Today we hear from Ellie Brain who graduated from Fitzwilliam College in 2020. Her dissertation titled “A Tribute to my Mother: Investigating Invisibilities and ’Sandwiched’ Mothers in Austerity Gateshead” is the University’s entry for the 2020 RGS Alfred Steers Dissertation Prize. Ellie also received the Winifred Georgina Holgate Pollard Memorial Prize for the highest Tripos Grade in her year.
What was your dissertation about?
My dissertation studied ten mothers aged 45- 65 living in Gateshead and explored how austerity reinforced pre-existing pressures of gender, demographic change, and neoliberalism. I documented their stories of survival, resistance, acceptance, and love which appeared to echo the experiences I have witnessed as a daughter throughout my life. My final chapter called upon Geographical research to embrace ‘Me-search’ feminist methodologies in which participants’ relationship with the researcher is not only accepted, but one of value and necessity.
Why is this research important?
My research is important to academia because it considers a number of marginalised intersections I believe are lacking in academic research. Investigating the everyday austerities, me-search methodologies, and the North East of England are all up-and-coming topics but remain marginalised in the majority of geographical literature. Most importantly, the topic of ‘Sandwiched’ mothers (those who care for children, grandchildren, parents, and parents-in-laws simultaneously) was a situation I was witnessing in my own life, but the number of academic texts which even briefly acknowledge sandwiched mothers are in the single figures.
My research was important to me because it contributes to evidence that women like my mum are weaponised by an austere state, it is a ‘tribute’ because these women deserve to be visible.
What would be your advice to current second years planning their dissertation?
I have four pieces of advice.
Firstly, choose a topic that makes you feel something. I felt angry about the geographies I was uncovering – this frustration motivated me to produce a piece of work that told a story I was passionate to expose. Perhaps a topic makes you feel embarrassed, shocked, confused, or ecstatic. In my experience my feelings were key to my drive to work on one piece of work for over a year.
Secondly, an original dissertation is all about looking for gaps in the knowledge in your topic of interest. Maybe your favourite text in your development paper uses a theory that has not been applied to a particular location. Perhaps you want to write about neoliberalism and the patriarchy, but you have not come across much literature from the perspective of X, Y, or Z. Try to find something that is missing; not only will identifying this allow you to feel tremendous fulfilment at the end of your dissertation, you will also gain huge brownie points for producing timely research.
Thirdly, talk to people, quite literally anyone who will listen! They might ask you one question or recommend one paper which re-fames your entire outlook on the project.
Finally, look after yourself. Dissertations are incredibly stressful and there inevitably will be days where you hate your project, or that you don’t think you will ever be able to look at it again. It’s okay to have some time away from the project, and in fact doing so could help. I generated most of my ideas for my dissertation during my ‘time off’ as I ran around West Cambridge site. Sleep, relaxation, and fun will help your final piece, I promise.
Image credits: Ellie Brain
DISCLAIMER: THE VIEWS EXPRESSED IN THIS ARTICLE ARE THOSE OF THE AUTHOR ONLY AND DO NOT REPRESENT THE VIEWS OR OPINIONS OF COMPASS MAGAZINE AS A WHOLE OR THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY.