpin the scheme have influenced policy, practice, and diversity strategies in the aviation industry.
Alta is a mentoring scheme for women in aviation and aerospace, which is based upon a knowledge exchange partnership between academics, the Royal Aeronautical Society, Airbus and the Royal Air Force and co-funded by the Economic and Social Research Council. Alta is open to any woman professional in the industry. The scheme is based on rigorous research and offer career and social support to women who often feel isolated, un-heard and under-represented in this male-dominated industry. The findings of the research that underpin the scheme have influenced policy, practice, and diversity strategies in the industry.
Beginning to think about gender and menstruation - Lottie Rhodes, Geography, Politics and Sociology
Beginning to think about gender and menstruation - Lottie Rhodes, Geography, Politics and SociologyLottie spoke about everyday lived experiences of young women negotiating the socio-political site of the school and their everyday lives in the context of period poverty. Lottie’s PhD research aims to explore everyday experiences of ‘period poverty’ in Newcastle upon Tyne. She works across disciplines – mainly human geography, sociology and touching on psychology – to explore the sociospatial, cultural and socioeconomic aspects and experiences of being unable to afford or access period products to manage menstruation. Set within feminist theory, Lottie use individual interviews and journaling exercises to hear about intimate experience and gather highly informative rich data about ‘period poverty’ in everyday life. Through her research she seeks to map structural intersections of how menstruation is gendered, how ‘period poverty’ is classed and how menstruation taboo impacts upon the daily negotiation and personal everyday experiences of managing a period in times of difficulty.
Dads, lads and loneliness - Michael Richardson, Geography, Politics and Sociology
Dads, lads and loneliness - Michael Richardson, Geography, Politics and SociologyIn 2019, Michael brought together 10 young men from the North East Young Dads and Lads (NEYDL) project with Seven Stories: The National Centre for Children’s Books. This collaboration saw young men explore different ways of reading to their children – as well as an exploration of the role reading may (or may not) have played in their lives. The project highlighted the value of reading for child development, as well as for the career prospects of the young men themselves, although found that many young fathers struggle with reading, especially out loud. In working creatively, this literacy project encouraged 10 young men to gain confidence and skills and overall helped to create positive reading environments with their children. More recently, Michael worked with Dr Kate Court, a research software engineer to co-create a storytelling app with some of the young men at NEYDL. The application includes an interactive ‘treasure map’ showing current location, a route to follow, and ‘storytelling points’. At each storytelling point, the user is prompted to explore the local landscape and view 3D Augmented Reality (AR) models with their phone cameras. The value of this research is that the digital app technology will help young fathers to be involved in their children’s lives in a way that is more appropriate to their lives and fulfil their expressed desire to be there for them.
Researching dads - Tim Cox, Education, Communication and Language Science
Researching dads - Tim Cox, Education, Communication and Language ScienceTim's thesis explored fathers' perception of their role in their children's development through a systematic literature review of fathers' perception of their role including papers from the USA, South America, Japan and Botswana. He also carried out a qualitative exploration of the perception of 25 fathers in the North East of England in their children's development. The research explored these fathers’ perception of their role, in relation to their past, their current parenting context and the goals they have for their children. Findings suggest that fathers develop an understanding of their role by how it is modelled to them, by their own father and other parenting role models. Fathers from the North East perceive their role as an integrated synthesis of roles, which includes providence, nurturing, protection and being a moral guide. The participants ranked their children’s emotional, relational and physical needs as the biggest influence on their performance of their role. Cultural and gender expectations were ranked as the least influential factors. Common themes of fathers’ goals included the development of wellbeing, morality and agency for their children. Finally, the implications of this research in applied psychological practice and research are explored.
Children’s out of school lives – Liz Todd, Education, Communication and Language Sciences and Director of Newcastle University Institute for Social Science
Children’s out of school lives – Liz Todd, Education, Communication and Language Sciences and Director of Newcastle University Institute for Social ScienceA theme of the conference was that gender is a key issue in every aspect of our lives. Prof Liz Todd described her Nuffield funded research into children’s out of school lives that carried out multiple interviews in 10 schools and looked at how the activities of 19,000 children aged 7-11y that are in the Millennium Cohort Study. Gender wasn’t one of the research questions but the findings showed the multiple gendered ways that children live their lives.
