North West Social Science Doctoral Training Partnership
Storytelling in the Thesis
Siobhan O’Neill, Politics, University of Manchester (2019 Cohort)
My PhD project –The Dynamics of Race, Racism and Whiteness in Politics: How do racially minoritised students experience and navigate the whiteness of Politics disciplines in British HE? – centres the experiences and narratives of racially minoritised students at British universities. The project is grounded predominantly in Critical Race Theory (CRT) as well as in Black Feminist and Decolonial thought, as such, I chose the critical race methodology of counter-story-telling to centre those experiences and narratives. As part of this, based on 30 interviews, 5 diaries and 5 follow-up diary-based interviews I conducted with racially minoritised students, I start each of my empirical-based chapters with a story. In these stories I put my participants in conversation with one another (and myself) in a setting that they might actually find themselves in as students at university. In what follows I share some of my reflections about using story-telling in my thesis as well as the rationale behind it and practicalities of the process.
Read MoreLearning from and with the others: my experience organising the PGR Sociology Conference
Daniela Fazio Vargas, Sociology, University of Manchester (2021 Cohort)
As first-year PhD students, we have repeatedly been told that starting a PhD journey is not easy. It requires us to be organised, not miss deadlines, be open to changing ideas, devote ourselves to a single topic for many years, be guided by experts in our field, and meet the most diverse students. But it is also an extraordinary opportunity to research something you are passionate about, develop skills, challenge yourself, and constantly learn from your supervisors and peers. This first year has been enriching for me as a Sociology PhD student at the University of Manchester. I consider that this has been made possible by the support I have received from the School of Social Sciences, my department, and the NWSSDTP. One of the reasons why I am eager to write this entry for the scholarship’s blog is to be part of the organising team of the PGR conference: “Social Movements in a Changing World: Disharmony, affinity, and solidarity at the intersections” (to be held online on the 1st of June).
Read MoreStaying connected through virtual writing groups
Hannah Slocombe, Geography & Environment, University of Liverpool (2019 Cohort)
With the rise in remote working as well as limits on social opportunities during the last couple of years, virtual writing groups offer a great way of working with others whilst apart.
Since I started my PhD, I have been involved in several virtual writing groups. These groups meet once a month via Zoom or Microsoft Teams and bring together students and staff in a supportive space to encourage dedicated writing time.
Typically, these writing groups begin with an informal catch-up and a discussion of each person’s goal for what they want to achieve during the day, whether it be working on a couple of paragraphs towards a chapter, transcribing an interview, or writing a conference abstract.
Read MoreNew Beginnings: Starting the PhD Journey and Managing Change
Ryan Peacey, Criminology, Social Policy and Social Work, University of Manchester (2021 Cohort)
In late September 2021, I started my PhD in Criminology at the University of Manchester. When I received my place, and later my funding, it came after a period of prolonged uncertainty during the pandemic. Knowing I was at the start of a journey during which I would begin paving my way towards a career in academia, I was both anxious and excited. After an unexpected year out, I was excited to once again have the opportunity to immerse myself in my studies and further develop the research I had undertaken during my masters. Despite this, I felt the familiar anxiety about the change that starting a PhD would entail: how will I find studying at a new university? What will my day-to-day look like? How will I know if I am doing enough? Am I good enough to do a PhD? I share this as I feel some of these fears will likely be relatable to fellow early PhD students (and those who are considering a PhD), and in the hopes that doing so may help ease some of those fears.
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North West Social Science Doctoral Training Partnership 