Dr. Holly Patch

My fields of research include gender studies and trans* studies; sociology of gender, body, and music; and voice studies. I follow an interpretive ethnographic approach, and emersion into a phenomenon through participatory methods and developing theory in a grounded way from empirical analysis are central to my work. Poststructural theory, (new)materialisms, feminist phenomenology, and embodiment continuously excite me with their ability to reconfigure onto-epistemological frameworks and account for transformation and unfolding modes of becoming.

I am embarking on new research into time, nature, and gender relations, with a particular focus on subsistence farming practices. In January 2023, I successfully defended my dissertation titled "Claim Your Voice: An Ethnographic Study of Trans* Vocality".

Curriculum Vitae

1.2023	PhD at the Faculty of Sociology, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld Graduate School in History and Sociology (BGHS) with Prof. Dr. Diana Lengersdorf and Prof. Dr. Nina Eidsheim (University of California, Los Angeles/USA) "Claim Your Voice: An Ethnographic Study of Trans* Vocality"; with distinction (summa cum laude)
since 4.2021	Research Associate at the professorship "Sociology of Gender Relations" (Prof. Mona Motakef) at the Department of Social Sciences of TU Dortmund University
7.2018 – 3.2021	Research Associate in the research and teaching area "Sociology of Gender" at the Faculty of Sociology of Bielefeld University (Prof. Tomke König)
11.2020 – 3.2021	Project Coordination for Gender Studies - "We CAN virtuOWL" International Virtual Academic Collaboration (IVAC), funding program of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD)
6.2020 – 2.2021	Mentor in the mentoring program "Blickpunkte" of the Faculty of Sociology, Bielefeld University
10.2016 – 9.2019	Research Associate at the Interdisciplinary Center for Gender Research (IZG), doctoral program "Verschieden sein anders erforschen", Bielefeld University
4.2017 – 7.2018	Lecturer in the M.A. Gender Studies program, Bielefeld University
2.2017 – 3.2017	Research Associate in the research and teaching area “Sociology of Labor and Economic Sociology” of the Faculty of Sociology, Bielefeld University (Prof. Ursula Mense-Petermann)
6.2016 – 9.2016	WHK in the research and teaching area “Sociology of Labor and Economic Sociology” of the Faculty of Sociology, Bielefeld University (Prof. Ursula Mense-Petermann)
1.2016 – 3.2016	Service contract - translation of a D-A-CH research proposal at the Interdisciplinary Center for Gender Research (IZG), Bielefeld University.
3.2016	Master of Arts, Gender Studies, title: "The Personal as Powerful: Erotic Fantasy and Overcoming Oppression in Audre Lorde's Zami", grade of master's thesis: 1.0 very good; overall grade: 1.1 very good
10.2015 – 9.2016	Lecturer for English at the Language Centre (FSZ), Bielefeld University.
4.2012 – 3.2016	Bielefeld University, Gender Studies master’s program, Start-up Program (BGHS), Summer 2013.
8.2014 – 1.2015	WHK in the research and teaching area “Sociology of Labor and Economic Sociology” of the Faculty of Sociology, Bielefeld University (Prof. Ursula Mense-Petermann) WHK and intern at the Research Unit Social Structure and Social Inequality, University of Bielefeld: Collaborative Research Centre (SFB) 882: "From Heterogeneities to Inequalities" - Project Area A6 "The Legitimation of Inequalities: Structural Conditions of Justice Attitudes over the Life Course" (Prof. Stefan Liebig).
10.2012 – 1.2015	Tutor for English at the Language Centre (FSZ) of Bielefeld University.
5.2011	Bachelor of Arts, double major: Gender, Women's, and Sexuality Studies and Music, Voice Performance, with a minor in German, GPA: 3.96/4.00, with high distinction - grade conversion: 1.0 very good
3.2011 – 5.2011	SHK at the Department of Gender, Women's, and Sexuality Studies (GWSS), The University of Iowa/USA
7.2009 – 7.2010	Study abroad year at TU Dortmund University
8.2007 – 5.2011	Bachelor of Arts in Gender, Women's, and Sexuality Studies (GWSS) and Music, Voice Performance at the University of Iowa/USA

