Supervisor: Dr Clive Marsh

Funding is available for two students, each to have part-time fees paid for up to five years, plus £1000 per annum in research expenses for the five-year period.

The studentships are only available to applicants who are eligible to pay the UK/EU tuition fee - i.e., those who are permanently resident in the UK or another EU country.

The studentships are for part-time study only and the successful applicants will be expected to commence their studies in September 2012 or as soon as possible thereafter.

Closing Date for Applications:
Open until filled, however a first sifting of applications will occur by 30 April 2012, and the studentships may be awarded immediately after that date.

Research Areas:  Popular Culture/the Arts and Religion/Spirituality

One studentship is likely to be awarded to a person undertaking a more arts-based/literary approach to the field of research, and one to a more empirical enquiry.

Two possible topics for research are:

• An enquiry into how British churches responded to the major social impact of popular culture in the period c.1954-1968
• A qualitative research study of the specific popular culture usage by a selected faith community, or of different UK (Leicester-based) faith communities’ engagement with specifically identified forms of Western popular culture.

Potential students are, however, welcome to suggest topics of interest to them which fall within the research area broadly understood, and which fall within Clive Marsh’s areas of expertise.

Entry Requirements

A first class or upper second in a first degree in a relevant discipline (e.g., religious studies, theology, sociology, history/social history); ideally also a relevant Master’s degree.

Contact for Informal Enquiries:
Dr Clive Marsh
Email: cm286@le.ac.uk

Other Information

The students would join two other PGR students already working on popular culture and religion topics (on Dr Who and on the theme of inspiration in contemporary music-making).

Clive Marsh has good links with staff in other departments and in other institutions, and is a member of the American Academy of Religion and the Society for the Study of Theology. He is co-chair (with UK co-chair Dr Steve Knowles [University of Chester] and international co-chair Dr Michael DeLashmutt [Luther Theological Seminary]) of the Religion and Popular Culture Network.

About the Department

The Institute of Lifelong Learning is a small, friendly department which works with part-time students across a range of ages and at different stages of life and career. There are currently 16 part-time postgraduate research students in the department.