Professor Christina Scharff
Professor of Culture and Subjectivity
- Associate Dean for Doctoral Studies, Arts & Humanities
Research interests
- Culture
- Media
Biography
Christina explores gender, media and culture from an international perspective, through theoretically informed empirical research, and collaboration with colleagues and students. Before joining CMCI in 2010, Christina was Fellow in Contemporary Social Thought at the Sociology Department, London School of Economics. Christina has held various research grants from the Economic and Social Research Council and the British Academy.
Research Interests and PhD Supervision
- Digital feminism
- Engagements with feminism
- Inequalities in the cultural and creative industries
- The classical music profession
- Entrepreneurial subjectivities and the psychic life of neoliberalism
Engagements with Feminism
Christina conducted empirical research on young women’s engagements with feminism, postfeminism and neoliberalism (ESRC) and participated in various collaborative projects, such as cooperative inquiry research on dilemmas of femininity (British Academy). Her work on engagements with feminism also includes research on the contemporary postfeminist and neoliberal era, media representations of feminism, and feminist activism in and beyond academia. With Carrie Smith-Prei and Maria Stehle, Christina co-edited the volume ‘Digital Feminisms: Transnational Activism in German Protest Cultures’ (London, Routledge).
The Politics of Cultural Work
Christina’s second area of expertise is in the field of cultural work. Her research project ‘Young, female and entrepreneurial? Exploring the working lives of young women in the classical music profession’ (British Academy/ESRC) addressed various timely issues, such as the racial, classed and gendered inequalities that characterise the classical music profession, the gendered politics of self-promotion, as well as the psychic life of neoliberalism and the subjective experiences of precarious work. The findings of the project are published in Christina's second monograph 'Gender, Subjectivity, and Cultural Work: The classical music profession' (London, Routledge).
Christina welcomes proposals for PhD research linked to her research interests.
For more details, please see her full research profile.
Teaching
Christina is passionate about teaching and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. She is the supervisor of several PhD students, has contributed to core modules on the MA in Cultural and Creative Industries, the BA in Culture, Media and Creative Industries, and taught the optional module Gender, Media and Culture at undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
Christina has also been invited internationally as a guest teacher for undergraduate and postgraduate courses and PhD workshops.
Expertise and Public Engagement
Christina’s work has appeared in a range of British and international media, such as the BBC, The Guardian, Die Zeit, The New York Times, and the Nikkei. She regularly speaks at academic and public events, nationally and internationally. Christina has also done consultancy work for policy-makers and has worked with cultural and public sector partners.
Selected publications
- Are we all influencers now? Feminist activists discuss the distinction between being an activist and an influencer. Available in French (translated by Hélène Bourdeloie)
- Creating content for Instagram: digital feminist activism and the politics of class
- Feminist activists discuss practices of monetisation: digital feminist activism, neoliberalism, and subjectivity
- Voices for change in the Classical Music Profession: New ideas for tackling inequalities and exclusions
- Gender, subjectivity, and cultural work: The classical music profession
Research
Centre for Digital Culture
The Centre for Digital Culture at King’s College London is an interdisciplinary research centre promoting research and debate on digital culture
Feminism is trending: digital feminist activism, labour and subjectivity
This project investigates activists’ experiences of conducting feminism ‘online’.
Project status: Ongoing
Events
The Contentious Intersections of Social Media and Wellbeing
This conference aims to reframe the discussion by centering the contentious intersections between social media and wellbeing.
Please note: this event has passed.
Book Launch of Rosalind Gill’s Perfect: Feeling Judged on Social Media
Join author Prof Rosalind Gill as she discusses her new book, Perfect: Feeling Judged on Social Media.
Please note: this event has passed.
Gender, Labour and Activism Mini-Conference
Gender, Labour and Activism Mini-Conference
Please note: this event has passed.
Research
Centre for Digital Culture
The Centre for Digital Culture at King’s College London is an interdisciplinary research centre promoting research and debate on digital culture
Feminism is trending: digital feminist activism, labour and subjectivity
This project investigates activists’ experiences of conducting feminism ‘online’.
Project status: Ongoing
Events
The Contentious Intersections of Social Media and Wellbeing
This conference aims to reframe the discussion by centering the contentious intersections between social media and wellbeing.
Please note: this event has passed.
Book Launch of Rosalind Gill’s Perfect: Feeling Judged on Social Media
Join author Prof Rosalind Gill as she discusses her new book, Perfect: Feeling Judged on Social Media.
Please note: this event has passed.
Gender, Labour and Activism Mini-Conference
Gender, Labour and Activism Mini-Conference
Please note: this event has passed.