Awards and Fellowships

Bielefeld Equality Award in the category gender research/gender topics in qualification theses – Bielefeld University – 2023
Mentoring Program Mentoring³ for the academic career development for female early career researchers – University Alliance Ruhr – 2023
Junior Fellowship in the Research Group "Global Contestations of Women's and Gender Rights" at the Center for Interdisciplinary Research (ZiF) at Bielefeld University, 2020-2021.
International Guest Scholar - The University of Iowa/USA - Department of Gender, Women's, and Sexuality Studies (GWSS) - 2018.
Outstanding Thesis Award - 2017 Section for Women's and Gender Studies of the German Sociological Association (DGS).
Phi Beta Kappa Society - 2011
Presidential Scholarship - 2007-2011 The University of Iowa/USA
Old Gold Scholarship - 2007-2011 The University of Iowa/USA
Undergraduate Scholarship to Germany - 2009-2010 German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD)
Dean's Scholarship for Study Abroad - 2007-2011 The University of Iowa/USA
Blank Scholarship - 2007 The University of Iowa/USA
George Terry Scholarship - 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies/USA
American Legion Award - 2007, 2001 The American Legion/USA

Publications

Presentations

2024	“‘Blend’ in Trans* Choral Musicking” at the 16^th Conference of the European Sociological Association, “Tension, Trust and Transformation”, Research Network 2 – Sociology of the Arts. Porto, Portugal: 27-30 August 2024.
2024	“Collective Singing and Gendered Interaction – empirical and methodological reflections” at the 9. Feldarbeitstage “Perspektivendifferenz. Zur Ethnographie des kommunikativen Handelns.” Dortmund: 21-22 June 2024.
2024	"Rediscovering, Re-empowering, and Re-incorporating Voice in Trans* Choral Singing" in the context of the colloquium "Musik-Kultur- Wissenschaft" of Prof. Dr. Corinna Herr, Institute for Musicology and Music Education, University of Koblenz, 16 January 2024.
2023	"Verhindern, Verschieben und Werden. Zeitlichkeit in trans*-Biografien" with Manuel Bolz, Mona Motakef, and Sabine Wöhlke at the Annual Conference of the Kommission Medizinanthropologie der DGEKW/AGEM, "Krisen, Körper, Kompetenzen. Methoden und Potentiale medizinanthropologischen Forschens", Warburg Haus Hamburg, 8-9 September 2023.
2023	"Trans* Vocality: Experiencing Vocal Body and Claiming Voice" at the 12th Annual Conference of the Gender Studies Association "membra(I)nes", Burg Giebichenstein Kunsthochschule Halle & Hochschule für Grafik und Buchkunst Leipzig, 15-17 June 2023.
2023	"Sounding Voice – A Guided Exploration" with Holden Madagame. 12th Annual Conference of the Gender Studies Association "membra(I)nes", Burg Giebichenstein Kunsthochschule Halle & Hochschule für Grafik und Buchkunst Leipzig, 15-17 June 2023.
2023	“Listening to Listening for Gender: Insights from Research on Trans* Vocality” at the international workshop "'Sounds Different' - Postcolonial Perspectives on Aurality and the Politics of Listening" at the Hanse-Wissenschaftskolleg / Institute for Advanced Study. Delmenhorst, 4-6 May 2023.
2023	“Claim Your Voice: An Ethnographic Study of Trans* Vocality“ Ringvorlesung, MA Gender Studies, Universität Bielefeld: 25 April 2023.
2022	"Vocal Ability, Vocal Body, and Gender", in the section panel "Kulturen des Könnens" of the Section of Sociology of the Body and Sports at the 41st Congress of the German Sociological Association, 29.9.2022, Bielefeld University.
2022	Roundtable "LGBTQ+ Choirs, Care, and Activism since the Pandemic" at the 4th Symposium of the LGBTQ+ Music Study Group "Queer, Care, Futures" at The University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna, 22-24 April 2022.
2022	"From Musical Asylum to Queer Choral Mobilization" with Thomas Hilder at the closing conference "Conflicts over Women's and Gender Rights: Ambivalences and Contradictions" of the ZiF Research Group “Global Contestations of Women’s and Gender Rights,” Zentrum für interdisziplinäre Forschung (ZiF) of Bielefeld University, 10-12 March 2022.
2021	"Beyond Queer Theory: Cross-Cultural Dialogue and Community Service Learning through Transatlantic Exchange" with Simone Pfleger at the International Virtual Exchange Conference (IVEC), online and co-hosted by Drextel University and East Carolina University, 26-29 October 2021.
