I am a queer feminist academic working on intersectionalities linked to gendered-sexualities, crisis and disaster. My current work explores sexual consent, particuarly in queer spaces and relationships.
I have worked and researched on gendered issues across the globe - Sri Lanka, New Orleans, USA, the U.K. and 'International Development' more generally. This has included collaborations with Oxfam, UNRISD and Plan International.
As Co-Chair of the MDX Gender Network I am active in promoting an intersectional gendered lens across all we do. I am also a member of the Athena SWAN SAT and Stonwall SAT Committees.
I teach from a research-led perspective and actively seek to foster inclusive learning communities. I am a member of the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Committee (LGBTQ+ Subgroup) and The MDXSU Student Leadership Working Group. My teaching focuses on supportive learning through gamification, role-play and case studies for an interactive, playful approach to learning.
Education:
2020: PGCert in Higher Education. Middlesex University.
2017: PhD, "Young Women Growing Up in Post-Katrina New Orleans: An exploration of the intersections of genders, sexualities and youth," School of Law, Middlesex University
2010: MSc in Social Science Research Methods, Middlesex University
2009: MSc in Gender, London School of Economics and Political Science
2007: BA (Hons) Third World and Development Studies with English Literature, Middlesex University
I am interested in how genders intersect with other aspects of our identities, particularly life course and sexualities. I apply a gendered lens across all of the modules I teach.
SOC1273: Exploring Inequality, Qualitatively
My research background is within qualitative research and I am passionate about teaching within this area, particularly feminist methodologies and ethics. This module seeks to introduce students to qualitative research methods through examining "real life" qualitative interviews and engaging in methods workshops using creative and participatory methods like Photovoice.
POI1302: The Politics of Sustainability and Development
This module goes back in time to provide students with an in-depth and critical knowledge about the current 'sustainable' development international agenda. We examine colonial legacies, poverty, gender, climate change and much more as well as the role of International Actors. The module is project-based and is based on an "all feedback, no grades" approach to learning to foster students' creativity and promote active learning.
POI2306: Gender, Power and Politics
This second year module draws on my research and education to critically examine the politics and power relations around gender. We work collaboratively on a student-led event, engage with reflective writing and learn the "roots" of feminisms by exploring Black feminist theory, intersectionality, queer theory and students are encouraged to develop their own feminism.
POI3015: Humanitarianism and Global Change
This module brings together a range of crisis events that "require" humanitarian response and problematises the lines between aid and development through looking at processes of global change.
SSC4603: Human Rights and Sustainable Development
This module is media-focused taking a "flipped classroom" approach to learning where students watch a series of short videos on a topic each week along with the linked readings and then participate in skills-based workshops to examine policy and theory related to Human Rights and Sustainable Development.
I am working on research at different lifecourse stages focused on LGBTQ+ womxn and non-binary people. I am particuarly interested in queer social spaces - online and IRL.
I am exploring the intergenerational impacts of different types of crisis on gendered experiences. Within this, I take a broad view of crisis from the perspective of those who have survived catastrophe themselves, including 'natural' disaster, conflict and violence.
I am interested in understanding the specific experiences of young people who experience a disaster in their youth, particularly young adults rather than children.
This research explored how women at different stages in their lives and careers experienced the 2018 UCU-USS strikes through semi-structured interviews.
Overton, Lisa (2022) Stay Safe. Sociological Review Magazine, Online.
Overton, Lisa (2022) Why relationships matter post-disaster: Focus on queer-identified young women and gender diverse people who ‘grew up’ in Post Katrina New Orleans. In: LGBT Liberation: LGBT lives and issues in the context of normativities. UCU Conference, 2nd - 4th November 2021, Online. (Accepted/In press)
Bradshaw, Sarah and Linneker, Brian and Overton, Lisa (2022) Creating disaster risk and constructing gendered vulnerability. In: Why Vulnerability Still Matters: The politics of disaster risk creation. Bankoff, Greg and Hilhorst, Dorothea , eds. Routledge Studies in Hazards, Disaster Risk and Climate Change . Routledge, pp. 51-67. ISBN 9781032113418
Bradshaw, Sarah and Linneker, Brian and Overton, Lisa (2017) Extractive industries as sites of supernormal profits and supernormal patriarchy? Gender & Development , 25 (3). pp. 439-454. ISSN 1355-2074
Overton, Lisa (2017) “Girls Interrupted”: Young women ‘growing up’ in post-Katrina New Orleans: an exploration of the intersections of genders, sexualities and youth. PhD thesis, Middlesex University.
