Max Kirk

Background

About Max Kirk

I am currently undertaking my PhD in Education and Youth Studies at Sheffield Hallam University, following the completion of my MRes in Social Science. This is part of my White Rose 1+3 Doctoral studentship, an award which I am eternally grateful for and proud of. My main research interests are queer and trans young people and young adults in formal and informal education, and trans community-making and wisdom-sharing. My doctoral research focuses on exploring the experiences of trans (incl. non-binary) young people in (non-uniformed) youth work settings in the UK, including LGBTQ+ specific youth groups and non-LGBTQ+ specific ones. This builds on aspects from my Masters' thesis:'Trans Eldership: an exploration of intergenerational connections among trans people.' I have good knowledge of analysis and statistics, as well as some stats programming packages, for quantitative approaches, but am seeking to learn more about qualitative methods for my current PhD research. I am passionate about participatory approaches to research and giving back to researched communities. I am a keen, committed student, citizen and Quaker. I have been and continue to be interested and active in social affairs and social justice, which drives much of my volunteering and my research interests, which I would love to further even more. For me, my research is an act of advocacy and activism for the changes I seek to see.