The Gender and Sexualities Research Group: Policy, Practice, Pedagogy and Political Change (GASP) is a large inter-disciplinary network encompassing many fields of study within and beyond the School of Social Sciences.

These include:

• childhood and youth studies
• education
• social work
• criminology
• sociology
• psychology
• social policy
• human geography
• journalism
• the humanities and law.

Aims

Membership includes undergraduate students, research associates, masters/doctoral students, post-doctoral fellows, academic staff and invited policy-makers and practitioners.

Our key aim is to support the diversity and quality of gender and sexuality research which critically explores how gender and sexuality matters in research, policy, practice, pedagogy and activism.

Central to this aim is to contribute to innovations in theoretical, methodological and policy/engagement across the field of gender and sexuality studies.

Projects

Our current membership has carried out research and engagement projects across Wales, the UK and internationally on topics such as:

• gender and sexual identities and practices across diverse places and spaces
• sexual desire and pleasure
• digital sexual networks and cultures
• inclusive sexuality and relationships education
• domestic and intimate partner abuse
• gender-related and sexual violence
• child sexual exploitation
• sex work.

Events

Group activities are co-composed at the beginning of every academic year and include some of the following:

• theoretical and methodological reading group
• developing and supporting research proposals
• sharing draft chapters/papers
• data workshops
• ethics
• preparing for publication
• turning research ideas into proposals
• making gender and sexuality research matter (impact, engagement and activism)
• monthly seminar programme
• themed day conferences (academics, professionals, practitioners, children and young people).