Vimbai Chapungu
BSc, MSc
School of Sociological Studies, Politics and International Relations
PhD Student
Full contact details
School of Sociological Studies, Politics and International Relations
The Wave
2 Whitham Road
Sheffield
S10 2AH
- Profile
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Vimbai Chapungu joined the university in October 2024 to pursue her doctoral research in exploring the opportunities and barriers that Black-owned hair businesses face, particularly online, and to examine the ideological and material realities of the Black hair industry.
She also comes from a multidisciplinary background, both academically and professionally, spanning urban planning to international development projects in clean energy and cooking. Through these roles, she developed transferable skills to support her research, including project management, stakeholder engagement, and creative design.
- Qualifications
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BSc Town Planning & Property [ University of Westminster | 2014-2017 ]
MSc Geography [ Queen Mary University of London | 2018-2019 ]
- Research interests
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Provisional Thesis Title: From Marginalisation to Mobilisation: Black-owned hair businesses, Social media, and Racial equity
This study will examine the relationship between material and ideological production and its impact on the commodification of Black hair, from the perspective of Black-owned hair businesses. The Black hair industry intersects with themes of dominance and resistance, where historical contexts of slavery and colonialism played a role both materially and ideologically in the formation of racial hierarchies. This caused what many now regard as dysfunctional relationships between Black people and their hair, as well as socioeconomic inequalities for the community.
Areas of Interest:
Digital Media
Representations
Marketplace
Consumerism
Black Feminist Thought
- Research group
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Dr Ros Williams
Professor Helen Kennedy
- Grants
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White Rose Doctoral Training Partnership (Stuart Hall Foundation)
- Professional activities and memberships
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ESRC Digital Good Network
Association of Internet Researchers (AOIR)