معرفی
Dr. Jessica Begon serves as Associate Professor in Political Theory at Durham University's School of Government and International Affairs, with cross-appointments at Durham CELLS (Centre for Ethics and Law in the Life Sciences), the Institute for Medical Humanities, and the Wolfson Research Institute for Health and Wellbeing.
Her educational foundation includes a PhD from the University of Sheffield completed in 2015, where her dissertation 'Policy without Paternalism: A Capability Approach to Legitimate State Action' established her research trajectory. Prior academic positions include Postdoctoral Prize Research Fellowship at Nuffield College, Oxford (2015-2018), and appointments at the University of York and University of Sheffield.
Begon's scholarship centers on the intersection of disability, justice, and political theory, critically examining how public policy can address disability without paternalism. Her work spans theoretical foundations of harm and disability to practical policy questions regarding entitlements and implementation, consistently employing the capability approach while increasingly incorporating epistemic injustice frameworks. Key contributions include reconceptualizing adaptive preferences in disability contexts and analyzing media representations through epistemic injustice lenses.
Her publication pattern reveals deepening specialization in disability justice since 2015, with recent work (2021-2025) showing heightened focus on epistemic dimensions and policy applications. The monograph 'Disability Through the Lens of Justice' (2023) represents a significant theoretical consolidation, while articles like 'Disadvantage, Disagreement, and Disability' (2024) demonstrate ongoing methodological innovation.
Professional recognition includes:
- Postdoctoral Prize Research Fellow, Nuffield College, University of Oxford (2015-2018)
Begon actively supervises doctoral researchers including Amal Anaam, with her mentorship informed by interdisciplinary engagement across ethics, law, and health humanities. Current research extends her capabilities framework to contemporary policy challenges while maintaining critical vigilance against paternalistic tendencies in public health interventions.
Her institutional affiliations with Durham CELLS and the Wolfson Institute facilitate collaborative work on ethics in life sciences and health policy, positioning her research at the vital nexus of political theory and practical justice concerns.