Richard Collier – Newcastle Law School
Richard Collier – Newcastle Law SchoolRichard spoke about his work in the field of law and gender, with a focus on issues around men and masculinities. His work encompasses primarily (although not exclusively) the fields of law, families and social change, gender and the legal profession and gender and crime/criminology.
Nowhere to Go - Improving the accessibility of public and customer toilets - Libby Morrison and Mary Hull, Geography, Politics and Sociology
Nowhere to Go - Improving the accessibility of public and customer toilets - Libby Morrison and Mary Hull, Geography, Politics and SociologyLibby and Mary spoke about how gender is everywhere – research on disability and accessibility has a gendered dimension – gender is often not the core focus of research projects but its intersection shapes the experience of those living with disability.
Gender In and Beyond Covid-19
Over the summer (9th and 10th June 2020) the Institute hosted two events on gender in and beyond Covid-19. These events focussed on the gendered dimension of the pandemic, both in terms of the impact on society and the impact on the research community.
The following researchers spoke at these summer sessions, you can view their talks via the links below.
Videos from our speakers
Videos from our speakers9th June, 2020
Remaking Otherwise: Radical Care, Coalitional Survival, and Design in Times of Crisis - Sarah Fox
Love is in the air…but so is COVID: Dating in the midst of a Pandemic - Melissa Whitaker
10th June, 2020
Provocation - Diane Richardson
Domestic Abuse In/As Times of Crisis - Rachel Pain
“Story Spaces: Gender, Solace, Interiority” - Stacy Gillis
Unemployed LGBTQI populations in Greece and COVID-19 - Angeliki Sifaki
Good girls vs. bad boys: gendered leadership and strategic journalism - Karen Ross
We see the Institute as having an important role in influencing research culture at Newcastle University: we will be supporting the way in which the University supports academics whose careers will be impacted by the intersectionality of the pandemic and gender? What is the impact on our female PGRs? How will those with caring responsibilities (which typically fall to females) be supported by the Institution? Will there be a gender gap in the submission of journal articles? What about the next REF?
There are some excellent resources on the impact of the pandemic on women, families and caring responsibilities as well as the impact on women in the academy.
Resources
Resources- Adams-Prassl, A., Boneva, T., Golin, M. and Rauh, C. (2020) Inequality in the impact of the coronavirus shock: evidence from real-time surveys. April. Bonn: IZA Institute of Labor Economics.
- Andrew, A., Cattan, S., Costa Dias, M., Farquharson, C., Kraftman, L., Krutikova, S., Phimister, A. and Sevilla, A. (2020) How are Mothers and Fathers Balancing Work and Family under Lockdown? Institute for Fiscal Studies Briefing Note 290. 27 May. London: Institute for Fiscal Studies.
- Azcona G, Bhatt, A. Love, K. (2020) Ipsos survey confirms that COVID-19 is intensifying women’s workload at home. Research Highlight, UN Women and Women Count.
- Balogun, B., Rough, E., Harker, R., Powell, T., Pyper, D. and Sutherland, N. (2020) Covid-19 and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Communities. Debate Pack CD – 0074, 17 June. London: House of Commons Library.
- Bangham, G. and Leslie, J. (2020) Rainy Days: an Audit of Household Wealth and the Initial Effects of Coronavirus Crisis on Saving and Spending in Great Britain. June. London: Resolution Foundation.
- Bayrakdar, S. and Guveli, A. (2020) Inequalities in Home Learning and Schools’ Provision of Distance Teaching during School Closure of COVID-19 Lockdown in the UK. ISER Working Paper Series 2020-09. Colchester: Institute for Social and Economic Research, University of Essex.
