Applications are invited for undertaking research for a PhD research project entitled ‘Digital Dimensions of COVID-19 Death Across Communities’. This project will investigate new and changing affordances of digital technologies in saying goodbye, conducting funerals, ways of mourning, expressing grief, consolation and memorialisation focussing on families and bereavement service providers.
Within the scope of the project, in order to evaluate the affordances of digital technologies to manage socially-distanced death-related practices for death professionals, bereaved families (including children), friends and co-workers, the successful applicant will address the following research questions:
- How are/were digital technologies being provided for/used by bereavement service providers and mourners during the pandemic?
- To what extent are digital technologies shaping new death-related practices and changing old ones?
- What are the impacts of digital technologies for the bereaved in managing (socially-distanced) grief and bereavement?
It is anticipated that a range of qualitative and quantitative research methods will be used.
As this is an interdisciplinary cluster, the successful candidate will be a member of the Department of Psychological Health, Well-Being and Social Work, have additional supervisors from Human Geography and English and also have a base in the ‘Living with Death – Learning from COVID’s’ home Department of Geography, Geology and Environment at the University of Hull.
For informal enquiries, please contact lead PhD project supervisor will be Dr Jo Bell ([Email Address Removed]), Senior Lecturer in the Department of Psychological Health, Well-Being and Social Work at the University of Hull.
For more information, watch a recording here of a webinar held in December 2021. You'll hear from programme leaders, supervisors and students talking about the funded opportunities available.
About the ‘Living with Death – Learning from COVID’ research cluster
This multi-disciplinary research cluster programme with five PhD projects will investigate, identify, understand and suggest mitigations for the unintended medium-longer term consequences of socially distanced death. In collaborating across social sciences, health and humanities the cluster will engage with and evaluate approaches (e.g. funeral practices, story telling) to alleviating the intense suffering, grief and bereavement of COVID-19.
The ‘Living with Death – Learning from COVID’ research cluster is led by PI Dr Elsbeth Robson, Reader in Human Geography ([Email Address Removed]).
Submission of thesis
Submission of your final thesis is expected within three years and three months from the start of your PhD scholarship for full time and within five years and six months if studying part-time.
If you need to move into a fourth year (full time) or sixth year (part-time) to complete your thesis, please note that you will not receive a tuition fee waiver or maintenance grant during this period.
Eligibility, entry requirements and how to apply
To find out more about the eligibility criteria, entry requirements and how to apply, please visit the University of Hull PhD scholarships webpage.
International applicants
This opportunity comes with a home fee waiver only.
Closing date for applications
Midnight, 31 January 2022
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