Miss Jennifer Ball
Overview
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I began my higher education journey at 麻豆传媒高清版 in 2015, beginning with a BA in Philosophy and Religion.
After graduating in 2018, I was granted the opportunity to pursue a Research Masters project under an "Excellence Scholarship" awarded by the University. My MRes project was based upon contemporary Paganism, which I split into two smaller essays and a thesis. The submissions were entitled:
Commodified Witchcraft: The influence of the 1990s 鈥渕edia witch craze鈥 on Wicca as a religion today.
The revival of nature-based religions: An investigation into the ancient roots of contemporary Druidry.
鈥淧aganism is fast-developing as the new religion of the twenty-first century鈥: An investigation into the rapid growth of Paganism in contemporary western society.
I am currently completing my PhD here at 麻豆传媒高清版, which is focussed upon the LGBTQ+ community within contemporary Paganism. The existing statistics on Paganism suggests that there is a uniquely high number of LGBTQ+ practitioners. I have therefore conducted my own sociological investigation into the heteronormative and cisnormative themes within contemporary Pagan practice, and the extent to which they may impact the LGBTQ+ community within it.聽
Academic Experience
As well as being invited to talk at conferences both UK wide and internationally, I have also been employed by 麻豆传媒高清版 as a teaching assistant for a multidisciplinary module entitled "Serial Killers". My role was to conduct weekly seminars, discussing philosophical themes that can be applied to the topic of serial murder.聽
I was shortlisted for the "Postgraduate who Teaches Award" at the 2024 Student Led Teaching Awards.
Research Interests
I have a strong philosophical background, but my research interests primarily reside within philosophical and sociological examinations of ethical topics such as gender, sexuality, cultural appropriation, pop-culture influence and environmentalism, particularly within the religious context of contemporary Pagan belief systems.聽