This funding model includes a 36 month fully funded PhD Studentship, in-line with the Research Council values, which comprises a tax-free stipend paid monthly (2024/5 - £19,237) per year and a Full Time Fee Scholarship for up to 3 years, subject to you making satisfactory progression within your PhD.
All applicants will receive the same stipend irrespective of fee status.
Application Closing Date:
23:59 on Tuesday 30th April 2024 for a start date of the 2nd September 2024.
How to Apply
To apply, please complete the project proposal form, ensuring that you quote the project reference, and then complete the online application where you will be required to upload your proposal in place of a personal statement as a pdf document.
You will also be required to upload two references, at least one being an academic reference, and your qualification/s of entry (Bachelor/Masters certificate/s and transcript/s).
Project Title: Queering the Queer: Media Representations of Supernatural Bisexuality
Project Lead: Dr Ben Colliver Ben.Colliver@bcu.ac.uk
Reference: MRSB
Project Description
Mainstream media is a powerful tool for communicating ideas around social norms and values to a wider population. Fictional series are growing in popularity and there is an increasing representation of sexually diverse communities. Bisexual identities are common in media forms that represent the supernatural. Whilst many bi+ characters within these series may be likeable, the very depiction of them as supernatural contributes to the social myth that bisexuality is not a real or valid identity.
This research project therefore analyses fictional representations of bisexual identities within the supernatural genre. Through an in-depth, detailed reading of a range of supernatural series this project intends to critically analyse how bisexual identities are represented within these series, what the dominant narratives are within these series, and to critically analyse both the visual, audio and script elements.
Anticipated Findings and Contribution to Knowledge
Bi+ studies themselves are a growing field, and while there is research on the way that bisexuality is erased both in the media and in society more widely, this study would aim to fill a specific gap looking at a form of media that is increasingly prevalent in television and film at the moment; the story of the “monster” and the Gothic. This is an increasingly important site of analysis given the increasing prevalence of supernatural and gothic television shows including the television remake of Anne Rice’s Interview with a Vampire, as well as other twenty-first century shows such as Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, and Lucifer, and films such as Jennifer’s Body, and the remake of Pet Semetary. It is therefore the optimum time to analyse the media climate and its representations of bisexuality.
It is therefore anticipated that this study will make a contribution to media studies, queer studies and will also have use within a range of social sciences.