探花直播

Areas of research include:

• BDSM
• Fetish
• Kink
• Oral history
• Queer oral history

• Queer oral histories
• Performance art
• Tattoo culture
• Making HE accessible to LGBTQ+ students

• MA Social Sciences, Open University
• BA (Hons) English Language and Literature, University of Central England (now 探花直播)

Lesley currently teaches on the Popular Images optional module on the聽BSc (Hons) Psychology course.

An ethnohistory of the BDSM community in the West Midlands

Lesley's聽research will use ethnohistorical and oral history methodology to find out about the development of the BDSM community in the West Midlands, a diverse and vibrant community that had hitherto not been the subject of academic study. The Black Country was known as a major producer of BDSM staple items, such as chains and leather.聽Lesley is interested to see whether there is a link between the industrial past and the development of the BDSM community within the region. The BDSM community is largely working-class and it is anticipated that older community members may have worked in Black Country factories.

The rapid expansion of the internet into every aspect of life has had a huge impact on the BDSM community and has revolutionised the manner in which community members connect to each other. There is a fear within the West Midlands community that unless the pre-internet recollections of older members are collected, a whole way of living will be lost. There is therefore a sense of urgency to the research, given the fragility of memory within the ageing population聽Lesley will be interviewing. This research will use oral histories from long-time community members, as well as archival information to produce an ethnohistory of a secret community.

• John Mercer聽(Director of Studies)
• Oliver Carter
• Gemma Commane聽

Forthcoming: Prague, March 2019, "Local history with a twist: An ethnohistory of the kink community in the West Midlands" at the first global conference for Kink

March 2016: 鈥�50 Shades of Suburbia: The BDSM Scene in 探花直播, UK鈥� at the 鈥淪ex and the City: Reactionism, Resistance and Revolt V - Spaces of Empowerment and Social Inclusion鈥� session of the American Association of Geographers conference.聽

Gorizia, Italy, March 2016 鈥淧lanning an ethnohistory of the BDSM scene in 探花直播 and the West Midlands鈥� at the 鈥楤odifications: Mapping the Body in Media Cultures鈥�, FilmForum/MAGIS International Film Studies Spring School, University of Udine (DAMS Gorizia). San Francisco聽

探花直播, Feb 2016: 鈥淲e don鈥檛 have that here!鈥� Planning an ethnographic study of the BDSM scene in 探花直播 and West Midlands area鈥� at the BCMCR seminar session 鈥淐ult, Gender and Sexuality: The politics of alternative sexualities鈥