Staff profile

October 2016 – present: PhD Researcher, Tutor and Demonstrator at Department of Geography, Durham University.

October 2016 – March 2017: PGCert in Research Methods, Faculty of Social Sciences and Health, Durham University.

October 2012 – June 2016: Master of Arts (MArts) Geography, Durham University.

Research

Current research: Exploring the everyday life experiences of trans youth

My PhD research is concerned with the everyday experiences of trans youth in British society. Informed by non-representational theories, and inspired by feminist and participatory epistemologies, it aims to explore the activities, emotions and embodied interactions of young trans people, and the lived and everyday realities of having a young gender variant body in differing spaces, places and times.

Drawing on a variety of participatory methodologies, the research seeks to work ‘with’ rather than ‘on’ participants. In-depth qualitative and creative approaches are used to inspire in-depth ‘accounts’ of lived experiences to be shared.

Through its engagement with Gendered Intelligence, a community interest group supporting young trans people aged 8-25 through creative means, the research hopes to encourage an increase in the presence and voice of trans youth in social science research. Outputs of the research will be designed to inform both Gendered Intelligence and developing policies and practices seeking to improve the safety, wellbeing, visibility and representation of trans young people. A principal aim of the work is to draw public and academic attention to the everyday realities of being young and trans.

Additionally, I am interested in exploring the geographies of anxiety and anxiousness, and mental health in academia. 

Master's research: Reflections on queer ‘safe spaces’: Atmospheres and therapeutic landscapes 

Teaching

Tutoring:

• Human Geography: Space and Place in a Changing World (Level 1, 2016–18)
• Political Geography (Level 2, 2018–)

Demonstrating:

• Introduction to Geographical Research (Level 1, 2017–)
• Social Research in Geography – Interviews, Participatory Action Research, Bristol field course, Liverpool field course (Level 2, 2016–)
• Theory and Concepts in Contemporary Human Geography – Feminist Theory, Feminist and Queer Theory (Level 2, 2016–)
• Feminist Geographies: Intimacy, Body, State (Level 3, 2018–19)

• Youth and young people
• Queer geographies
• Trans geographies
• Trans young people
• Everyday life
• Anxiety and anxiousness
• Non-representational theories

Book review

• Todd, J.D. (2020). Book review: Transforming gender, sex, and place: gender variant geographies. Social & Cultural Geography 21(1): 135-141.
• Todd, J.D. (2018). Book review: Reflexivity: The Essential Guide, Tim May and Beth Perry. Emotion, Space and Society 28: 75-76.

Journal Article

• Todd, James D. (2021). Experiencing and embodying anxiety in spaces of academia and social research. Gender, Place and Culture 28(4): 475-496.
• Todd, James D. (2021). Exploring trans people's lives in Britain, trans studies, geography and beyond: A review of research progress. Geography Compass 15(4): e12556.
• Todd, J.D. (2020). Book review essay: What's the Use? On the Uses of Use (Sara Ahmed). Gender, Place and Culture