Jennifer Ball

Introduction 

I began my higher education journey at Bangor University in 2015, beginning with a BA in Philosophy and Religion.

After graduating in 2018, I was granted the opportunity to pursue a Research Masters project under an "Excellence Scholarship" awarded by the University. My MRes project was based upon contemporary Paganism, which I split into two smaller essays and a thesis. The submissions were entitled:
Commodified Witchcraft: The influence of the 1990s “media witch craze” on Wicca as a religion today.
The revival of nature-based religions: An investigation into the ancient roots of contemporary Druidry.
“Paganism is fast-developing as the new religion of the twenty-first century”: An investigation into the rapid growth of Paganism in contemporary western society.

I am currently completing my PhD here at Bangor University, which is focussed upon the LGBTQ+ community within contemporary Paganism. The existing statistics on Paganism suggests that there is a uniquely high number of LGBTQ+ practitioners. I have therefore conducted my own sociological investigation into the heteronormative and cisnormative themes within contemporary Pagan practice, and the extent to which they may impact the LGBTQ+ community within it. 

Academic Experience

As well as being invited to talk at conferences both UK wide and internationally, I have also been employed by Bangor University as a teaching assistant for a multidisciplinary module entitled "Serial Killers". My role was to conduct weekly seminars, discussing philosophical themes that can be applied to the topic of serial murder. 

I was shortlisted for the "Postgraduate who Teaches Award" at the 2024 Student Led Teaching Awards.

Research Interests

I have a strong philosophical background, but my research interests primarily reside within philosophical and sociological examinations of ethical topics such as gender, sexuality, cultural appropriation, pop-culture influence and environmentalism, particularly within the religious context of contemporary Pagan belief systems.