Project FAQs
Who am I? I’m Rose Holyoak, I'm currently a PhD student in the Department of Sociology at the University of Leicester researching young women’s experiences of social movement activism in anarchist and environmental groups in the UK. My main research interests are around the areas of youth, gender, radical politics, protest and feminism. When I'm not doing research I'm usually busy making cake, shouting at the government or looking at funny pictures of cats on the internet.
Why young women? Young women are the subject of much debate amongst politicians and media figures and they are frequently branded as apolitical and apathetic. And yet from the Occupy movement to the Arab Spring, young women are participating in political and social activism with enthusiasm and conviction. All too often women’s voices, and those of young women in particular, are silenced or sidelined, and their experiences are rendered invisible. This project hopes to address some of these omissions by asking young women themselves about their experiences of social movement politics.
Why these movements? We're living in a time characterised by political dissent, frustration and rebellion and the anarchist and the environmental movements are two of the most vibrant contemporary social movements organising in the UK, in response to pressing social and environmental concerns. The grassroots nature of these groups provides opportunities for young women to engage politically in ways that they often do not in formal politics. However, because these groups are informally organised, activists experiences are not systematically documented accurately. This projects addresses this gap.
Who do I want to talk to? I'm looking for participants who fit the following criteria:
What will you have to do? I'm looking to interview as many women as possible. If you decide to participate, I'll travel to meet you wherever is most convenient for an initial interview which will last between 1/2 to 1 hour. The interview will be recorded but will be informal and there will be time for you to address any issues you're particularly interested in. I'm also interested to get an overview of the sorts of activist activities women are involved in and so if you agree, I'll ask you to keep a diary for a month in which you can record your activities and thoughts and feelings. We'll then meet up again a couple of months later for a follow-up to discuss some of the things mentioned in the diary. I realise that this requires time on your part so if you'd rather not keep a diary I'm happy to just do an initial interview, either in person or by phone. Confidentiality and anonymity of participants will be guaranteed and this research has ethical clearance from the University of Leicester.
How do you get involved? You can either send me a message using the contact form or send me an email at reh28[at]le.ac.uk
Why young women? Young women are the subject of much debate amongst politicians and media figures and they are frequently branded as apolitical and apathetic. And yet from the Occupy movement to the Arab Spring, young women are participating in political and social activism with enthusiasm and conviction. All too often women’s voices, and those of young women in particular, are silenced or sidelined, and their experiences are rendered invisible. This project hopes to address some of these omissions by asking young women themselves about their experiences of social movement politics.
Why these movements? We're living in a time characterised by political dissent, frustration and rebellion and the anarchist and the environmental movements are two of the most vibrant contemporary social movements organising in the UK, in response to pressing social and environmental concerns. The grassroots nature of these groups provides opportunities for young women to engage politically in ways that they often do not in formal politics. However, because these groups are informally organised, activists experiences are not systematically documented accurately. This projects addresses this gap.
Who do I want to talk to? I'm looking for participants who fit the following criteria:
- Female
- Age 18-35
- Living in the UK
- Engaged in anarchist or environmental activism
- Willing to talk to me about their experiences of politics and activism
What will you have to do? I'm looking to interview as many women as possible. If you decide to participate, I'll travel to meet you wherever is most convenient for an initial interview which will last between 1/2 to 1 hour. The interview will be recorded but will be informal and there will be time for you to address any issues you're particularly interested in. I'm also interested to get an overview of the sorts of activist activities women are involved in and so if you agree, I'll ask you to keep a diary for a month in which you can record your activities and thoughts and feelings. We'll then meet up again a couple of months later for a follow-up to discuss some of the things mentioned in the diary. I realise that this requires time on your part so if you'd rather not keep a diary I'm happy to just do an initial interview, either in person or by phone. Confidentiality and anonymity of participants will be guaranteed and this research has ethical clearance from the University of Leicester.
How do you get involved? You can either send me a message using the contact form or send me an email at reh28[at]le.ac.uk