Editors’ Note
Once again, welcome to Under Construction @ Keele. We are excited to bring you this, our
seventh issue, which we believe continues to showcase some of the interesting and unique
research being produced by Keele University’s postgraduate students.
We have collected and present a fascinating selection of papers for you in this issue
including a biopolitical consideration of human rights abuses amongst refugees and detainees
on the island of Naaru as well as a paper investigating the links between infanticide and
insanity in medieval England.
There is also a high quality collection of papers dealing with gender issues from the
early modern to the present day, which include: a consideration of Shakespearian cross-
gender casting; a phenomenological approach to Ely Shipley’s Boy with Flowers; and a
consideration of modern gendered identities through the lens of Wonder Woman Cosplay.
Finally, we also have an in-depth look at the 2015 Oscar success, Birdman.
Much of this issue’s work has been done by recent additions to our team and we would
like to welcome and thank for their contributions: Rodrigo Neves (Humanities Editor);
Samantha Martin (Social Sciences Editor); Joyce Gyamfi (Communications Secretary &
Finance Officer); Olly Robertson (Peer Review Liaison Officer); and Thomas Evans (Publicist
& Designer). Without these members’ valuable work, this issue would not be what it is.
On a slightly sadder note, this is also the last issue for our Editor-in-Chief, Claire Melia.
Apart from her hard work running the team this year, Claire has contributed to many previous
issues of Under Construction in the roles of Social Sciences editor, Communications
Secretary, and Editor in Chief. The editorial team would like to thank her for dedication and
hard work for the journal over recent years, and in her constant willingness to support each
and every member of the Under Construction team.
Another ‘thank you’ goes to our longest-serving Editor, Amy Jones. Amy is also retiring
from Under Construction having been with us since 2016, being a pillar of the editorial team
ever since. We wish both Amy and Claire a very fond farewell.
The final thanks of this note go out to both our readers and our contributors, without
whom this journal would not be the growing success it has been these last years. We hope
you enjoy reading this issue as much as we have enjoyed pulling it together. Perhaps this
issue may even inspire you to contribute in our next issue either via submitting a paper for
consideration, or applying to join the Under Construction team. If you have any comments,
suggestions, or thoughts about the journal, please do not hesitate to get in touch.
Glenn Price, Amy Jones, Rodrigo Neves, Samantha Martin
Editorial Board
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