Jo Woodiwiss joined the division of Criminology, Politics and Sociology in 2007 having previously taught Sociology at the University of York, the University of East Anglia and Leeds Trinity and All Saints. Jo’s interests are broadly within the areas of self and identity, therapeutic and self-help cultures, health and well-being, childhood sexual abuse, narratives, and interpersonal sexual violence. In addition to teaching Sociology Jo has been involved in Women's Aid in both York and Wakefield for the last ten years.

Teaching Responsibilities

Module co-ordinator for:

• The Body and Society (level 3)
• Gender, Sexuality and Crime (level 2)
• Introduction to the Sociology of Culture (level 1)

Contributions to

• Representations of Crime (level 1)
• Social Theory (level 2)
• Research methods (level 1)

Dissertation supervision – Areas inc.: gender, the body, sexuality, childhood, crime, domestic violence, child sexual abuse, and mental health and well-being

Research interests:

My research interests are broadly within the areas of self and identity, therapeutic and self-help cultures, health and well-being, childhood sexual abuse, narratives, and interpersonal sexual violence. I am particularly interested in the intersections between childhood sexual abuse, health and well-being, narratives, and self and identity,

Projects:

I am currently researching childhood sexual abuse and multiple personality.

2011

Woodiwiss, J (2011) ‘From the public to the private – multiple identities in a changing landscape’. In: British Sociological Association Annual Conference 2011, 6th - 8th April 2011, London School of Economics, London, UK

2010

Woodiwiss, J (2010) ‘Gendered narratives of sex, health and well-being’. In: Sociological Perspectives of Health and Illness. Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK: Cambridge Scholars Publishing. pp. 97-114. ISBN 978-1-4438-2548-1

Woodiwiss, J (2010) ‘Constructing multiple selves in a virtual landscape’. In: International Conference Landscapes of the Self: Identity, Discourse Representation, 24th-26th November 2010, Evora, Portugal

Woodiwiss, J (2010) ‘Childhood sexual abuse: a contemporary story’. In: BSA Annual Conference 2010 - Inequalities & Social Justice, 7th-9th April 2010, Glasgow Caledonian University, UK

Woodiwiss, J (2010) ‘A story for our time: contemporary narratives of childhood sexual abuse’. In: Research Festival School of Human and Health Sciences, 8th-18th March 2010, University of Huddersfield

2009

Woodiwiss, J (2009) ‘"Compulsory sexuality": a measure of well-being’. In: 9th Conference of European Sociological Association: ESA 2009, 02 - 05 September 2009, Lisbon, Portugal

Woodiwiss, J (2009) Contesting Stories of Childhood Sexual Abuse . London, UK: Palgrave . ISBN 9780230574045

Woodiwiss, J (2009) ‘Constructing stories of childhood sexual abuse’. In: Fourth International Conference on Interdisciplinary Social Sciences, University of Athens, Greece 8-11 July 2009, 8-11 July 2009, University of Athens, Greece

Woodiwiss, J (2009) ‘'Alternative Memories' and the Construction of a Sexual Abuse Narrative’. In: Memory Matters. London, UK: Taylor & Francis. . ISBN 9780415444910

Woodiwiss, J (2009) ‘Constructing stories of childhood sexual abuse’ International Journal of Interdisciplinary Social Sciences , 4 (5), pp. 91-100. ISSN 1833-1882

Woodiwiss, J (2009) ‘From PMS to CSA: women and self-help culture’. In: British Sociological Association Annual Conference 2009, 16-18 April 2009, Cardiff, Wales

Woodiwiss, J (2009) ‘Gendered narratives of health and (psychological) well-being’. In: Conference of the Cyprus Sociological Association and the Hellenic Sociological Association 2009, April 3-5 2009, Nicosia, Cyprus

2008

Woodiwiss, J (2008) ‘'Compulsory sexuality': a guide to healing?’ Culture Health & Sexuality , 10 (4), pp. 345-359. ISSN 13691058

2007

Woodiwiss, J (2007) ‘Narrating a Sense of (Sexual) Well Being’. In: Narrative and Memory. Huddersfield: University of Huddersfield. pp. 99-109.

Woodiwiss, J (2007) ‘Politics, Responsibility and Adult Victims of Childhood Sexual Abuse’ Sociological research online , 12 (2). ISSN 1360-7804

2006

Woodiwiss, J (2006) ‘Alternative Memories: Searching for Knowledge, Telling a Story’. In: Narrative, Memory & Knowledge: Representations, Aesthetics, Contexts. Huddersfield: University of Huddersfield. pp. 137-147.

