Prof. Katharine Jenkins
Philosophy
About Me
I am a Professor of Philosophy at the University of Glasgow, specializing in social philosophy. I joined the department in 2020. Before that, I was an Assistant Professor at the University of Nottingham and a Junior Research Fellow at Jesus College, Cambridge. I hold a PhD in Philosophy from the University of Sheffield, and a BA and MPhil in Philosophy from the University of Cambridge.
I am the author of 'Feminist Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction' (Oxford University Press, 2024), a pocket-sized book that gives a brief and accessible introduction to the field of feminist philosophy.
When I’m not doing philosophy (and sometimes when I am) I enjoy meditation, walking, kayaking, and playing tabletop games. I grew up in the Lake District and I think I'll always miss the fells, but I’m having a great time exploring the Scottish hills and mountains.
My Research
My research is primarily in social philosophy, especially the ontology of social categories. I'm interested in how social categories such as races and genders exist, and how these categories are bound up with systematic injustices. I'm also interested in feminist philosophy and critical philosophy of race more broadly, and in the philosophy of sex and sexuality and the philosophy of disability. More recently, I have begun to think about how artworks can both perpetuate oppression, and help to resist it and repair the harms it causes.
My monograph, Ontology and Oppression: Race, Gender, and Social Reality, is published by Oxford University Press. It examines the nature of social categories that are bound up with oppression, such as gender and race, and the ways in which emancipatory social movements can best respond to such categories in view of the important role they play in many people’s identities. In it, I argue that the very fact of being socially constructed as a member of a certain social group, such as the group women, can be wrongful, and, indeed, oppressive. However, I also show that identities based on these social group memberships can still be valuable. You can read more, and get the book, here
All of my research publications can be found on PhilPapers, a free online database of philosophical works. Topics I have written about include gender identity, rape myths, pornography, racial categories, the category of disability, and the gender politics of opera. If you have any difficulty accessing something you want to read, please feel welcome to email me
Public Engagement
I believe that philosophy has great potential to facilitate positive social change, and I enjoy using my research to work with organisations and the public. I have acted as a consultant for several organisations on issues including sexual violence prevention, gender equality and inclusion, and trans rights.
If you think that I could be of use to your organisation, please get in touch.
Here are some of the things I have produced for a public audience:
The Gender Recognition Act: A trans-inclusive feminist approach (PDF download)
with Ruth Pearce, supported by the Nottingham Institute for Policy and Engagement
A briefing document written in 2019, making the case for a self-determination approach to gender recognition.
Can a woman have a penis? How to understand disagreements about gender recognition
The Conversation
A short opinion piece in The Conversation, on disagreements about gender recognition
A feminist case against the feminist case against trans inclusivity
Verso Books
A long-form essay on feminism and trans inclusivity (with Lorna Finlayson and Rosie Worsdale)
Partnership: The Consent Coalition
From 2017-2020, I helped to found The Consent Coalition, a group of organisations within Nottinghamshire who are working together to raise awareness of the importance of consent and banish myths about rape and sexual violence.