The School was delighted to learn that Dr Ashlee Christoffersen has been awarded the 2021 Joni Lovenduski PhD Prize in Gender and Politics. HTML Image The prize is awarded every two years to the best thesis in the field of gender and politics, which recognizes the best doctoral dissertation using gender and sexuality studies perspectives in political science, international relations, political philosophy, public policy and public administration. The prize is awarded by the European Consortium for Political Research Standing Group on Gender and Politics as part of the European Conference on Politics and Gender. A Research Fellow on the inter- and multidisciplinary AHRC-funded project 'Gender equalities at work: an interdisciplinary history of 50 years of legislation' within the School, Dr Christoffersen’s thesis “The politics of intersectional practice: Representation, coalition and solidarity” was praised as, “outstanding… for its intellectual innovation, rigour and depth of commitment to exploring intersectionality in practice. This work fills an important gap in gender and politics scholarship: the operationalization of intersectionality for empirical studies. She shows a firm commitment to drawing extensively on the intellectual contributions of Women of Colour, providing a deep engagement with intersectionality in terms of research, epistemology, ontology, practice and activism. This is a thorough and multifaceted approach that engages with the conceptual dilution of intersectionality that much research has sought to problematise) but does not replicate it.” Dr Christoffersen said, “I am incredibly humbled to have won this prize. It all started with searching for a suitable supervisor for this project, and finding Akwugo Emejulu - I am deeply indebted to Akwugo and to my other supervisors Richard Freeman and Nasar Meer, my research participants, and examiners Gail Lewis and Sharon Cowan. Particularly as a white woman receiving this prize for this particular thesis, I also want to acknowledge that there are many Black and of colour potential, current and completed PhD students who have been denied the same opportunities I have had, and/or had negative experiences in the discipline of Political Science in the UK and Europe.” The School sends huge congratulations to Ashlee. Dr Ashlee Christoffersen's staff profile More on the ECPR Standing Group on Gender and Politics on its website Joni Lovenduski PhD Prize in Gender and Politics This article was published on 2024-08-01
