MeCCSA Women's Network

📣The 2025 GMMP reports have been released. Check out the UK National report compiled by some of our amazing network and committee members 🗞️ whomakesthenews.org/wp-content/u...

We are looking for members from any career level who would like to share their developing work in a supportive environment, to receive constructive and encouraging feedback, and to connect with members with similar interests. Email Nathalie by Monday 23 Feb if you would like to present!

Gender studies courses are shutting down across the US. The Epstein files reveal why | Joan Wallach Scott Texas A&M University is the latest school to end women’s and gender studies programs and teaching race. We know why

"The abolition of gender studies is a way of further guaranteeing impunity to the elite men whose contempt for and exploitation of women and girls apparently knew no bounds." #MsReads via @theguardian.com
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

We’re back with our research profile series! Next up is network member and PhD student @isabel-sykes.bsky.social who presented this research at MeCCSA 2025

Discourse, Voice, and the Politics of Participation in the Scottish Independence Referendum Taking the 2014 Scottish independence referendum, this book examines popular participation and elite interventions in democratic, plebiscitary events.

📣 New research from one of our brilliant Women’s Network members! @maydinger.bsky.social takes the 2014 Scottish Indy Ref as her case study, her work examines popular participation and elite interventions in democratic, plebiscitary events. Read all about it here: link.springer.com/book/10.1007...

It’s that time again! 📣 @meccsa.bsky.social 2026 has been announced and the theme is: From mainstream to margins: Capturing developing practices, publics and persuasion. Find out more - and submit your abstracts - at the link: www.meccsa.org.uk/events/confe...

A reminder of our writing group later today! Sign-up below ⬇️

Happy new year Women’s Network followers! 💗 Our writing group is back up and running, so sign up to join a session at the link: buytickets.at/universityof...

A reminder of our last writing group session for the year tomorrow!

And follow @nweidhase.bsky.social for more!

From hashtags such as #Hustling to #QuietQuitting, paid labour is a hotly discussed topic on social media. This paper explores key hashtags on Instagram and TikTok exploring gendered representations of paid labour. Social media is a key space in which young people explore the meaning of work beyond traditional spheres such as politics or trade union activism, and social media is recognized (and perhaps feared) as such. In the current fourth wave of feminism, mediations of work often take on a gendered dimension, such as in the supposedly empowered girlboss (Tran 2022). Under post feminism, this often took the form of ‘having it all’, where women seemingly effortlessly combined full-time work with being a wife and mother. In the popular feminist media environment, we see this myth continued in the #Girlboss and the #CorporateQueen but also encounter disillusionment with the impossibilities of these demands in hashtags such as #LazyGirlJobs. Analysing discourses of work in the context of post feminism and popular feminism, the paper explores the role work plays in constructions of contemporary femininity.

First up is our Chair: Nathalie Weidhase who presented this research at the most recent MeCCSA conference (you can also visit her research website here: www.surrey.ac.uk/research-pro...)

a woman in a blue top is asking if she wanna get into research mode ALT: a woman in a blue top is asking if she wanna get into research mode

We are starting a Research Profile series to highlight some of the excellent work of our Network Members and Committee!

A reminder of our Writing Group this Wednesday! Sign up here: www.tickettailor.com/events/unive...

a cat is looking at a laptop computer screen with a lot of text on it . ALT: a cat is looking at a laptop computer screen with a lot of text on it .

We’re starting our Online Writing Group again! Come and join us for support and solidarity while we work on those unfinished projects 📝👩‍💻 Sign up here: www.tickettailor.com/events/unive...

MeCCSA Women's Network writing group. Join us for our online writing group on Wednesdays 2pm to 4pm on the following dates: 29th October 19th November 10th December All welcome! Writing is defined broadly, and includes thinking, drafting, outlining, researching, analysis, and anything that is useful here. Click here to register: https://buytickets.at/universityofsurrey1/1915880

Join us for our @meccsawomensnet.bsky.social online writing group this semester! First date is next week, 29th October, 2pm to 4pm. All welcome! And writing is defined broadly - whatever is useful for you. Register here for the Zoom link: buytickets.at/universityof...

Sage Journals: Discover world-class research Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.

📣New research from Gender Studies colleagues! Melanie, @profkarenboyle.bsky.social and Melody discuss ‘safety work’ in HE classrooms and the need to move beyond the illusion of safety to instead create conducive learning spaces for all. Read open access here: journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...

I've really enjoyed making these worksheets. The Uncommon Sense podcast is such a great resource for making sociological research accessible to the general public, and a fab teaching aid! 💡💖

Had an absolute blast at #MeCCSA2025 with the Women's Network, and also talking about gendered social media representations of paid work. Shout out to our social media team for capturing it so well!

MeCCSA 2025 has come and gone but we still have plenty of updates to share about the conference and our network members! Stay tuned for more 👀 #MeCCSA2025

I had such a good time at the @meccsa2025.bsky.social conference last week! Highlights include presenting some ideas on class, domestic labour and the mental load, @nweidhase.bsky.social's fab paper on corporate queens and girlbosses, and winning the pub quiz with @meccsawomensnet.bsky.social pals!

Brilliant advice for those applying for academic jobs! ⬇️

Picture of a group of women smiling, the text reads “Pub Quiz Winners 2025”

Alexa, play ‘Sheezus’ by Lily Allen🎉 #meccsa2025 @meccsa.bsky.social @meccsa2025.bsky.social

So lovely catching up with the Women's Network @meccsawomensnet.bsky.social at the MeCCSA conference today! Excited for some more events, workshops and networking in the new term 🥰 @meccsa.bsky.social

Mallika Sarabhai performing in front of a screen that says "Says who? Mallika Sarabhai on belonging and identity"

What an incredible keynote #meccsa2025

Silenced Voices and the Media: Who gets to speak? - MeCCSA Women's Network The MeCCSA conference is around the corner, and this book is shortlisted for MeCCSA’s Edited Collection of the Year! It features the writing of some of our incredibly talented network members! Abstrac...

MeCCSA is right around the corner and this book is up for the Edited Collection of the Year! It features some of the writing of our incredibly talented network members, check out the abstract here: meccsa-womens-network.org.uk/2025/09/02/s...

Just a reminder that there is still time to sign up for our speed mentoring event for PhD students, ECRs, and anyone looking for career advice at @meccsa2025.bsky.social ! (There will be coffee, tea and pastries 🥐☕)

We also have a website for blogs, advice, reading recommendations and much more: meccsa-womens-network.org.uk

Poster for The MeCCSA Women’s Network Speeding Mentoring Event for any PhDs and ECRs wanting advice on academic careers, networking opportunities and/or tips for professional development. There is a QR code embedded for signing up, or alternatively you can click the link in the post

We are pleased to be bringing back our Speed Mentoring Event to @meccsa2025.bsky.social Join us to meet and learn from fellow researchers in the field of media, communications and cultural studies! Sign up here: www.tickettailor.com/events/unive...

Hello #AcademicSky! We are the team behind the MeCCSA Women’s Network. Follow for updates on our network members, groundbreaking research, events, and much more!