Caroline Jackson (she/her) graduated with her MA in Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies from GSU in the Spring of 2021. She is currently working on her Ph.D. in WGSS at Emory University. In this interview, we chat with Caroline about her experience in the MA program as well as her future plans.
Please introduce yourself – name, educational background, year/degree from GSU, area of study/interest in WGSS.
My name is Caroline Jackson and I go by she/her pronouns. Before coming to GSU I earned my BA in WGS from the University of South Florida – Tampa, where I was heavily involved in student organizing around college sexual assault and gender-based violence. I graduated with my MA in WGSS from GSU in the Spring of 2021 and my main area of interest is queer disability studies. My MA thesis was about how queer disabled people talk about their sex lives and how some of them describe an alternative sexual culture, to borrow from Tobin Sieber's term. I am also interested in lesbian feminism, studying neoliberalism, and feminist perspectives on Palestine.
What was your most memorable experience in the WGSS dept at GSU?
It is so hard to choose just one! So, I have narrowed it down to a few. I absolutely LOVED teaching Intro to WGSS and appreciated that I got to get a taste of teaching during my MA. I learned so much about feminism by teaching about it and engaging with the undergraduate students at GSU. Second, I will never forget the moment in Dr. Julie Kubala’s class Feminism and Foucault where Foucault clicked for me, it felt so great to finally be able to engage with a thinker that I previously thought was too difficult for me to grasp. Third, finishing my thesis was SUCH a proud moment. As someone with ADHD the idea of finishing a largely self-paced project was daunting, but Dr. Susan Talburt helped me get to that point and I finished with a project I am quite proud of.
What have you been working on since leaving GSU?
Since leaving GSU, I have completed my first year of the Emory WGSS Ph.D. program. It has been great to stay in Atlanta and to continue learning and growing within this expansive field.
How has an MA in WGSS helped you in your current work or projects?
It is very rare for a student to go directly from a BA into a Ph.D. It can be done, however, GSU was exactly what I needed to elevate my understanding of theory and to have the opportunity to write a thesis during my MA. Now that I have one larger project under my belt, I feel more prepared to tackle my dissertation.
Also, WGSS at GSU helped me to gain a stronger understanding of concepts and theories that evaded me in my undergraduate career. Through my coursework at GSU I gained a grasp on neoliberalism, Foucauldian concepts, tougher feminist and queer theorists such as Leo Bersani and Donna Haraway, and some complex but enriching texts within the margins of Black Feminist thought with Dr. Tiffany King. I needed those two years to expand my knowledge of the field and to experience the rigor of graduate school to prepare me for whatever academic endeavors I will embark on in the future.
Any advice for prospective students considering a degree in WGSS?
WGSS is an incredibly interdisciplinary field, which can be very inviting for students from a variety of academic backgrounds. My advice would be to think through why you might be drawn to this field, what work you can see yourself doing within it, and what topics within WGSS spark your interest. This degree can be whatever you want it to be, but having a clear idea about what grounds your interest is crucial as you decide what classes to take, what your senior project or MA thesis will be about, and what careers best suit you following graduation.
Also, especially for MA students, imposter syndrome is a real feeling, although the hold it has on us is largely false. There may be times when you feel frustrated, left out of the conversation, or unsure of why you are even in the room. Trust in yourself for getting accepted into the MA program and know that we are here to learn. If you already knew everything there is to know about the field, then you wouldn’t be in the program. As you progress you will gain confidence in your ideas and contributions, even if it’s quite shaky at first.
What are your interests and hobbies outside of school? What are you reading/watching/listening to lately?
I love to spend time with my partner Lauren and her dog Clyde. I love cooking when I have the time for it and going on picnics with my friends and loved ones. This summer I plan to get outside a bit more and learn to roller skate *fingers crossed*. I am a big podcast fan and love listening to Sibling Rivalry with Bob The Drag Queen and Monet Xchange, anything by Tig Notaro, and true crime (but not the exploitative kind). In my free time, I also enjoy playing video games and watching reality shows like the Real Housewives of Atlanta, I'd love to read a feminist/queer analysis of the show.