Cardiff School of Art & Design>Staff>Dr Ashley Morgan

Dr Ashley Morgan PhD MA BA (hons) FHEA

​Screen-shot-2011-06-03-at-14.59.08-e1307109646842-150x100.pnge: asmorgan@cardiffmet.ac.uk
t: + 44 (0) 2920 416684
twitter: DrAshleymorgan1





Specialist Subject Areas

Masculinity, Sex and Identity, the body, Cosmetic Surgery, Identity, Feminism.

Qualifications

2005 PhD Cosmetic Surgery and Consumerism – University of Sheffield
1994 MA Psychiatry Philosophy and Society – University of Sheffield
1993 BA (hons) Health Studies and Social Policy – University of Central Lancashire

Biography

Dr Ashley Morgan is a rare beast, a Sociologist in the Cardiff School of Art and Design. She has run and taught modules in Health Studies, Sociology and Psychosocial Studies at several Universities nationwide, including the University of Sheffield, Cardiff University and the University of East London. She was the original Programme Director for BA Media Studies with Visual Cultures at Cardiff Met. She then wrote and launched the theory component for the whole of the Undergraduate Programme in the School of Art & Design, currently known as ‘Constellation’. Her research interests are in cosmetic surgery and more recently, masculinity, especially toxic masculinity in popular culture, politics, and working-class settings, masculinity embodiment and lack of sexuality. She is also researching into older women and representations of the ageing body in both popular culture and in social media texts on sewing.

Current research

Her current research explores masculine identity on television and the importance of the Body to Art and Design students.

Principal publications, lectures, exhibitions and awards

Public Lectures

Sex, Steelworks and Sherlock: A Synopsis of Current Research on Masculinity, Cardiff School of Art & Design, 21 Feb 2019.


Public Engagement

Ashley has been a regular contributor to the following:
BBC Radio Wales as a media pundit and to discuss research on cosmetic enhancement of children.
 ITV to discuss her research on Cosmetic Surgery.
 Member of the panel on gender for The Taming of the Shrew by Jo Clifford, for the Sherman Theatre Cardiff.
 She is currently working on a TV project with contented TV as a contributor and gender expert for Netflix.
Talk on Toxic Masculinity for Whitchurch School Cardiff for Diversity Week.
Ashley was recently interviewed by The Guardian journalist, Owen Jones about mental health among Millennial men.


Publications
Morgan, A (2019) Why the Terms Unisex and Gender Neutral are not Fit for Purpose in Contemporary Clothing and Fashion, Journal of Textile Science and Fashion Technology, ISSN: 2641-192X, DOI: 10.33552/JTSFT.2019.02.000537.

Morgan, A (2019) Why shouldn't men wear skirts? The Conversation, March 14th.  https://theconversation.com/why-shouldnt-men-wear-skirts-112623

 Morgan, A (2019) The real problem with toxic masculinity is that is assumes there is only one way of being a man, The Conversation, Feb 7th.  https://theconversation.com/the-real-problem-with-toxic-masculinity-is-that-it-assumes-there-is-only-one-way-of-being-a-man-110305

 Morgan, A (2019) How celebrity non-experts and amateur opinion could change the way we acquire knowledge, The Conversation, Jan 2nd.  https://theconversation.com/how-celebrity-non-experts-and-amateur-opinion-could-change-the-way-we-acquire-knowledge-106002

 Morgan, A. (2018), 'The suit maketh the man: Masculinity and social class in Kingsman: The Secret Service (Vaughn, 2014)', Clothing Cultures, 5:3, pp.359–376, doi: 10.1386/cc.5.3.359_1

 Morgan, A  (2017) Cosmetic procedures: Ethical Issues,  http://nuffieldbioethics.org/wp-content/uploads/Cosmetic-procedures-Expert-consultation-analysis.pdf.  

 Morgan, A (2015) 'The Rise of the Geek: Exploring Masculine Identity in The Big Bang Theory' (2007), Masculinities: A Journal of identity and Culture, Vol: 2: 31-57.  

 Morgan, A and Walters, A (2011) Practice Based Research – The 'Cinderella' Problem,  

http://www.sd.polyu.edu.hk/DocEduDesign2011  

 Morgan, A and Weir, I. (2009) 'Is visibility a 'trap'?: Exploring the autonomy of the observer/d in the computer game, 'Gridlocked'. WIRAD 1st National Symposium for Emerging Art & Design Researchers Conference Proceedings.   

 Morgan, A. (2006) 'Evaluating Risk and Pain in Elective Cosmetic Surgery', Health, Disease and Illness, Vol: 30: 4.  

 

Publications Pending
Morgan, A. (2019) 'Sex doesn't alarm me': Exploring heterosexual male identity in BBC's Sherlock. Journal of Popular Television, September, 2019.

Morgan, A. (2019) Sherlock Holmes and the Case of Toxic Masculinity for Niles Goins, M, Faber McAlister, J and Alexander, B.K (eds.) The Routledge International Handbook of Communication and Gender, forthcoming.


Awards

2011 – Fellow of the Higher Education Academy

Phd supervision

Ashley is interested in supervising Phds on masculinity, gender and sexuality – especially in Art or Design Contexts. Supervisor for the following prospective PhDs: Researching into Sex Toys and Heterosexual Men. Refiguring the Kamasutra for Contemporary Women in India