Dr Laura Jenkins

• PhD Political Science (Birmingham)
• MA Research Methods (Political Science) (Birmingham)

Laura joined POLSIS as a Lecturer in 2013. She studied at University of Birmingham as both an undergraduate and postgraduate and achieved her PhD on a Genealogical Politicisation of the Body in 2008.

Laura’s training is in political science but the majority of her work involves applied political theory, grounded in critical theory (broadly conceived) and feminist theory. Her main research interests are in the area of feminist political ideas, contemporary political theory, and British politics. She has published journal articles on depoliticisation, governance and the state, women in academia, the politics of the body, and emotions and politics. Currently she is working on a new project concerning political commitment and emotions.

• POLS 103 Politics as a Vocation
• POLS 234 Feminist Political Ideas

I am (co)supervising three projects:

Melany Cruz (Politics of Lynching); Emily Burn (Measuring Political Interest) and Ioana Chis (The Politics of Disablement in Precarious Work).

I welcome applications from potential PhD students in the fields of feminist political theory, contemporary political theory and British politics.

Research groups: Political Theory, Gender and Feminist Theory (GAFT) and British Politics 

Major research interests 

• Feminist political ideas
• Critical theory (especially Foucault, Adorno and Bloch)
• Depoliticisation, governance and the state
• Women in academia
• The politics of the body 

Until recently, the main focus of Laura’s work has been on the concept of (de)politicisation, and its application to the politics of the body. This has been explored in a series of papers in academic journals and chapters in books. 

Laura is a committed feminist and her published work has examined the barriers and limitations that women and other marginalised groups face in the academy.

In her current research, Laura aims to explore political commitment and to examine ways in which feelings support and sustain political individuals such as elite politicians, political spouses and partners, protest groups and movements. In this project, Laura seeks to develop understanding of enduring, intense and sustained political participation over time. An important focus of this work will be how and why political activity continues in adversity, how people maintain political commitment when goals or objectives appear unrealisable or in the face of significant obstacles – suffering, imprisonment, etc. Thus far, Laura has published an article on the topic of emotions and democratic disenchantment.