Today I saw my first opera. It was screened into the cinema which works well for me as a) there are subtitles and b) it is much cheaper (I have an Infinity membership so ‘events’ such as ballet, opera and National Theatre Live cost me less than ten pounds). Therefore this is a much cheaper […]
Tag Archives: prison
March
11
Rich pedagogical gifts
posted by plasticdollheads
“Class distinctions do not die; they merely learn new ways of expressing themselves” (Hoggart, 1989, cited in Crew, 2021). I would like to dedicate this blog to all of the women whose resolve and dedication to education inspire me every day. I would also like to thank everybody around me who is supportive of innovation […]
April
14
Podcast- Trauma-informed teaching
posted by plasticdollheads
I have recorded a short podcast below on the value of trauma-informed teaching. I write about trauma throughout my blog and as a teacher with CPTSD I am committed to a trauma-led pedagogical approach. I welcome contact on twitter @plasticdollheads Or via email me via my institution staff webpage here. Kind wishes, Gemma x
March
06
‘Carceral feminism’ and its critics
posted by plasticdollheads
***Trigger warning, this blog post contains emotive and distressing descriptions and content. This is very much the start of a conversation and a series of articles I am drafting in response to critiques of ‘carceral feminism’. It is by no means an absolute answer. I will engage respectfully with those who wish to genuinely reach […]
November
09
Writing is rupture
posted by plasticdollheads
I write a lot. For myself mostly. Private blog posts, journal, stories, lists, letters. Anything and everything. It is how I think and grapple with contested ideas. When I was at primary school we had the honour of having Toxteth poet Levi Tafari come and read to us. He told us we could be writers […]
November
08
Criminologist or Criminal? Liminal spaces and trauma
posted by plasticdollheads
[**trigger warning- this post contains depictions of extreme violence that you may find causes distress**]. A recent incident by a journalist has left me reeling in terms of mental heath. I have decided to share this writing here and welcome contact from fellow survivors. I will not be debating abolitionism or having to justify or […]
August
26
Bearing witness
posted by plasticdollheads
You can probably tell I am coming to the end of a long period of annual leave (5 glorious weeks to be exact). My mind is clearer and I am re-energised and motivated. My husband took this photo of me today, and it made me think. Good charities and orgs want their clients to develop […]
August
24
Orange is the New Black: Women’s Centres Continued
posted by plasticdollheads
[Image belongs to Dr Nicola Harding, Lancaster University, and was accessed from Nicola’s twitter account. Nicola has written a leading text on women’s centres, you can access it here .] My previous post on women’s centres can be accessed here. I have also written about them in this earlier post. My main arguments […]
August
04
Sisters’ Keepers: The Case of Women’s Centres
posted by plasticdollheads
Acknowledgements Thank you to fellow researchers in the field who have supported my writing and encouraged me with many phone calls and messages There is incredible talent in this field. In particular thank you NH, AHS, KG, TA, EJ. Also thank you to all the Gender and Crime seminar students- you taught me a lot […]
February
02
Prisons and Theology
posted by plasticdollheads
Today is the final day of Christmas, it’s Candlemas. Now we head towards Easter and if you are a Christian, the cross. Yesterday I blogged about space and emotions. Today Rev Richard Ormond (highly recommend you give him a follow) tweeted the following link. “There’s something very powerful about our sense of place. […]
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