About the FRRG

We have been based in MMU for nearly 30 years now. This is a student led group.  We are open to all genders and accommodate children feel free to bring friends. We are open to using technology to make this group accessible.

The group meets every fortnight to discuss academic papers/ book chapters or even films. We are open to suggestion and would like ideas from you.

We have an email list if you want to be a part of that contact us.

We accept articles for the blog and will be happy to hear from you. 

Newbie blogger here....

Evening all - Just a short hello and thanks for adding myself to your group. I am a police officer from Manchester. I am also an "out" Transvestite who is happy to discuss all things diversity, Trans or even legal matters with anyone who whould choose to take an interest. I have a policy of "no such thing as a stupid question". Feel free to contact me anytime.

I am gutted to see further down in the Blog that I missed the discussion around The girl with the dragon tattoo. My favorite set of books and also my favourite screen/novel lead character.

Racialising emotional labour and emotionalising racialised labour: Anger, fear and shame in social welfare by Yasmin Gunaratnam & Gail Lewis

It has been a while since we met up. How about we meet up next on 5th June from  4 pm – 6pm 

Room number -  Birley 0.2  Didsbury Campus

We are now based in Disbury Campus http://www2.mmu.ac.uk/travel/didsbury/

The paper  for this session is - Racialising emotional labour and emotionalising racialised labour: Anger, fear and shame in social welfare by Yasmin Gunaratnam & Gail Lewis. 

If you need a copy of the paper send me an email. 

If you have any papers/book chapters you would like to discuss do send them to us. 

St Dymphna Seminars

The St Dymphna Seminars was created in 2012 to provide a safe and open environment for those with an interest in mental health to  discuss issues relating to practice and experience. Inspired by the models of community care in traditions established at Gheel, the seminars aim to educate and reveal aspects of living with mental illness and perspectives on predominant models and treatments that are rarely shared. It is hoped that these seminars will also provide an arena for conflicting stances to witness the reality behind the ideology.

Here is t link to the website. 

http://theswordandfettereddevil.wordpress.com/about/

The Discrimination and Abuse of Trans* Women

"In spite of a more understanding & diverse world, often supported by robust equality legislation, Trans Women are still too often marginalised, discriminated against, excluded from services and from female spaces, at a much greater incidence than the general female population. They are too often denied services, excluded, abused, violently attacked and even murdered. ( At least one a day around the world) Our discussion today will introduce the basics of Trans Awareness, the incidents and causes of discrimination, the abuse & violence this community regularly suffers and the consequent devastating effect on individuals.We will also discuss how this unacceptable behaviour can be changed and suggest some actions for improving the acceptance and respect for all Trans* women. Although we are focusing on Women today, Trans Men, particularly at the start of their transition suffer equally from abuse, attack and murder."

Interesting discussion tonight. Here is a link to the recording of the event click here.  Some of the issues that came up were of sexuality, of how trans* women and men are thought of as asexual or their sexuality is not adequately understood, which problematises  the definition of homosexuality. 

The link between gender and sexuality was also explored and also how one's awareness of gender is formed earlier than one's idea of sexual orientation.  What are your thoughts? would love to hear from you. 

click here to visit the event page

Rachel Mann- Dazzling Darkness

To follow up from the previous post on the Dazzling Darkness event. Interesting discussion about finding meaning and G-d in darkness and a journey through self exploration and choosing between two rights and sometimes two wrongs. Rachel talks about her options and her all too human struggles which make her work universal.

Here is an audio recording of the event today. Rachel read out excepts from her book and a few of her poems.

click here to hear the recording

A big thank you to Reverend Rachel Mann for sharing her work with us and to all those who attended the event and participated.

Rachel Mann is a Church of England priest and is Resident Poet at Manchester Cathedral. Her work – on rock music, poetry and theology – has been widely published in magazines, anthologies and newsprint. 

Here is a link to her  website