Dr Brigit McWade
Lecturer in Medical SociologyProfile
Research Overview
- Race, racism and health
- Decolonising medical education
- Disability and Mad Studies
- Science and Technology Studies
- Health policy and practice
- Stigma
- Social Inequalities
- Social Justice
Career Overview
I am a Lecturer in Medical Sociology at Lancaster Medical School with research expertise in Disability Studies, Mad Studies, Mental Health, Social and Health Inequalities. I am the Lead for Widening Participation, and co-chair of the MBChB Equity & Justice Committee. I am an elected member of the Medical Schools Council's EDI Alliance.
I have also contributed to the following projects:
- Developing a cortisol sociology, led by Prof. Celia Roberts (ANU).
- Military Lives and Transformative Experiences: Exploring narratives and aged veterans’ well-being project (Aged Veterans Fund funded by HM Treasury), led by Dr. Liz Brester (Lancaster Medical School) and Dr. Sam Clark (Philosophy).
- Rethinking the Sociology of Stigma (Phillip Levehulme Prize), led by Prof. Imogen Tyler, Sociology department, Lancaster University.
-
The emergence of mental health personalisation in a 19th Century lunatic asylum led by Rob Goemans, School of Health and Social Care, Lincoln University.
-
Children, Young People and Flooding: Recovery and Resilience (ESRC Urgency Fund), led by Prof. Maggie Mort, Sociology Department, Lancaster University.
-
European Patient Organisations in a Knowledge Society (European Commission), Sociology Department, Lancaster University.
In 2016, I undertook a visiting Research Fellowship at the School of Disability Studies, Ryerson University, Toronto, Canada.
Teaching
MBChB
- Lectures: Social Model of Disability, Race, Ethnicity & Culture, Migration & Health, Chronic Illness, Health Inequalities
- Problem Based Learning (1st and 2nd Years)
- Special Study Modules (1st and 2nd Years): on racism and health inequalities
- Health, Culture and Society coursework (3rd/4th Years): the relationship between racism and health
In addition, I have extensive teaching experience in the areas of Social Theory, Media Theory, Cultural Theory, Gender & Women's Studies, Science & Technology Studies, Biomedicine & Ethics and Qualitative Research.
I am currently supervising
- Steven Maxwell (Creative Writing) with Zoe Lambert and Hannah Morgan. His project is titled: Human Subjects: A Novel of Stories & Exploring Neurodiversity in Fiction
- Rebecca Parris (Lancaster Medical School) with Dawn Goodwin. Her project is titled: Patient Experience of Diagnostic Delay in Axial Spondyloarthritis
As a new lecturer, I am looking forward to supervising more PhD students in the areas of my expertise. Please do get in touch if you are interested in working with me.
Qualifications
PhD Sociology (July 2014); MA Sociological Research Methods (Distinction); BA Sociology (1st class with honours), Supported Learning Award.
My PhD and MA were funded by an ESRC 1+3 scholarship.
PhD Supervision Interests
Please contact me if you are interested in undertaking doctoral research
Military Lives and Transformative Experiences: Exploring narratives and veterans' well-being
01/10/2017 → 31/03/2020
Research
The Sociology of Stigma
25/03/2013 → …
Research
Society for the Social Studies of Science (4S) Conference
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience
Decolonising Medical Education and Medical Sociology
Oral presentation
Rethinking Medical Sociology
Invited talk
Working with students to tackle racism
Oral presentation
Decolonising Medical Education
Invited talk
Medical Schools Council EDI Alliance (External organisation)
Membership of board
Society for Social Studies of Science (External organisation)
Membership of network
Autism Entangled – Controversies over Disability, Sexuality and Gender in Contemporary Culture
Examination
Psychology and Sexuality (Journal)
Editorial activity
‘Was it autoethnography? Reflections on writing myself in and then out of my research’
Invited talk
Stop ‘sucking off the stigma’: refusing mental health anti-stigma campaigns
Invited talk
Social Science and Medicine (Journal)
Publication peer-review
Sociology of Health and Illness (Journal)
Editorial activity
Journal of Social Policy (Journal)
Editorial activity
Was it autoethnography? The classificatory, confessional and mad politics of lived experience in sociological research
Oral presentation
What can older veterans' experiences of military service tell us about wellbeing?
Oral presentation
Social Theory and Health (Journal)
Editorial activity
Culture, Medicine and Psychiatry (Journal)
Editorial activity
Feminist Studies (Journal)
Editorial activity
BSA Annual Conference
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience
Disability and Society (Journal)
Editorial activity
The Sociological Review (Journal)
Editorial activity
Critical Perspectives On and Beyond the Therapy Industry
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience
The rise of an ‘anti-welfare commonsense’ – stigma, neoliberalism and welfare reform
Invited talk
School of Disability Studies, Ryerson University, Toronto
Visiting an external academic institution
"From Mental Illness to a Social Model of Madness and Distress" - Panel Discussion
Invited talk
Mental health and reflexivity: The role of personal experiences of mental ill-health in medical sociological research
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience
Lancaster Biennial Disability Studies Conference 2016
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience
Qualitative Social Work (Journal)
Publication peer-review
Studies in Social Justice (Journal)
Publication peer-review
Disability and Society (Journal)
Editorial activity
National Survivor User Network (External organisation)
Membership of committee
Methods Mixtures
Participation in workshop, seminar, course
Changing Worlds: Engaging Science and Technology in Art, Academia and Activism
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience
Making Sense of Mad Studies
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience
School of Health and Social Care Research day
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience
Nordic Network for Disability Studies (NNDR)
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience
Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh
Visiting an external academic institution
The Politics of Popular Culture
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience
The Politics of Popular Culture
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience
The Sociological Review (Journal)
Editorial activity
Subjectivity (Journal)
Publication peer-review
Intersectionalities: A Global Journal of Social Work Analysis, Research, Polity and Practice (Journal)
Publication peer-review
Feminist Theory (Journal)
Publication peer-review
The Sociological Review (Journal)
Editorial activity
Hermeneutics- and Arts-based Methods
Participation in workshop, seminar, course
Creative Collisions and Critical Conversations
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience
BSA Annual Conference
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience
Changing Lives and Improving Communities
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience
EASST
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience
2012 Disability Studies Conference
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience
Sociology Intellectual Party, Lancaster Sociology Department
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience
Practising Theory in Feminist Technoscience Studies
Participation in workshop, seminar, course
2nd Postgraduate STS conference
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience
2nd Postgraduate STS conference
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience
Postgraduate Workshop with Annemarie Mol
Participation in workshop, seminar, course
Postgraduate Workshop with Annemarie Mol
Participation in workshop, seminar, course
Making (In)Appropriate Bodies: Between Medical Models of Health, Moral Economies and Everyday Practices,
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience
Distress or Disability? Symposium
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience
CGWS Lunchtime Seminar Series
Participation in workshop, seminar, course
Mini-STS PhD Conference
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience
Retheorising Women’s Health: Shifting Paradigms and the Biomedical Body
Participation in workshop, seminar, course
Intellectual Party 2010: Lancaster Sociology Summer Conference
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience
CGWS Research Day
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience
- Interdisciplinary network in culture, health, ethics and society