Research Profile
Dr Sara MacBride-Stewart
Career Profile
Sara was granted a PostDoctoral Fellowship at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand (2002-2004). Her post doctoral research project explored the experiential meanings of chronic pelvic pain in women. This research was a qualitative empirical study examining the sociocultural phenomenon of pelvic pain which occurs predominately without a biomedical diagnosis. This project drew on critical phenomenological and narrative theories and methods to develop an approach to chronic pain which views its physical, psychological and social aspects as integrated (biocultural approach).
Sara previously taught in Gender Studies at Canterbury University, New Zealand. Her teaching interests explore the intersections between health, gender and sexuality, with particular reference to queer and feminist theoretical perspectives. Sara also has a professional practice qualification: a Postgraduate Diploma in Community Psychology (Waikato University, New Zealand). She completed her doctorate at Waikato University (New Zealand) in 2001.
Presentations
MacBride-Stewart, Sara. (2007, 6-8 September). When sex hurts: Women’s experiences of painful sex. BSA Medical Sociology Group Annual Conference, Liverpool.
MacBride-Stewart, Sara. (2007, 4-5 September). Beyond dysfunction?: The lived experience of sex pain in women’s lives. Knowing/Unknowing Bodies, Cardiff University.
MacBride-Stewart, Sara. (2007, 18-20 July,). When sex hurts: Embodiment and heterosexual desire. BPS Psychology of Women Conference, Windsor, UK.
MacBride-Stewart, Sara. (2007, 18-20 July,). Que(e)rying the Meaning of Lesbian Health’, BPS Psychology of Women Conference, Windsor, UK.
MacBride-Stewart, Sara. (2007, 3-6 July). The traffic of lived professional lives: Perspectives on care, professionalism and feminisation. 10th European Congress of Psychology, Prague.
MacBride-Stewart, Sara. (2007, 27-29 June). New Femininities: Transformations in Medicine and Feminisation. Gender, Work and Organisation, 5th International Interdisciplinary Conference, Keele University, UK.
MacBride-Stewart, Sara. (2007, 23-25 May) Psychosocial Perspectives on Chronic Pelvic Pain in Women. SpROGS Royal College Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, Cardiff, UK. Invited Presentation.
MacBride-Stewart, Sara. (2007, 26-30 March). When sex hurts: Embodiment and heterosexual desire’. First International Conference “Body and Textuality”, Universidad Autonoma de Barcelona.
MacBride-Stewart, Sara. (2006, 14-16 September). Doing Medical Professionalism in Wales: Contemporary Reflections on Identity, Work and Governance in General Practice. British Sociological Association Medical Sociology Group Annual Conference, Herriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, UK.
MacBride-Stewart, Sara. (2006, 29 June- 1 July) Being a Doctor: Experiences of Everyday Work in General Practice in Wales. Communication, Medicine and Ethics (4th Interdisciplinary Conference), Cardiff University, UK.
MacBride-Stewart, S (2006, May 24). Painful Sex, Sexualities and Gender Research Group, Cardiff University.
MacBride-Stewart, S (2005, December 14). Feminisation and medicine. Culture, Society, Education Postgraduate Group, Cardiff University
MacBride-Stewart, S (2005, November 30). Feminisation and medicine: Are women devaluing the medical profession?, BSA MedSoc (Wales Group) Seminars, Swansea University, Wales.
MacBride-Stewart, Sara and Smith, Merryn (2005, 15th-17th September) Feminisation, Gender and Flexibility: Is Feminisation Devaluing The Medical Profession?,BSA Medical Sociology Conference, University of York, 2005.
MacBride-Stewart, S (2005, May 11). Happy and healthy: Discourses of Lesbian Health. Health and Society Research Group, School of Social Sciences, Cardiff University, Wales.
MacBride-Stewart, S (2005, March 1). Realising GP Professionalism: A research proposal. Education, Culture and Society Seminars, School of Social Sciences, Cardiff University, Wales.