Woodiwiss, J (2006) ‘Narrating a sense of sexual well-being’. In: Narrative and Memory Research Group 6th Annual Conference, April 8th 2006, Huddersfield, UK

Woodiwiss, J (2006) ‘Alternative memories: searching for knowledge, telling a story’. In: Narrative, memory and knowledge. Huddersfield, UK: University of Huddersfield. . ISBN 9781862180512

2005

Woodiwiss, J (2005) ‘Sex and the survivor’. In: Feminist & Women's Studies Association Annual Conference, September 2005, Aberdeen, Scotland

Woodiwiss, J (2005) ‘'Alternative memories': Searching for knowledge, telling a story ’. In: Narrative and Memory Research Group 5th Annual Conference, Saturday 9th April 2005, Huddersfield, UK

Woodiwiss, J (2005) ‘(Re)writing Memories: Childhood Sexual Abuse and Everyday Life ’. In: Narrative, Memory & Everyday Life. Huddersfield: University of Huddersfield. pp. 153-159.

Woodiwiss, J (2005) ‘(Re)writing memories: childhood sexual abuse and everyday life’. In: Narrative, Memory and Everyday Life. Huddersfield, UK: University of Huddersfield. . ISBN 9781862180758

2004

Woodiwiss, J (2004) ‘Politics, responsibility and childhood sexual abuse’. In: British Sociological Association Annual Conference 2004, Monday 22nd March – Wednesday 24th March 2004, York, UK

2003

Woodiwiss, J (2003) ‘Book Reviews’ Feminist Theory , 4 (2), pp. 227-229. ISSN 1464-7001

Self-help and therapeutic cultures

We live in a world in which the stories we tell about ourselves are increasingly informed by a therapeutic culture which has seen an explosion of self-help literature (aimed primarily at women) and where greater emphasis is placed on looking inward for possible causes of and solutions to our troubles. Self-help and therapeutic cultures are of increasing interest to sociologists and psychologists and this has led some to ask whether it is politically conservative, liberating, feminist or antifeminist.

Proposals are invited which look sociologically at issues around self-help and / or therapeutic cultures and therapeutically informed stories, particularly as they relate to ideas about cultural consumption and the transmission of ideas around gender, the self and identity.

Sexual / violent crime and the media

The media coverage of sexual / violent crime such as domestic violence/abuse, rape / sexual assault and child sexual abuse has always contained an element of sensationalism. Whether it is the construction of the child sex abuser or paedophile as evil pervert, the vilification of Myra Hindley and ‘women who kill’, or the creation of ‘date-rape’, such coverage also contains a number of underlying (gendered) messages.

Proposals are welcomed from those interested in a sociological analysis of sexual / violent crime as it is reported in and reflected by the media, and / or the ways in which media representations of such crimes are increasingly permeating all aspects of everyday life, language and thought.

(Narratives of) the self and identity

The late 20th / early 21st centuries have seen a turn to the self and a ‘frantic search for identity’. Rather than a stable, core self, unchanging through each individual’s progress through life, the self of late modernity is recognised as a process, continually in the making. It can be seen as a project to be worked on and continually reconstructed in light of new experiences, challenges and understandings, and as something continually retold through the re/construction of ‘narratives of self’. It is an area increasingly of interest to sociologists as well as theorists from gender studies, cultural studies, psychoanalysis and political theory.

Proposals are encouraged from those looking sociologically at issues around the self and identity, including narrative constructions of self.

Sexuality and gender

Sexuality and gender provide two of the most basic narratives through which identities are constructed. These interrelated issues are no longer primarily seen as natural but increasingly recognised as socially constructed. Over the last 100 years there has been a radical transition in attitudes to sex and pleasure in contemporary society, accompanied by an ever-greater social acceptance of a diverse range of sexual identities and sexual practices. However, not all sexual practices or identities are granted the same degree of freedom.

Proposals are welcomed which look sociologically at sexuality and gender including: the relationship between sexuality and gender; gendered sexualities; ‘deviant sexualities’; sexual hierarchies.

Interpersonal / sexual violence

Crimes such as domestic violence/abuse, rape / sexual assault and child sexual abuse are committed primarily by men against women and children. There is an increasing openness surrounding these crimes together with a growing concern from government, the public and specialist agencies to confront abusers, provide for victims and reduce the extent to which these crimes are perpetrated. Sociological interest in this field includes: experiences of domestic violence/abuse, rape/sexual assault, and child sexual abuse; health, social services and police responses; government policy; treatment of victims and perpetrators; punishment and rehabilitation; conviction rates, and concerns over prison populations.

Proposals are welcomed which look sociologically at any of these broad areas.