2021	“Liberalism and the Construction of Gender (Non)-Normative Bodies and Queer Identities” with Ligia Fabris and Karsten Schubert at the mid-term conference “Framing Global Contestations of Women’s and Gender Rights” of the ZiF Research Group “Global Contestations of Women’s and Gender Rights,” Zentrum für interdisziplinäre Forschung (ZiF) of Bielefeld University, 24-26 March 2021.
2020	“Trans* Vocality: lived experiences of singing in a trans* chorus." Department of Musicology, Forschungskolloquium, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, 27 November 2020.
2020	"Trans* Singing: An Interdisciplinary Investigation of Gender and Voice." Ringvorlesung, MA Gender Studies, Bielefeld University: 29 Juni 2020.
2020	“What strategies can we apply as academics to enable 'nothing about us without us' knowledge production?” for meeting of Collective ‘Decolonizing Research Methodologies in Music and Gender Studies: Strategies for Practical Application and Action’. Combined with Gesellschaft für Musik (GfM) Ethnomusicology Symposium on ‘Decolonizing Europe through Music Scholarship’, Bonn, 18-20 September 2020 (postponed until 2021).
2020	Final research and contributions presentation of the DFG Scientific Network ‘Americana: Aesthetics, Authenticity and Performance in US Popular Music’ in Freiburg: 7-10 Mai 2020 (postponed until 2021).
2019	“The National Anthem - Liberal American Trans* Political Performativity” presentation in DFG Scientific Network ‘Americana: Aesthetics, Authenticity and Performance in US Popular Music’ meeting on “Performance” in Konstanz, 14-17 November 2019.
2019	“Decolonizing the vocal bodies of trans* singers: methods in studying trans* singing” workshop presentation of Collective ‘Decolonizing Research Methodologies in Music and Gender Studies: Strategies for Practical Application and Action’. Department of Musicology, Georg-August- Universität Göttingen, 3-5 November 2019.
2019	“Contingent Comfort – Embodied, Lived Experiences of Singing in a Trans* Chorus” at the Swiss Association for Gender Studies (SGGF/SSEG) international conference ‘Violent Times, Rising Protests: Structures, Experiences, Feelings’, Universität Bern, Switzerland, 12-13 September 2019.
2019	“Listening for Gender: Singing by trans* identified people in a trans* chorus“ at the conference ‘Music in the body – body in music: The body at the intersection of musical practice and discourse’. Department of Musicology, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, 5-6 September 2019.
2019	“Experiencing Gender and the Sounding of Self: becoming in trans* singing” presentation in DFG Scientific Network ‘Americana: Aesthetics, Authenticity and Performance in US Popular Music’ meeting on “Authenticity” in Oldenburg, Germany: April 25-28, 2019.
2018	“Bringing Feminist Materialisms and Transgender Studies into Vocal Training” podium presentation with Diane Robinson (Chicago Voice Center) at the VASTA (Voice And Speech Trainers Association)/PAVA (Pan American Vocology Association) 2018 Joint Conference – ‘Soma & Science: Bridging the Gap in Interdisciplinary Voice Training’, The Cornish Playhouse, Seattle, Washington, USA: August 11-14, 2018.
2018	“Trans* Vocality: Singing Bodies, Lived Experiences, and Joyful Politics” talk at the 2018 ICTM Joint Symposium of the Study Group on Music and Minorities and the Study Group on Music and Gender at the Department of Folk Music Research and Ethnomusicology University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, Austria, 23-31 July 2018.
2018	“Bringing Participatory Action Research Methodologies to Qualitative Research in Transgender Voice Work” – talk co-authored and presented on our behalf by Diane Robinson (Chicago Voice Center) at the international, interdisciplinary conference ‘Creative Bodies – Creative Minds’, Graz, Austria, 26-27 March 2018.
2018	“Trans* Vocality: Singing, Gender, and Joyful Politics” – guest lecture at the University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA, JB 704, 7 March 2018.
2018	Alumnus talk to The University of Iowa Presidential Scholars, Iowa City, Iowa, USA, Honors Center, March 2018.
2018	“Gender and Vocal Identity: Trans* Singing” presentation with tenor Holden Madagame at Art/Science Festival 2018 ‚Identität‘, Zentrum für Ästhetik der Universität Bielefeld, Kunsthalle Bielefeld, 17-19 January 2018.

Transfer

2023 Podcast "Sounding Voice – A Guided Exploration" with Holden Madagame. Created for the 12th Annual Conference of the Gender Studies Association "membra(I)nes", Burg Giebichenstein Kunsthochschule Halle & Hochschule für Grafik und Buchkunst Leipzig, 15-17 June 2023.

By car

By train

By plane

The H-Bahn (Suspended Monorail System)

Map