Please see message below circulated on behalf of Chris Philo and Hester Parr, Department of Geographical and Earth Sciences, University of Glasgow.
Do circulate to anyone who might be interested in applying for the available ESRC CASE studentship.
Department of Geographical and Earth Sciences
University of Glasgow
ESRC CASE Studentship
in collaboration
with
Epilepsy Scotland
* *
'The everyday social geographies of living with epilepsy: diagnosis,
episodes and longer-term implications.'
*(+3 years funding)*
Applications are invited for a full-time (3 years) ESRC CASE PhD
studentship entitled 'The everyday social geographies of living with
epilepsy: diagnosis, episodes and longer-term implications' in
collaboration with Epilepsy Scotland. The student will be based in the
Geographical and Earth Science Department with Professor Chris Philo and
Dr Hester Parr and will have close links with the collaborative
partner, Epilepsy Scotland.
Epilepsy affects 1 in 130 individuals. It entails episodic disturbance
in the brain’s normal electrical activity that prompt seizures of
various kinds and durations. Little has been done on the geography of
epilepsy, and so the potential value of a geographical perspective on
this condition is presently unrealised.
The PhD will research the social geographies of living with epilepsy,
aiming to produce a detailed ‘archive’ of as-yet little-known
information about how epilepsy enters into the time-space fabric of
everyday lives, particularly following diagnosis and the experience of
epileptic episodes. The research questions focus upon how, for
individuals living with epilepsy, their time-space fabric is constantly
(re)constituted to cope with:
*the embodied changes affecting individuals during and after epileptic
episodes, as well as on a more ongoing basis;
*the relative unpredictability of episodes and social and spatial
implications;
* attempted management of episodes from social and medical perspectives;
* experiences of peer and family support and/or stigmatising community
relationships;
* the relevance of sources of support: professional or informal,
physical or virtual;
* the shaping of longer-term time-space biographies in light of chronic
conditions, medical interventions and social dimensions of coping.
Overall, the aim of this PhD project is to examine the links between
epilepsy and social geographies of everyday life, and to contribute to
literatures on chronic illness in academic Human Geography and the wider
Social Sciences. There is limited research on spaces of epilepsy and
this project will fill that gap. While this research is sensitive to
current theoretical interests in emotional and embodied geographies and
contributes to emerging conceptual agendas about ‘ill relationality’,
the project will also provide policy relevant research that will
actively contribute to support strategies for Epilepsy Scotland. The
study will involve the use of different research methods, but
predominantly semi-structured interviewing and focus group work.
For full details of the studentship, please go to the Departmental
website at
http://www.ges.gla.ac.uk:443/, and follow link from ‘Latest
News’ (the right-hand column of our homepage).
Applications are welcome from candidates with, or expecting to complete,
a Masters degree from an ESRC-recognised postgraduate research training
programme (or equivalent) in a relevant social science discipline for
+ 3 studentship by September 2009.
Informal enquiries about this studentship should be directed to
Professor Chris Philo (
[log in to unmask] <mailto:
[log in to unmask]> or 0141 330 4787), but, apologies, he
will not be able to reply until the week commencing Monday 15th June, 2009.
Applicants should submit a CV and a covering letter with two academic
references of support to Prof. Chris Philo, Geographical and Earth
Sciences, East Quadrangle, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ.
Short-listed applicants will be invited for interview.
*Closing date for applications is 5pm, Monday, 22nd June, 2009*
*Provisional date for interviews is Friday 31st July, 2009*
