January was long enough that NYE feels like a distant memory, but Lunar New Year is just around the corner and that is enough to justify a “New Year, New Me” introduction. 

My name is Beth, and I am taking the reins of the SGSAH blog for the next six months. I’m a first-year SGSAH funded PhD researcher based at the University of Edinburgh. My research focuses on the female body in media, arts, and popular science in Republican China (1910s – 1949), looking at the interaction and tension between culture and science when it comes to gender roles and ideas of femininity.

My PhD vaguely builds on my master’s research on the artist Pan Yuliang, with a pivot away from strict art history to more of a socio-cultural approach. I suppose the core question I’m always trying to figure out is just how the images which surround us shape our own understanding of things like gender, social norms, and self identity. Currently, my main question is whether I can get away with quoting the Barbie movie in my thesis…

Outside of academic research, my background is in education and outreach, and I’m really excited to take on the challenge of helming the SGSAH blog! You’ll inevitably be hearing more about me and my research (and my cat), but this is not a solo ride. The SGSAH blog exists for arts and humanities researchers across Scotland, and is full of guest posts from PhD students, independent researchers, and academics sharing their wisdom and their woes. It’s been quiet here for a while, but I am ready and raring to get going and start sharing your stories again. 

All that is to say, I want to hear from you. 

Whether you’re itching to share your research, want to share something you’re really proud of, or want space to vent about the challenges of life as a researcher, this blog is a space for you. My job is to support you and elevate your voices and experience in every aspect of PhD life.

There is more information about how to submit on this page, with some suggestions for the kind of blogs I would love to share, but I want to hear all of your ideas. If you have any pitches, suggestions, or vague ideas you would like to turn into a blog, please drop me an email (beth.price@ed.ac.uk) or message me on X/Twitter (@sgsahblog). 

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