Dr Barbara Mitra

Senior Lecturer in Media and Culture, Joint Head of Department of English, Media & Culture

English Media and Culture

Senior Leadership Team

Contact Details

email: b.mitra@worc.ac.uk
tel: 01905 54 2366

Dr Barbara Mitra is the Course Leader for Media & Culture, as well as being joint Head of Department (English, Media and Culture). She has varied teaching and research interests and has published on issues relating to television, gender, advertising and children, and has become interested in social media, body image and eating disorders.

Barbara's teaching includes specialist modules on gender and commercial issues of social media and she is also interested in the use of technology in relation to learning and teaching. She has spoken on local radio and schools on issues related to gender and body image, Facebook and television advertising and children. She has also made a number of films on various academic topics.

Teaching & Research

Barbara is a University Teaching Fellow (awarded 2011)
Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (Awarded 2014)
Student Led Teaching Award Recipient (2015)
Nominated for Exceptional Personal Academic Tutor (2017,2018, 2019, 2020, 2021)
Nominated for Outstanding Lecturer Award (2017, 2018, 2019, 2020-2021)
Nominated for Module Excellence Award and Excellence in Online Teaching Award (2018-2019 and 2019-2021)
Co-editor of Worcester Journal of Learning and Teaching (2012-2018)

Specialist Teaching Areas

Gender, social media, body image, eating disorders, television, children and media, advertising, teaching and learning, e-learning

Specialist Research Areas

Gender, body image, social media, eating disorders, advertising and children, television, in India

PhD and MRes

I welcome PhD and MRes topics in relation to the broad areas of gender, social media, body images, activism and digital cultures

Professional Bodies

Feminist and Women's Studies Association
Media, Communications and Cultural Studies Association (MeCCSA)
European Communication Research and Education Association

Publications

Books and Book Chapters

Mirza, M and Mitra, B. (2021) Autoethnographic Stories in Academia from Two Women of Diasporas IN Reshmi Lahiri-Roy and Nish Belford (Eds.) Asian Women, Identity and Migration: Experiences of Transnational Women of Indian origin/heritage. Abingdon, Routledge.
Mitra, B., M. and Johnson, Rachel, E. (2015)Gender Construction in Kays Catalogues: 1920 to the New Millennium, Cambridge, Cambridge Academic Ltd.

Mitra, B. and Mirza, M. (2015) The Construction of Childhood Gender Identity through Advertising in Kays Catalogue (1920-200) In B.M. Mitra and R.E. Johnson (Eds.) Gender Construction in Kays Catalogues: 1920 to the New Millennium, Cambridge, Cambridge Academic Ltd.
Mirza, M. & Mitra, B. (2015) The Construction of feminine and masculine gender identities through Advertising in Kays Catalogue (1920-2000) In
M. Mitra and R.E. Johnson (Eds.) Gender Construction in Kays Catalogues: 1920 to the New Millennium, Cambridge, Cambridge Academic Lrd/
Mitra,B. & Lewin-Jones, J. (2012) ‘Colin won’t drink out of a pink cup’ in Karen Ross (ed.), Blackwell Handbook of Gender, Sexualities and the Media . Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell, pp.383-400.
Lewin-Jones, J. & Mitra, B. (2011) ‘Gender roles in children’s television commercials’ in K. Safford, M.Stacey & R. Hancock (eds.) Small-scale research in primary schools. A reader for learning and Professional Development/ Oxon: Routledge.

Journal Articles

Mitra, B., Taylor, L., Milburn-Curtis, C. and McCarron, J. (2018) Gendering Worcester News, Journal of the Association for Journalism Education. Vol. 7 (1), pp. 29-38.
Mitra, B.M. and Golz, P. (2016) Exploring Intrinsic Gender Identity Using Second Life. Journal for Virtual Worlds Research. 9(2), pp. 1-17.
Mitra, B., Webb, M. & Wolfe, C.(2014) ‘Audience responses to the physical appearance of television newsreaders’ Participations, Journal of Audience and Reception Studies, 11(2), pp.45-57 Link to the Journal article
Mirza, M.& Mitra, B.(2013) ‘Curriculum 2013: Two Subject Leaders Reflect on the Process’ University of Worcester Teaching and Learning Journal Issue 8, pp.57-62.
Wolfe, C. & Mitra, B. (2012) ‘Newsreaders as Eye Candy’ in Journal of the Association for Journalism Education(1)1, pp.92-99.
Mitra, B. Lewin-Jones, J. Barrett, H. & Williamson, S. (2010) ‘The use of video to enable deep learning’ Research in post-compulsory education Issue 15(4) pp.405-414
Lewin Jones, J. and Mitra, B. (2009) ‘Gender Roles in Television Commercials and Primary School Children in the UK’ Journal of Children and MediaVolume 3(1)pp.35-50.
Barrett, H., Lewin-Jones, J., Mitra., B & Williamson, S. (2009) ‘Evaluating the Use of Video in Learning and Teaching:the Blended Learning Research Project’Worcester Journal of Learning and Teaching,Issue 2.
Mitra, B. (2005) ‘The Influence of Television Commercials on Clothing in India’Worcester Papers in English and Cultural Studies October(3), University of Worcester.

Reports

Mitra, B. (2017) Written Evidence Submitted to the Youth Select Committee (Body Image and Eating Disorders) 012, British Youth Council.Available at: http://www.byc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/BYC012-Dr-Barbara-Mitra.pdf
Milbourne, P., Mitra, B., and Winter, M. (2001) Agriculture and Rural Society: Complementarities and Conflicts Between Farming and Incomers to the Countryside in England and Wales. Cheltenham. Countryside and Community Research Unit Report to MAFF.

External Responsibilities

External Examiner, BA (Hons) Communication, Media and Culture, Oxford Brookes University, 2008-2012
Barbara helps organise Café Philosophique at which philosophical ideas are discussed in the informal, friendly setting of the Fold in Bransford. If you are interested in finding out more about this, please contact Barbara by email.
Barbara is also on the organising committee for Woo Feminista (a feminist group in Worcester) which organises Feminist Cafés and other events. If you are interested in finding out more about this, please contact Barbara by email