Rebecca Simmons
- Position: Lecturer
- Areas of expertise: Gender; LGBTQ+; Queer Theory; Embodiment and the Body; Feminisms; Menopause
- Email: R.Simmons@leeds.ac.uk
- Location: 11.04 Social Sciences Building
Profile
Alongside my work as a lecturer in the School of Sociology and Social Policy I am a final year Gender Studies (Sociology) PhD researcher analysing LGBTQ+ experiences of menopause. Before joining the University of Leeds I completed a BSc in Criminology and Psychology at Royal Holloway, University of London, and an MA in Gender, Violence and Conflict at the University of Sussex.
Research interests
I am deeply interested in the areas of gender studies and queer theory, with a particular interest in embodied experiences and how phenomena such as menopause can evoke lived experiences which challenge assumptions about sexed and gendered bodies. More broadly I engage with contemporary issues around LGBTQ+ identities and trans inclusivity while working from an intersectional trans-inclusive feminist position. My work challenges gender norms and destabilises embedded hierarchical dualisms such as male/ female, natural/ artificial, cisgender/ transgender.
Professional memberships
- Associate Fellow HEA
- British Sociological Association
- European Network for Ageing Studies
Student education
I teach on a variety of modules at both undergraduate and taught postgraduate level while also supervising students who are writing their undergraduate and postgraduate dissertations.