- Bell, T., Cominetti, N. and Slaughter, H. (2020) A New Settlement for the Low Paid: Beyond the Minimum Wage to Dignity and Respect. June. London: Resolution Foundation.
- Bennett, M., Zhang, Y. and Yeandle, S. (2020) Caring and COVID-19: Hunger and Mental Wellbeing. Care Matters Series, June. Sheffield: Centre for International Research on Care, Labour and Equalities, University of Sheffield.
- Benzeval, M., Burton, J., Crossley, T.F., Fisher, P., Jackle, A., Low, H. and Read, B. (2020) Understanding Society COVID-19 Survey. April Briefing Note: The Economic Effects, Working Paper No 10/2020. Colchester: Institute for Social and Economic Research, University of Essex.
- Blundell, R., Joyce, M., Costa Dias, M. and Xu, X. (2020) Covid-19: the Impacts of the Pandemic on Inequality. 11 June. London: Institute for Fiscal Studies.
- Bourquin, P., Delestre, I., Joyce, R., Rasul, I. and Waters, T. (2020) The Effects of Coronavirus on Household Finances and Financial Distress. Briefing Note 298, 29 June. London: Institute for Fiscal Studies.
- Brewer, M. and Handscomb, K. (2020) This Time is Different – Universal Credit’s First Recession. May. London: Resolution Foundation.
- Byrom, N. Beardon, S. and Kendrick, A. (2020) The Impact of COVID-19 Measures on the Civil Justice System. May. Guildford: Legal Educational Foundation.
- Carers UK (2020) The Rise in the Number of Unpaid Carers during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Outbreak. June. London: Carers UK.
- Cominetti, N., Gardiner, L. and Slaughter, H. (2020) The Full Monty: Facing Up to the Challenge of the Coronavirus Labour Market Challenge. June. London: Resolution Foundation.
- Council of Europe (2020) Respecting Democracy, Rule of Law and Human Rights in the Framework of the COVID-19 Sanitary Crisis. 7 April. Strasbourg: Council of Europe.
- Davenport, A., Farquharson, C., Rasul, I., Sibieta, L. and Stoye, G. (2020) The Geography of the COVID-19 Crisis in England. 15 June. London: Institute for Fiscal Studies.
- Equal Rights Coalition (2020) Equal Rights Coalitions Statement on Coronavirus (COVID-19) and the Human Rights of LGBTI Persons. 15 May. London: Equal Rights Coalition.
- Equality and Human Rights Commission (2020) Coronavirus (COVID-19) Guidance for Employers. 26 June. Manchester: Equality and Human Rights Commission.
- Equality and Human Rights Commission (2020) Evidence to the Women and Equalities Committee inquiry on Coronavirus (COVID-19) and the Impact on People with Protected Characteristics. 1 May. Manchester: Equality and Human Rights Commission.
- Equality and Human Rights Commission (2020) Inclusive Justice: a System Designed for All - Interim Evidence Report. April. Manchester: Equality and Human Rights Commission.
- Equality and Human Rights Commission (2020) The Impact of Covid-19 on Groups and Individuals. Response to Scottish Parliamentary Inquiry. May. Glasgow: Equality and Human Rights Commission.
- Farquharson, C., Rasul, I. and Sibieta, L. (2020) Differences Between Key Workers. Briefing Note 285. April. London: Institute for Fiscal Studies.
- Fawcett Society (2020) Exiting Lockdown: the Impact on Women. May. London: Fawcett Society.
- Ferguson, D. (2020) Coronavirus: Returning to Work. Briefing Paper no. 8916, 26 June. London: House of Commons Library.
- Francis-Devine, B. (2020) Coronavirus: Which Workers are Economically Impacted? 2 June. House of Commons Library.
- Francis-Devine, B., Powell, A. and Foley, N. (2020) Coronavirus: Impact on the Labour Market. Briefing Paper no. 8898, 16 June. London: House of Commons Library.
- Harris, N., Fitzpatrick, C., Meers, J. and Simpson, M (2020) Coronavirus and Social Security Entitlement in the UK, 27 (2) Journal of Social Security Law, 21st June.
