Dr. Lorraine Dowler

Biography

Lorraine Dowler is a Professor in the Department of Geography at Penn State University, with a courtesy appointment in Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. Her research is rooted in a feminist approach to geopolitics, which enables fluid conceptualizations of compassion, identity, and individuality in relation to the understanding of everyday life and the private spaces of women's lives, particularly those of vulnerable groups. Her current research expands on initial questions in feminist geopolitics, drawing from literatures on feminist care ethics to examine the potential for caring geopolitics in a world where hate fuels racist and xenophobic crimes, and where routinized forms of rape culture contribute to ongoing economic and political exploitation. Beyond her research, she is deeply committed to education as a means of informing social change, believing in the empowerment of students to act towards social justice. In her classes on cultural, feminist, and political geography, she requires learners to recognize a variety of social locations and backgrounds, treating all individuals with dignity and respect. Dowler is actively recruiting graduate students interested in these topics, inviting those who wish to reach out for potential opportunities.

Research Interests

Experience