Julia Bennett
PhD Student
Email: julia.m.bennett@postgrad.manchester.ac.uk
I began my PhD in September 2008 under the supervision of Penny Tinkler and Wendy Bottero, having previously completed an MSc in Sociological Research as part of an ESRC 1+3 fellowship here at Manchester. My first degree is a BA in Applied Social Studies and Philosophy from Manchester Metropolitan University.
Research interests
My doctoral thesis is provisionally entitled ‘Community, Place and Identity’ and explores the relationships between these themes. In particular I am looking at how a sense of belonging to a particular place community develops over time through families who have remained in the same place for several generations.
My Master’s thesis explored how a local tradition, Walking Days (also known as Whit Walks), can mediate an attachment to place and community. This research drew on community narratives shared across the generations and these themes of connectivity through both memories and current practice are ongoing in my doctoral research.