Leeds Beckett University - City Campus,
Woodhouse Lane,
LS1 3HE
Study seeks experiences, and men’s perceptions, of tall women
Charlotte Thomassen-Kinsey is organising a series of focus groups, each lasting approximately 60-90 minutes, and split into two groups: one consisting of tall women (5’10 and above), and one containing only men (any height). She aims to gain insight into how female ‘tallness’ is discussed and viewed in British society by both females who are tall and by males.
Speaking about the study, Charlotte commented: “There is currently no UK research into the experiences of tall women in society, and how tall women are viewed by others in society, despite there being many issues facing tall women in society. My research aims to assess these experiences first-hand. With tall women being 'statistically rare but aesthetically obvious’, they are a rarity in society, however, visually, they are incredibly obvious when they are seen.
“I am really interested in finding out more stories about women's experiences of being tall, and what this behaviour by people in society does for tall women's perception of self, and how men actually discuss female tallness with each other when the 'tall women' they are discussing are not present.”
The focus groups will take place in late May to June, with exact dates and times being dependent on the availability of participants. If you are interested in taking part, please contact Charlotte by Sunday 31 May at c.thomassen-kinsey6289@student.leedsbeckett.ac.uk
Charlotte added: “I am a tall female myself, at six foot, and people comment regularly on my height. I have always found it intriguing how casual and comfortable strangers, particularly men, seem to be about this, particularly as it would not happen with any other physical feature such as weight, size of feet, facial features, or indeed, someone who was particularly short.”