BA (Hons) in Philosophy, University of Melbourne; PhD in Philosophy, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Emma is a philosopher and interdisciplinary scholar specialising in feminist and social theory. Emma’s research interests are interdisciplinary and diverse. She is especially interested in and has written on body politics and diet culture online, the philosophy of education and educational justice, sexual ethics, and how ideology functions in post digital contexts (contexts in which technologies are ubiquitous and cannot be easily separated from “non-digital” life). Emma holds a Lecturer position in Sociology at CSU, and teaches subjects in philosophy, social work, and the Graduate Certificate of Intersectionality, Diversity and Inclusion. She is co-convenor of the Social Equality, Intersectionality and Inclusion Research Group (SEIIRG), and a member of the Practical and Public Ethics Research Group (PAPER), and has several research project collaborations with colleagues from and outside CSU. Emma also facilitates the Intersectionality Walk Diversity and Inclusion training offered through CSU. Before coming to CSU, Emma completed her Honours (First Class) in Philosophy at the University of Melbourne in 2013, winning the Hastie Exhibition Scholarship for her thesis exploring the function of sexually objectifying speech. In 2015, Emma was awarded a Presidential Fellowship at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (US) to commence a PhD in Philosophy. She completed her PhD in 2021. Her dissertation focused on sexual consent, sexual ethics, sexual ideologies, and sexual injustice. Emma has extensive experience teaching in academic settings, from teaching diverse philosophy subjects to undergrads at The University of Melbourne, The Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and CSU, to teaching post-graduate students in the Graduate Certificate of Intersectionality, Diversity and Inclusion at CSU. Emma takes an inclusive, student-centered approach to teaching aimed at supporting student confidence, competence, and critical thinking. Emma is also experienced in and passionate about community education, having taught as part of the Big Questions program (aimed at bringing philosophy to primary school children in Melbourne) and the Corrupt the Youth Program (aimed at supporting the academic confidence of socioeconomically disadvantaged high school students in New York City). Emma is also a qualified sex and consent educator. Emma has diverse, interdisciplinary research interests. She is passionate about producing research for academic and social impact, and to enhance understanding of social (in)justice. Her PhD dissertation focuses on sexual consent, sexual justice, and sexual ethics, and incorporates research from philosophy, feminist theory, sociology, and psychology. Emma has published research analysing contemporary online diet communities utilising feminist approaches and “hashtag ethnography” (the ethnography of online spaces). Emma maintains a strong interest analysing in online spaces, including radicalising online communities (such as “Incel” communities). Emma is also interested in research related to diversity and inclusion and intersectionality, and is working with A/Prof. Cate Thomas and SEIIRG in these and related areas. Emma is also interested in supporting the research other researchers and research teams though help with grant and funding information and research strategy formation.
Teaching and Research Staff4198966
Dr Emma Marija Atherton