Dr Laura Hodsdon
Senior Research Fellow
Dr Laura Hodsdon is a Senior Research Fellow focusing on identity and culture from a perspective of social justice. Her research is post-disciplinary and uses qualitative and quantitative methods to explore narratives and (in)equality in varying contexts, in particular:
- Heritage and culture: normative discourse, power, and privilege
- Belonging and social spaces: socio-spatial inequalities and identity
- Skills and employment: inequalities in recruitment, experience, and progression
She leads Falmouth's Inequality and Storytelling and Creative Industries Futures research programmes, and is currently leading a European Commission Joint Programming Initiative on Cultural Heritage/AHRC-funded research consortium to explore marginalised intangible cultural heritage in the project Re-voicing Cultural Landscapes: Narratives, Perspectives, and Performances of Marginalised Intangible Cultural Heritage. Other current research is on discourse and power in various contexts including heritage, landscapes, and organisations and work.
After a BA in English Literature at the University of York and PhD in Classics at the University of Leeds, she worked in various policy research roles at the Higher Education Academy (now AdvanceHE) before becoming a policy advisor at the University of Oxford specialising in race and gender equality, implicit bias, and professional development for research staff. She's also a licensed Springboard trainer and ILM Level 5 certified coach, Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Associate for AdvanceHE, and has undertaken research consultancy for Trinity College London. She joined Falmouth University in Spring 2018.
External Links
Qualifications
Qualifications
| Year | Qualification | Awarding body |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | PhD in Classics | University of Leeds |
| 2007 | MA in Classical Civilisation | University of Leeds |
| 2004 | BA in English Literature | University of York |
Membership of external committees
Cornwall FA Inclusion Advisory GroupResearch Interests
Research interests and expertise
My research is post-disciplinary, combining elements of social and cultural geography, sociology, organisational policy, narrative and discourse. Although perhaps disparate at first glance, there is a strong common thread: I use qualitative and quantitative social scientific methods to better understand (in)equality and identify impactful outcomes, in three domains:
Heritage and culture: normative discourse, power, and privilege
- Including hegemonic and marginalised narratives in heritage, and has included discourse analysis of visitors' responses to heritage sites and, currently, research into marginalised heritage and communities within Cornwall.
Belonging and social spaces: socio-spatial inequalities and identity
- Issues of belonging, assumptions about who "should" be where, and inter-group relations in contexts including landscape and heritage
Skills and employment: inequalities in recruitment, experience, and progression
- Building on over ten years' experience working in professional development and equality and diversity policy in higher education, interests include organisational policies and practice from a social justice and equality and inclusion perspective.
My research is underpinned by expertise in qualitative and quantitative data analysis and evaluation:
- Critical discourse analysis
- Focus groups and interviews
- Survey design and analysis
- Statistical analysis
- Equality data and policy analysis
- Evaluation and impact monitoring
Research Topics
- bias
- Gender
- Narrative
- race
- social justice
- socio-spatial inequality
Research Outputs
Publications and research outputs
-
Hodsdon, Laura
(2021), “Picture perfect” landscape stories: normative narratives and authorised discourse, In: Landscape Research, Taylor & Francis, London, ISSN: tbc, Item availability may be restricted. -
Hodsdon, Laura
(2021), Visitors’ discursive responses to hegemonic and alternative museum narratives: a case study of Le Modèle Noir, In: Critical Discourse Studies, Taylor & Francis, London, ISSN: tbc -
Hodsdon, Laura
(2019), ‘I expected … something’: imagination, legend, and history in TripAdvisor reviews of Tintagel Castle, In: Journal of Heritage Tourism, Informa UK Limited, UK, pp. 1-14, ISSN: 1747-6631 -
Rofe, Michael
(2017), Experiencing Online Orchestra - Communities, Connections and Music-Making through Telematic Performance, In: Journal of Music, Technology and Education, Intellect Ltd, UK, 10 (2-3), pp. 257-276, ISSN: 17527066
Externally funded research grants information
| Collaborators | Currency | Funder | HESA Category | Project title | Value | Year ending | Year starting |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Groningen, University of Latvia, and University of Tartu |
€ | Joint Programming Initiative on Cultural Heritage/AHRC | Re-voicing Cultural Landscapes: Narratives, Perspectives, and Performances of Marginalised Intangible Cultural Heritage | 608,374 | 2023 | 2021 | |
| National Trust |
Landscape Research Group | Landscape Stories: an investigation of organisations’ and diverse audiences’ narratives of the countryside to advance landscape justice | 2021 | 2020 |
Research Students
Current research students
Please get in touch if you're interested in undertaking PhD study in any of the following areas:
- Intangible cultural heritage, particularly relating to minoritised communities
- Implicit (unconscious) bias, privilege and power
- Discourse and normative policy and practice, particularly in heritage or organisational contexts
- Equal and inclusive representation and experience in the workplace
Business Engagement
Consultancy and facility services
I am an Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Associate for AdvanceHE.