BA (Hons) in Philosophy, University of Melbourne; PhD in Philosophy, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Emma is an interdisciplinary scholar specialising in feminist and social theory. She 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 under the supervision of Professor Sally Haslanger. Her dissertation focused on sexual consent, sexual ethics, and sexual injustice. Since 2022, Emma has been working with CSU as a teacher in philosophy and in the Graduate Certificate in Intersectionality, Diversity and Inclusion. She has also worked closely with Associate Prof. Cate Thomas and the Social Equality, Intersectionality and Inclusion Research Group (SEIIRG), supporting the development of large grant proposals for research projects in intersectionality and diversity and inclusion. In her current role as Social Sciences Research Fellow, Emma is working to support and enhance the research community and profile of the School of Social Work and Arts. She is also facilitating the Intersectionality Walk Diversity and Inclusion training offered by CSU. Emma’s research interests are interdisciplinary and diverse. She is especially interested in the philosophy of gender and sexuality, sexual consent, sexual ethics, online communities, intersectionality studies, and diversity and inclusion. Emma is also an experienced academic teacher, and values community education and increasing community access to academic ideas and methodologies. 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 Staff
Dr Emma Marija Atherton