Leverhulme Fellowship supports exploration of the voices of the marginalised

People fleeing war and persecution, interned in refugee camps, living in fear of racial or sexual violence, or subject to oppressive regimes are the focus of a new project which will investigate their ability to raise awareness of issues they face and take action on their concerns.

Professor Moya Lloyd, from the Department of Government, has been awarded a Leverhulme Major Research Fellowship for her project ‘Rethinking Subaltern Agency’.

It is frequently assumed that vulnerable populations across the world lack the agency to oppose or change their situations. But do they?

Professor Lloyd will investigate how people in precarious situations act to make themselves and their concerns visible; the types of action they engage in; how political spaces are constituted; and what relation vulnerability has to politics and visibility. Central to this will be an exploration and rethinking of the idea of agency.

Professor Lloyd said: “I was absolutely delighted to receive one of these prestigious and highly competitive awards from the Leverhulme Trust.

“I have been thinking about the question of subaltern agency, or how marginalised people’s voices can be amplified, for some time now, and the Fellowship will allow me to concentrate fully on this for the next two years, which I am very excited about.”

The Head of Government, Professor Faten Ghosn, said: “It is fantastic that a member of our department has the opportunity to conduct a relevant piece of research with the support of the Leverhulme Trust.”

Professor Lloyd’s fellowship will be funded for two years, from 1 October 2023 through to 30 September 2025.

The fellowship is funded by the Leverhulme Trust.