Research Assistant
CAVA
Department of Sociology and Social Policy
University of Leeds
Leeds LS2 9JT

0113 343 7008
r.shipman@leeds.ac.uk

Beccy joined CAVA in 2002. She is currently working on Strand 3c, examining what impact physical or geographical separation has on kinship networks and caring practices. Beccy is also a part-time PhD student in the department. Her thesis focuses on same-sex 'marriage' - a particularly timely subject given the recent consultation document on civil partnerships (DTI, 2003).   

Her wider sociological interests include sexuality, identity, migration, and kinship.

**Beccy's contract with CAVA has now ended and she has started work on a new ESRC-funded study on same-sex 'marriage', based at the Centre for Research on Family, Kinship and Childhood**