Dr Gemma Gibson (she/her)
Department of Sociological Studies
Teaching Associate
Full contact details
Department of Sociological Studies
The Wave
2 Whitham Road
Sheffield
S10 2AH
- Profile
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Gemma joined the Department of Sociological Studies in 2022 having previously taught in the Department for Lifelong Learning. She has a keen passion for widening participation in Higher Education and continues to work with lifelong learning students at the University of York. Previously she worked in the Department of Sociology at the University of York and the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences at York College.
Gemma studied for her PhD at the University of York. Her PhD thesis focused on the history of the contemporary body positivity movement and ‘acceptable’ fatness. Gemma’s research explores themes relating to the body of gender, sexuality, whiteness, health and wellness in popular digital spaces.
- Research interests
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Gemma’s research interests are related to the ways in which digital identities intersect with activism – specifically in the digital space. She is currently working on a monograph based on her PhD research which explores the history of ‘acceptable’ fatness which culminates in the widespread popularity of body positivity.
- Gender
- Sexuality
- The fat body
- Feminist and digital activism
- Digital identities
- Publications
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Journal articles
- “Just there for the fashion, basically”: politicized fem(me)ininity in the fat-o-sphere. Fat Studies, 12(1), 135-148.
- Health(ism) at every size: The duties of the “good fatty”. Fat Studies, 11(1), 22-35.
- “Just there for the fashion, basically”: politicized fem(me)ininity in the fat-o-sphere. Fat Studies, 12(1), 135-148.
- Teaching activities
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Since joining SCS Gemma has taught on the following modules:
- SCS1029 Welfare, Politics and the State
- SCS1008 Introduction to Social Research
- SCS61012 Sociology of Genders, Sexualites and the Bodies
She supervises undergraduate and Master’s students and will run a module that pulls from her own research in the 23/24 academic year titled Sociology of the Body. Gemma takes a social justice oriented approach to teaching that asks students to reflect on their own life experiences to apply critical thinking and theory to the ‘real’ world.