I have an academic background in philosophy and policy, and professional experience as a freelance writer, editor, and researcher. General areas of Interest include Social & Political Philosophy, Feminist Philosophy, and Ethics / Applied Ethics. I also like to think about Epistemology, and I’m especially interested in those occasions where these ideas intersect.

Thesis title

Beyond Parental Paternalism: Rethinking Authority and Representation in the Lives of Disabled Children

Abstract

My research addresses the case of disabled minor children, parented by nondisabled adults acting on their behalf. To what extent can nondisabled parents make legitimate moral decisions on behalf of disabled children, without lived experience? Is this case part of a wider philosophical enquiry into acting on behalf of minority groups? The project begins from a child rights perspective, at the intersection of social philosophy, disability theory, psychological identity theory and relational capabilities, to explore the thesis that within this under-examined paradigm, parental authority may not extend to a prima facie legitimate right to act on behalf of disabled children.

Principal supervisor: John Owens

Secondary supervisor: Jenny Driscoll