Searching for fellow PhD students

[youngblowfish]

Hello,

I find myself badly in need of company as a newly pregnant PhD student. I am about to start my second year and, all being well, I should be 12 weeks by the beginning of October.

Are there any pregnant/parents PhD students out there? I could really do with a thesis writing support thread and it would be lovely to chat to people who are in a similar position.

I'm a socoiologist (it's all in the name!), but not into health studies/social work which is where all the vacancies seem to be.

btw I spoke to some Dutch phd-ers at a conference and they were not classed as students at all but as staff with pensions and everything! I now call myself a PhD Candidate to get away from the 'student' - lazy, do nothing, long holidays - connotations (apologies to any undergrads out there - I know it isn't really like that, at least as a parent, or if you are doing paid work as well).

Hello!

I've just found this thread. I have wanted for a good few years now to do research into a very particular area, and I have been encouraged to look into the possiblity of doing a PhD at some point. I couldn't start right this year, I don't think, but I could certainly start preparing.

The problem is, I don't really know where to start - I don't even know exactly what topic my area would come under. So I was wondering if you lovely sounding lot could help me!

I've got a BSc (Hons) Nursing Studies but only a 2:2. That was completed in 2002. Since then, I've done a DipHE in breastfeeding counselling (completed 2006) and discovered that I am fascinated by a topic area which I would like to research further. I have been told that my lack of good degree shouldn't be a problem, so long as I can prove my enthusiasm and knowledge.

What I want to research is the impact on society, or the family, or women as a group, of parents being disempowered by the health care system, popular books about parenting, and society as a whole. I feel that the constant testing we have to have as pregnant mums, and then during birth and afterwards; being told what to do and when/how to do it, among many other things - I have identified lots and lots of things that potentially disempower parents, and particularly women...and also lots and lots of potential effects of this disempowerment.

So I want to contact some universities to just ask their advice, really, as to what I can be doing in the next year or two to put myself in a position to be accepted to undertake a research degree, but, at the moment, my main issue is that I don't really know what topic my area comes under!

Is it health sciences? Sociology? Psychology? Gender studies? Something else!?

Can anyone advise?

Not teaching to suck eggs at all! That sounds like the best starting point - thank you!

OU seem fairly strict on their entry requirements...2:1 or higher. Although I do know OU consider other things.

A uni close to me as a pscyho-social dept.

That looks good, Prolesworth. I'm very scared to email though

I've sent emails to those two OU departments and to UWE psycho-social dept.! Eek!

Engelbert - yes I did. I've worked with lesbian parents in the past. I'll have a look at the details from that paper :)

I agree it's people not subject. My PhD could fit under many different subjects. I am a fellow in more than one society/instiute. I go to conferences in many subject areas. I'm putting together a research bid with people in different areas. And neither of my examiners will be from the same type of school as mine.

We are all interdisciplinary now

I'd suggest finding people whose writing you like and approaching it that way too.

Google scholar is good if you don't have access to journals through a uni library.

(And I'll PM you with some other info as I don't want to out myself )

Thank you, Alice, again!

flamingo - i'd talk your ideas through with sarah earthy at surrey. she popped into my head as soon as i read your area of interest. (soc of health and illness, and social policy). isn't specifically pg orientated from a research pov, but would definitely be able to point you in the right direction, i'm sure (having had discussions along similar lines). and she's lovely.

Thank you, madwomanintheattic. I'll send her an email - will it be easy to find her contact details on the surrey website (that'll be weird, seeing pics from there after so long!)

Found her

aww

don't tell her where you got her details, flamingo, she'll be wanting to know why i'm mning instead of writing up. i think i still owe her an essay somewhere along the line...

Madwoman - don't worry! I thought she might not take me seriously if I said 'some woman on Mumsnet told me your name' Can you PM me your real name, though, so if she asks who told me about her I can say! I won't say through MN, though.

SAF - good idea. I was thinking I need to re-read things like 'The Continuum Concept' and some Deborah Jackson books as a starting point to finding other literature, so I'm glad you've just confirmed that idea in me!

done

saf - was just saying i've had 3 babies in 3 different countries and been intrigued by the different customs wrt child-bearing and rearing . a good friend was always trying to get me to write a book about childbirth around the world (as well as trying to convince me to get pregnant and move again!) all western though, and even though they differed, suspect a wider view would be much more productive!

i was shocked at one point to realise that my then area of interest was largely funded by geographers... and me without even an 'o' level geography to my name... fortunately, i've come to my senses and wander between soc, bio and defence now. whoever will have me, really.

Flamingo - I have PM'd you also :) Fascinating area

Thank you Miffy - off to read it now! :)