Blog

Members of SHaME and invited guests reflect on current events, their research, recent conferences, ethical dilemmas, and other items of interest.

An Evening Celebrating Professor Joanna Bourke

General
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In July 2023, colleagues, friends, and students of Professor Joanna Bourke (PI of the SHaME Project) came together to mark Joanna's retirement from Birkbeck, University of London. SHaME's Allison McKibban shares about the evening, which included a panel discussion of her work, an interview, and a video tribute.
Beam of light against cement wall. Photo by Callum Wale on Unsplash

Spotlight On: Fiona Ellis

Spotlight On
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In this edition of Spotlight On, SHaME Director Dr Ruth Beecher interviews Fiona Ellis from Survivors In Transition.

Historicising the Perpetrators of Sexual Violence: Global Perspectives - Special Issue: Women’s History Review

Publications
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SHaME's Associate Fellow Dr Stephanie Wright and Director Dr Ruth Beecher present a special issue of Women's History Review aimed at historicising the perpetrators of sexual violence from a global perspective.

Bureaucracy, Emotion and Sexual Violence: A Podcast from Marybeth Hamilton with Rhian Keyse and Ruth Beecher — (Un)Silenced: Institutional Sexual Violence

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How can historians meaningfully and ethically research past experiences of sexual violence? History Workshop Online's Dr Marybeth Hamilton and SHaME's Dr Ruth Beecher and Dr Rhian Keyse discuss the often surprising dynamics of the histories they’ve uncovered – and the strategies and supports they’ve developed for navigating their own emotions in conducting such emotionally challenging research.

Activism Against Sexual Violence: A Podcast from Marybeth Hamilton with Allison McKibban, George Severs, and Rhea Sookdeosingh — (Un)Silenced: Institutional Sexual Violence

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What is the history of activism against sexual violence? History Workshop Online's Marybeth Hamilton and SHaME's Dr Rhea Sookdeosingh, Dr George Severs, and Allison McKibban complicate the dominant histories, strategies, narratives, and stigmas associated with sexual violence.

Rape Revisited: Joanna Bourke reflects on historicizing sexual violence for Women's History Review

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SHaME Director Ruth Beecher sits down with PI Joanna Bourke to reflect on changing understandings, societal developments, and new perspectives between two of her groundbreaking works on sexual violence: Rape (2007) and Disgrace (2022).

(Un)Silenced: Institutional Sexual Violence

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How has sexual violence been produced through different institutional cultures of harm? And what strategies have survivors used to counter silence, shame, and stigma? The SHaME team explores various forms of institutional sexual violence in a series originally published with History Workshop Online in 2022.

Shameless! Festival London: The Virtual Experience

Shameless! Festival
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A variety of talks from the 2021 Shameless! Festival of Activism Against Sexual Violence are now available to stream on the Birkbeck Youtube channel with captions.

The Shameless! Podcast: Voices From the Festival

Podcasts
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SHaME Postdoctoral Research Fellows Dr George Severs and Dr Rhian Keyse speak to contributors from the 2021 Shameless! Festival of Activism Against Sexual Violence about their work, their reflections on the festival, and their insights on creating a rape-free world.

Sexual Harms + Medical Encounters

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Professor Joanna Bourke is the Principal Investigator for Sexual Harms + Medical Encounters, a five-year Wellcome Trust-funded interdisciplinary research group based at Birkbeck, University of London. In this inaugural post, Joanna discusses what motivated her return to studying sexual violence.

‘Speaking Out’, Colonialism and Forced Marriage by Dr Rhian Keyse — (Un)Silenced: Institutional Sexual Violence

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Child marriage is often conceived of as embedded in the past, but there is little attention to its historical context. Rhian Keyse explores how this obscures the shifting dynamics and social meanings of such practices.

'Speaking Out' against Colonialism and Sexual Violence by Allison McKibban — (Un)Silenced: Institutional Sexual Violence

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When does the call for ‘speaking out’ against sexual violence begin to silence? Reflecting on the #MeToo moment, Allison McKibban argues mainstream Western movements against sexual violence are often insidiously laced with colonial violence. She calls on activists and researchers to embrace a self-reflective and decolonial listening to create a truly transformative movement against sexual violence.

Child Sexual Abuse in the Family by Dr Ruth Beecher — (Un)Silenced: Institutional Sexual Violence

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Is the family a place of safety or a trap? SHaME Director Dr Ruth Beecher explores the institution of the family and the (lack of) recognition of child sexual abuse within it.

Hearing Male Survivors by Dr George Severs — (Un)Silenced: Institutional Sexual Violence

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Dr George Severs argues that the history of male victims of rape and sexual violence should make us all alert to the ways in which gender norms silence male experiences of abuse, and prompt us to hear hear male survivors who are so often both silent and silenced.

Involuntary Sterilization by Allison McKibban — (Un)Silenced: Institutional Sexual Violence

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Can medical institutions participate in colonial violence? SHaME's Allison McKibban argues the involuntary sterilization of tens of thousands of Native American women in the 1970s must be rehistoricised as part of the U.S. government’s broader campaign of genocide.

Between Vulnerability and Sexual Agency by Dr Stephanie Wright — (Un)Silenced: Institutional Sexual Violence

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SHaME Associate Fellow Dr Stephanie Wright explores how society approaches the sexual desires of those with disabilities. She establishes how the historical lack of acknowledgement of vulnerable people's sexual autonomy can result in an increased possibility of harm. 

An Introduction to (Un)Silenced: Institutional Sexual Violence

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SHaME Public Engagement Coordinators Dr Rhea Sookdeosingh and Allison McKibban introduce (Un)Silenced, a series in collaboration with History Workshop Online, which explores how sexual violence relates to various societal institutions.

Podcast: What's Missing from the Conversation? Design and Sexual Violence

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SHaME's Charlie Jeffries and Avni Patel chat with Thomas Andrew Faulker and Kalpana Viswnath to explore the role of design in preventing sexual harm in public and private spaces. Does it exist? If so where?

Podcast: George Severs x Tanaka Mhishi: 'Sons and Others: On Loving Male Survivors'

Publications
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SHaME's George Severs interviews author and activist Tanaka Mhishi about his powerful book 'Sons and Others: On Loving Male Survivors' following its launch late last year.

CFP: Humour and Sexual Violence Workshop

Call for papers
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The SHaME project is pleased to present a Call for Papers for our upcoming workshop, 'Humour and Sexual Violence', taking place online on 15 March 2023.

Reflections on Ecoar!

General
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On 24 September, Ecoar!, the second Shameless! Festival of Activism Against Sexual Violence took place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Seeking to empower survivors in their healing, and to provide a call to action for urgent changes to professional practice and policy around abuse, the festival aimed to create a space to share perspectives and build ongoing collaborations. The SHaME delegation to Rio reflect on their experience.