Dr Elizabeth Evans
I currently hold an ESRC Post Doctoral fellowship at the University of Bristol, where I am working on four key projects; the substantive representation of women by men; the role of women's groups in politics parties; British by-elections; and a piece of applied political theory exploring women's symbolic representation. My PhD, undertaken through a fully funded bursary from Goldsmiths, University of London, Women's Representation and the Liberal Democrats, is an important contribution to both the global gender and politics scholarship and the study of British political parties and elections. It looks at descriptive, symbolic and substantive representation by and in the Liberal Democrats - a hitherto under-researched area. It has already had a significant impact: I have given several academic conference papers (including, EPOP, PSA, British Liberal Studies, INLOGOV/ESRC and The Gender Research Network); I have also already published two articles in the British Journal of Politics and International Relations and The Political Quarterly, and the media have shown an interest - I have given an interview to Radio 4's Westminster Hour detailing the key findings of my research. Manchester University Press will publish the thesis as a monograph next year.
In 2007 I was a researcher for the Councillors' Commission report on improving diversity as part of a Goldsmiths and University of Manchester collaborative team. The project involved undertaking qualitative and quantitative research, analysing the empirical findings and presenting our findings to the Commissioners. I have refereed articles for a number of journals including Parliamentary Affairs and Political Studies.
I have taught various undergraduate and postgraduate courses at a number of different Universities including: 'UK and European Governance' and 'Themes and Issues in British Politics' at Goldsmiths, University of London; 'Introduction to British Politics' and 'Research Methods in Political Science' at Brunel University; and 'Postgraduate Qualitative Research Methods' at Birkbeck, University of London. In addition I have also supervised dissertation students at Brunel University and co-ordinated the undergraduate mentoring scheme at Goldsmiths. As part of my Post-Doc at the University of Bristol I am course-convener for 'Politics and Policy Making in the UK'.
Academic qualifications
- PhD, Department of Politics, Goldsmiths, University of London
- MA (London), BA (Worcester)
Teaching
- UK and European Comparative Governance and Politics
- Themes and Issues in British Politics
Research interests
Gender and Politics; British politics; Research methods
Selected publications
BooksEvans, E. Gender and the Liberal Democrats: Representing Women? (forthcoming Manchester University Press)
Articles
Evans, E. (2009) 'Can Liberalism Be Feminist?' Spring Edition, 2009 Journal of Liberal History. (Guest Edited Journal on Women and Liberalism).
Evans, E. (2008) 'Supply and Demand: Women Candidates and the Liberal Democrats' British Journal of Politics and International Relations, 4 (10): 590-606.
Evans, E. (2007) 'Grassroots Influence: Pressure Groups within the Liberal Democrats' The Political Quarterly, 78 (1): 95-103.
Conference Papers
Childs, S. & Evans, E. (2009) The Year in Review: Women's Descriptive Representation in British Politics. Paper presented at the American Political Science Association Annual Meeting 2009, Toronto, Canada.
Evans, E. (2009) British By-Elections: Political Recruitment. Paper presented at EPOP 2009, University of Strathclyde.
Evans, E (2008) The Liberal Democrats and the Substantive Representation of Women. Paper presented at EPOP 2008. University of Manchester.
Evans, E & Silvester, J (2008) Women in Local Politics: Women Candidates and the Role of Parties Invited lecture presented 26th June at Demos. ESRC funded series organised by Inlogov.
Evans, E (2008) A Feminist Analysis of the Liberal Democrats Invited lecture 21 May 2008 Gender Beyond New Labour, SoSS Gender Research Network. University of Manchester.