School of Social and Political Science

Background

Research

PhD Thesis: The reproduction of ignorance in normative political theory: an intersectional methodological critique

My research draws on the ethical, political, and methodological insights of intersectionality as a critical social theory. I develop a critique of the methodological practices of certain liberal strands of normative political theory and show how these practices reproduce social ignorance - a systematic epistemological failure to recognise and disclose aspects of the sociopolitical world salient to normative theorising. I argue instead for the import of normative theorising that is relationally attuned, historically sensitised, and reflexive, drawing on scholarly literatures in a range of critical traditions to exemplify these practices.

Supervisors

Mihaela Mihai (Politics) & Radhika Govinda (Sociology)

Education

2017-2023 - PhD Political Theory, University of Edinburgh

2016-2017 - MScR Politics, University of Edinburgh

2012-2013 - MA Political Philosophy (distinction), University of York

2009-2012 - BA (Hons) Politics, Philosophy and Economics (1st class honours), University of York

Qualifications and Awards

• Associate Fellow of AdvanceHE (formerly Higher Education Academy) (2022)
• Student Experience Grant (with Kamya Choudhary) awarded £2615 for two art-based projects on decolonising knowledge production (2019)
• ESRC 1+3 Studentship (2016)
• Geoffrey Heselton Dissertation Prize (MA Political Philosophy), University of York (2013)
• Department of Politics Postgraduate Prize (MA Political Philosophy), University of York (2013)
• Morrell Studentship for the MA in Political Philosophy (The Idea of Toleration), University of York (2012)

Conference and Workshop Papers

• ‘Intersectionality as methodology in political theory’, presentations at BIAPT 2022 Conference and PSA 2022 Conference
• ‘Intersectionality: A Critical Methodological Framework’, paper at Political Theory Research Group, University of Edinburgh (2021)
• ‘Bringing the F-word back to political science: on the use of ‘feminist’ in gender and politics research’, co-authored paper at GWIL Gender and Politics Seminar, Kings College London (2021)
• ‘Race, migration, and normative political theory: implicit racialization in the open borders debate’, paper at Political Theory Research Group, University of Edinburgh (2020)
• ‘From the standpoint of [intersectional] justice’, presentation at Oslo-Edinburgh Joint PIR PhD Workshop (2020)
• ‘Theorising Disability from Margin to Centre’, paper at Political Theory Research Group, University of Edinburgh (2019)
• ‘Decolonising Research and Feminist Friendships: A Conversation Across Boundaries’, co-authored paper at Decolonising Feminist Knowledge: Reflections on Research and Curriculum (2019)
• The Ableist Republic’, paper at Political Theory Research Group, University of Edinburgh (2019)

Other Outputs

• ‘K. Choudhary, C. Wayland and R. Govinda (eds.) (2020) Feminist Struggles in the Academy in India and the UK. Comic book publication inspired by UGC-UKIERI funded Teaching Feminisms, Transforming Lives Project (2017-2021) workshops, roundtables and panel discussions, with illustrations by S. Khan and S. Singh.

Teaching and Lecturing

• 'Decolonising Disability Studies' Guest Lecture for Introduction to Disability Studies (2022, 2023)
• 'Disability and feminism: discords and syntheses’ Guest Lecture for Contemporary Feminist Debates (2021)
• ‘Disability and feminism in a global context’ Guest Lecture for Gender, Marginality and Social Change (2020-2021)
• Tutor, Race and Ethnicity (2023)
• Tutor, Contemporary Feminist Debates (2021, 2022)
• Tutor, Gender, Marginality and Social Change (2021)
• Tutor, Political Thinkers (2019-2023)

Community and Representation

• UCU Edinburgh SPS PGR Local Contact (2019-present)
• UCU Edinburgh Postgrad/Postdoc Officer (2020-2021)
• Politics and International Relations Postgraduate Class Representative (2016-2019)