Seréna Nilsson Rabia

Seréna has an interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary background in Political science with a focus on Middle Eastern and Gender Studies. She holds a Master's in the Social Studies of Gender with a major in Political Science from Lund University, Sweden. As part of her thesis project,  she researched the media coverage of formally appointed female politicians in Morocco following the implementation of a quota system after the ‘Arab’ uprisings in 2011. She also holds a Master of Arts in Middle Eastern Studies from Lund University. She did her undergraduate in Peace Conflict Studies at Malmö University and as part of this degree, she also did a year abroad at Science Po Bordeaux in France where she took courses to learn more about the French sociopolitical context. 

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Get to know Seréna

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Is there a TV-show you are binging now?   

Modern Family and Parks and Recreation are the two shows that I binge on repeat throughout the year. 

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Is there a book you would recommend within your field?  

Do Muslim Women Need Saving? By Lila Abu-Lughod 

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Which podcasts are you listening to right now and why?  

I am not a huge fan of podcasts, but recently I have listened to, The Red table talk. The podcast is hosted by the three generations of Black women i.e., grandmother, mother, and daughter. It discusses everything from racism and sexism to the appropriation of black American culture. I like listening to it as you get the opinion and experiences of women from three different generations and their similar yet different challenges at different times in the US.  

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Which novel would you recommend for purely entertainment purposes?   

It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover  

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Where are you best able to think?

I would say that I think the best in a quiet and closed environment with a nice view. For example, sitting behind a desk in a quiet room with a magnificent view over different natural landscapes.

 

 How would you describe your desk?

I would describe my desk as clean and organized, especially during stressful times.

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What is your favorite thing to do to relax?    

Reading a good book and working out. I especially like being together with my family and my dog Armando and cat Milou, who are all back home in Sweden. 

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If you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would you be, and what would you be doing?   

I would be in Marseille, France, enjoying the culture and nature. I would also be able to enjoy local and multicultural food from all over the world in one place.  

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If you had to choose one meal to eat for the rest of your life, what would it be?  

Tajine zitoune, a traditional North African tajine with chicken, olives, and mushrooms. The dish is usually served with potatoes or fries as well as a baguette.  

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What will you be researching for the SUCCESS-project? 

I will be conducting comparative research on female politicians in North Africa and France. The aim of the research is to deconstruct the tactics female politicians use to enact their tasks and practices within the political sphere, identify what forms of violence women face, explore how these forms of violence challenge their political practices, and how their background has shaped their challenges and tasks within the political sphere. I will include current and former female politicians. The research will be written from the standpoint of post-colonial feminism and will be using intersectional theory to deconstruct the interconnections of different fields of dominations such as social class, ethnicity, political power, and education. Pierre Bourdieu’s conceptualization of four forms of capital will facilitate the intersectional perspective by looking at how women’s possession and dispossession of the capitals shape the tactics they use to enact their tasks and practices, as well as the forms of violence experienced that challenge their political practices. The research is still not set in stone and will be subject to changes.

 

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