On this page you can find some quick answers to questions you might have, such as:
How can I participate in the research project?
Can I participate in this research?
Where is the Beyond Opposition project based, and how is it funded?
What is the Beyond Opposition research project about?
How did the Beyond Opposition research project come about?
Question: ‘How can I participate in the research project?’
Answer: You can take part in the research in 3 ways:
- Questionnaire: Please note that as of 22nd July 2022, the questionnaire is now closed.
- Interview: Take part in a one-on-one confidential research interview!
- Workshops: The next stage in the project will bring people together who hold different views in workshops. Details will be posted in due course, but if this is of interest to you, you can stay in touch to find out more through our newsletter!
Question: ‘Can I participate in this research?’
Answer: We would like to hear stories from people over the age of 18 in Canada, Ireland and the UK who are concerned about a range of issues relating to sex, gender, sexualities and/or abortion. We recognise people are diverse and have different experiences, and we do not seek to make assumptions or generalizations about people’s unique concerns. You might be concerned about specific legislation, policies at work or school, wider cultural norms, certain behaviours or beliefs. We want to hear about your personal experience of these issues – what concerns you and what impact they have on you, if any.
Question: ‘Where is the Beyond Opposition project based, and how is it funded?’
Answer: Beyond Opposition is based at University College Dublin in Ireland, and Brock University in Canada. The research takes place in Ireland, the UK and Canada and our researchers are based in each place. The principal investigator is Professor Kath Browne (University College Dublin). The project is funded by the European Research Council, and it does not have any affiliation with any organisations. You can read more about the researchers and the project here.
Question: ‘What is the Beyond Opposition research project about?’
Answer: Beyond Opposition is a Geography research project that aims to understand how polarisation regarding issues like abortion, sex, gender and sexualities affect society and individuals. The research is qualitative, meaning that we are looking to hear accounts of people’s everyday experiences of these issues. We are interested in how recent legal and social changes around sex, gender, sexualities, and abortion in Canada, Ireland and the UK are experienced in your everyday life at home, school, work, or in the community. You might only be concerned about one of these things, or have a concern about a specific piece of legislation, a work policy or something happening at school. We’d like to hear about what is important to you and what impact they have on you, if any. You can find out more here.
Question: ‘How did the Beyond Opposition project come about?’
Answer: The Principal Investigator, Kath Browne, spoke at the project launch about how she came to designing the Beyond Opposition project and how it differs from her previous work. The project looks at tackling social polarisation around sex, gender, sexuality and abortion and part of the ethos of the project is to cultivate respectful engagement across diverse opinions. There is more information about the ethos of the project here.