MacBride-Stewart, S (2005, Feb 11). ‘Neither of us uses contraception’. Heteronormative expectations affecting lesbian experiences of cervical screening. The(e)ories: Advanced Seminars for Queer Research 2005,. UCD Dublin.
MacBride-Stewart, S (2004, Nov 8). ‘Neither of us uses contraception’. Heteronormative expectations affecting lesbian experiences of cervical screening. Health and Discourse Seminars (HEADS), Cardiff University, Wales.
MacBride-Stewart, Sara* and Grace, Victoria (2004, 15-18 April) Narratives of Chronic Pelvic Pain: A Critical Phenomenological Perspective, SASP – Society of Australian Social Psychologists, 33rd Annual Meeting 15-18 April 2003, Auckland, New Zealand.
MacBride-Stewart, Sara * and Grace, Victoria(2004, 15-18 April) Experiential Meanings of Chronic Pelvic Pain. New Zealand Pain Society Annual Scientific Meeting, “Looking at Loeser’s Rings from the 21st Century”, TSB Showplace, New Plymouth, Taranaki, 15-18 April 2004.
MacBride-Stewart, Sara. (2003, October). Lesbian health: Oxymoron or social progress. Paper Presented at theAustralian Psychological Society Gay and Lesbian Issues and Psychology Interest Group, Melbourne University.
MacBride-Stewart, Sara. (2002, October) Smears for queers: Ambivalent bodies in the space of the clinic. Paper presented at the Queer Studies Conference, Newcastle, Australia.
MacBride-Stewart, Sara. (2002, October) Dental dams: A parody of straight expectations in the promotion of a ‘safer’ lesbian ‘f**k’. Paper presented Health Indifference 4 Conference, Sydney, Australia.
MacBride-Stewart, Sara. (2001, June) Queer smears: Corporeality and ambivalence in lesbian cervical screening. Paper presented in Gender Studies and History Feminist Seminar Series, Canterbury University, Christchurch.
MacBride-Stewart, Sara. (2001, May). Still crazy after all these years?: ‘Lesbian health’ and ‘sick lesbians’. Paper presented at New Zealand Women Studies Association Conference. Christchurch: New Zealand.
MacBride-Stewart, Sara. (2000, August). Cervical screening and the production of lesbian bodies. Paper presented at New Zealand Psychology Society Conference, Hamilton, New Zealand.
Other Conference Contributions
Grace Victoria,.M* and MacBride-Stewart, S. (2005, 23 August). Metaphors of Injury: Making Sense of Visceral Pelvic Pain. Key Centre on Women's Health in Society, University of Melbourne, Australia.
Grace Victoria,.M* and MacBride-Stewart, S. (2005, 5 August). Metaphors of Injury: Making Sense of Visceral Pelvic Pain. Sociology and Anthropology Seminar Series, University of Canterbury, New Zealand.
Grace Victoria,.M* and MacBride-Stewart, S. (2005, 4-7 July) "Metaphors of Injury: Making Sense of Visceral Pelvic Pain" presented at 'Making Sense of Health, Illness and Disease' 4th Global conference. Oxford UK.
Grace Victoria,.M* and MacBride-Stewart, S. (2005, 20 August) "How to say it: women's descriptions of their chronic pelvic pain" presented at the IPPS 12th Scientific meeting on CPP, Sydney.
Grace, Victoria M* and MacBride-Stewart, Sara (2004, 16-19 September). 'Chronic pelvic pain: gender and meaning'. The first joint Italian/British meeting of the University of Siena and the Royal Society of Medicine, "Traditional and Innovative Approaches to Pain", University of Siena, Siena. Invited Contribution.
Posters
MacBride-Stewart, Sara. (2005, June), ‘Professionalism and Medicine’, Poster for Centre for Health Sciences Research Launch, Cardiff University.
Teaching Profile
- Medical Sociology
- Qualitative research (Social Science Research Methods)
- Gender Relations and Society
- Specialist Paper in Social Sciences
- Narrative Language and Thought