Call for Papers: On (Re)defining Fieldwork

This Call for Papers was originally written by Matilda Fitzmaurice and Zara Babakordi, and shared in September 2021. Call for Abstracts: Workshop on (re)defining fieldwork Organised Matilda Fitzmaurice (Durham University) and Zara Babakordi (Newcastle University) Fieldwork is a touchstone of geography and often stands in for ‘good’ and ‘rigorous’ research. It is also intimately boundContinue reading “Call for Papers: On (Re)defining Fieldwork”

Creating Cracks for Collective Care in the Ruins of the University

This article was originally published on the UCU Commons blog on 19th May 2021. By Matilda Fitzmaurice, Mel Jones, and Gavin Brown. We all know that the current situation in British higher education is bad. Most of us are also aware that it’s likely to get much worse over the next few years. The redundancies and departmentalContinue reading “Creating Cracks for Collective Care in the Ruins of the University”

Precarity, Mastery, and Vulnerability: Some Thoughts on UCU’s Recent Elections

This was originally published on the UCU Commons blog on 22nd March 2021. By Matilda Fitzmaurice Two weeks ago, UCU members learned of the National Executive Committee election results. The six-week campaign period saw some acrimonious exchanges in the online sphere as the different groups within the union fought out their disagreements on multiple terrains.Continue reading “Precarity, Mastery, and Vulnerability: Some Thoughts on UCU’s Recent Elections”

On writing targets and the first draft as a space of safety

[Image description: an open notebook with the words ‘Everyday is a fresh start’ in written in large, bold, black and white letters on the right-hand page]. Writing a PhD means you need to, well, write, and develop a regular practice of writing. I don’t think this is something we talk about enough as academics, evenContinue reading “On writing targets and the first draft as a space of safety”