Dr Kathryn Medien

Professional biography

I am a Lecturer in Sociology based in the Sociology Department at the Open University. My research interests are in social and political theory, particularly anti-colonial thought and feminist theory. Before joining the Open University in 2020, I worked as a Research Associate in the Department of Sociology at the University of Cambridge. I have also held research fellowships in Gender, Sexuality, and Feminist Studies at Duke University and at the Institute of Advanced Study, University of Warwick.

My research explores the relationship between racism, imperialism and state violence, and most recently has explored the development and deployment of internal border controls as a technology of racialised colonial governance. I am also interested in reproductive politics, welfare, and eugenics, particularly in how they intersect with state violence and control. My work has been published in Sociological Review; Theory, Culture and Society; Sociology; and the International Feminist Journal of Politics.

I am interested in supervising theoretically grounded projects that speak to any of my research interests.