Paula Surgenor is a PhD researcher at the Transitional Justice Institute.
Her project is funded through an ESRC NINE doctoral scholarship and aims to examine critically whether masculinity, as a theoretical standpoint can be seen as a viable explanation for the evolution and endurance of political iconography in Loyalist communities of Northern Ireland.
Paula has a BA in Art and Design and a Master’s degree in Irish Visual Culture from Ulster University. Her previous research has examined the correlation between gender and the concept of authorship, the use of political murals in communities in Belfast, and the construction of politically motivated visual discourse within the Maze prison site.
Prior to commencing her PhD, she completed a Masters in Anthropology at Queen’s University Belfast where she developed her interest in gender and the construction of political and militarised landscapes within Northern Ireland.