Areas of Research

My current primary research interest can be briefly represented as: exploring how childhood disability or illness is framed from within the worlds of medicine, community and family. Through this research interest crucial insights are being generated on the importance of the relationships between these different worlds in the production of meaning. In the process the work challenges existing perceptions within disability studies that children and their families are simple objects of medical inquiry, alongside challenging perceptions in medical sociology that disability is interesting when it happens to previously ‘normal’ adult bodies. Clearly explorations of family and kinship are central to such explorations and I am increasingly pursuing an interest in both the fluidity of kinship relations, which are not framed by biology, and the significance of genetics in ascribing particular narratives of what family is based on biological ties.

An additional long term research activity involves writing on contemporary feminist social theory, in particular in relation to identities, materiality and critical theory. These two areas of work come together at various points, particularly when exploring experiences of and ideas about kinship and care.

To view Janice McLaughlin's publications, group membership and qualifications please see her University profile.

Recently Completed Studies