Having recently left the Royal Air Force and directly experienced the gender culture of the UK Armed Forces, I am excited to start my PhD research in Human Geography. My research will examine how gender and the other multitude of conflicting intersectional identities of military personnel impact the social construction and speciality of the gender culture in the UK Armed Forces, and more specifically the Royal Air Force. Often viewed as homogenous, each component of the UK Armed Forces has its unique organisational culture and varying sub-cultures based on professions, rank and role within the service. By examining the experiences of female service personnel with an intersectional perspective and a gendered axis, and through my position as a female veteran, enabling me to underpin my data collection with reflexivity, the research will examine how the negotiation and marginalisation of gendered and racialised identities impact the social construction and RAF culture.