- Hupkau, C. and Petrongolo, B. (2020) Work, care and gender during the Covid-19 crisis – CEP COVID-19 Analysis. The London School of Economics and Political Science and the Economic and Social Research Council.
- Inclusion London (2020) Abandoned, Forgotten and Ignored: the Impact of the Coronavirus Pandemic on Disabled People. Interim Report, June.
- Joint Committee on Human Rights (2020) Human Rights and the Government's Response to COVID-19: the Detention of Young People who are Autistic and/or Have Learning Disabilities. Fifth Report of Session 2019-21. 8 June. London: House of Commons.
- LGBT Foundation (2020) Hidden Figures: the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on LGBT Communities in the UK. May. Manchester: LGBT Foundation.
- Lisle, D., Murdie, A., Scott, J. and Wiegand, K., (2020) Journal Submissions in Times of COVID-19: Is There A Gender Gap?. Duck of Minerva.
- Ormerod, D. (2020) ‘Coronavirus and emergency powers’, Criminal Law Review, 6: 473-77.
- Parkes, H. and McNeil, C. (2020) Estimating Poverty Impacts of Coronavirus: Microsimulation Estimates. June. London: Institute for Public Policy Research.
- Pertek, S., Phillimore, J. and McKnight, P. (2020) Forced migration, SGBV and COVID-19. Birmingham: University of Birmingham.
- Platt, L. and Warwick, R. (2020) Are Some Ethnic Groups More Vulnerable to COVID-19 Than Others? IFS Briefing Note, 1 May. London: Institute for Fiscal Studies.
- Policy Brief: The Impact of COVID-19 on Women, United Nations, April 2020
- Public Health England (2020) Beyond the Data: Understanding the Impact of COVID-19 on BAME Groups. June. London: Public Health England.
- Reis, S. (2020) Migrant Women and the Economy. 4 May. London: Women’s Budget Group.
- Sartin, K. and Farr, R. (2020) ‘Employment in the time of coronavirus: what employers should consider now?’ Employment Law Journal, 209: 5-7.
- Sevilla, A. and Smith, S. (2020) Baby Steps: the Gender Division of Childcare during the COVID19 Epidemic. Department of Economics Discussion Paper, 20/723. 22 May. Bristol: University of Bristol.
- TUC (2020) Pregnant and Precarious: New and Expectant Mums’ Experiences of Work during Covid-19. 11 June. London: Trades Union Congress.
- United Nations (2020) We Are All in This Together: Human Rights and COVID-19 Response and Recovery. 23 April. New York: United Nations.
- Welsh Government (2020) Coronavirus and Employment: Analysis of Protected Characteristics. 19 June. Cardiff: Welsh Government.
- Welsh Government (2020) First Minister's BAME COVID-19 Advisory Group: Report of the Socioeconomic Subgroup. June. Cardiff: Welsh Government.
- WHEN, (2020) Sharing the Caring: UK Higher Education Professional Services parents, work and family life during 2020 lockdown. WHEN.
- Women’s Budget Group (2020) Crises Collide: Women and Covid-19. April. London: Women’s Budget Group.
- Working Families (2020) COVID-19 and Flexible Working: the Perspective from Working Parents and Carers. June. London: Working Families.
- Wright, K. A. M, Haastrup, T. and Guerrina, R. (2020) Equalities in freefall? Ontological insecurity and the long‐term impact of COVID‐19 in the academy. Gender Work and Organisation.
- Young Women’s Trust (2020) Ignored, Undervalued and Underpaid: the Impact of Coronavirus on Young Women's Work, Finances and Wellbeing. 28 May. London: Young Women’s Trust.
Get in touch
We would like to hear from colleagues about their work on gender and how we can support the community of researchers in this area. Please contact Liz Todd or Alex Robson.
If you are a PGR we would love to hear from you. You can also contact Lottie Rhodes if you are interested in joining the PGR Gender Network.
Sign up to our newsletter.