North West Social Science Doctoral Training Partnership

Angela Towers, Sociology, Lancaster University (2019 Cohort)

My PhD is concerned with what might be understood as the 4th wave of feminism defined by the digital spaces, and my work is focused on highly visible, or viral, campaigns and events of the last decade, and their legacies. My research questions warranted a qualitative approach, since part of what I am trying to understand are the experiences of people at the centre of these events, during and once the news cycle has moved on, and to take a snapshot of these particular moments in time and the conditions that gave rise to them. With these considerations in mind, it became apparent that an oral history approach could fit well with this project. Traditionally, and among other things, oral histories can provide different insights and evidence from a new direction, they can also give a sense of belonging to a place or time, as well as challenging myths about groups of people or social phenomena. My first stop when writing my ethics application was the Oral History Society. The website has a wealth of advice and content available, from best practice to project design, and much more. I drew heavily on their documentation and standards to put together my proposal, which was eventually signed off by my University in March.