WELCOME TO
Dr Bethany Dahlstrom's
Academic CV
Bethany Dahlstrom, PhD
Independent Interdisciplinary Scholar in Victorian Animals, Gender, and Society
About
ACADEMIC JOURNEY
Passionate about exploring the intersections of literature, environmental history, and animal studies, I am dedicated to unravelling the impact of animals on Victorian perceptions of nature, gender, and society. As a committed researcher and collaborator, I aim to bridge the gap between the Victorian era and modern-day ecological and ethical inquiries. Explore my academic journey below and get to know me better.
Education
ACADEMIC ENRICHMENT
Awarded March 2025
University of Lancaster – Lancaster, UK
PhD in English (Victorian Literature)
Thesis Title: 'The Feathered Gaze: Birds, Female Identity, and Entrapment in Victorian Literature'
2013–2014
University of Lancaster – Lancaster, UK
Master of Arts (Pathway: Romantic and Victorian Studies) - Distinction
Dissertation Title: '"Then faith is vanity": An examination of the role of religion in Victorian Vashti texts'
2009–2013
Eastern University – St. Davids, Pennsylvania, USA
Bachelor of Arts (English, Concentration: Literature; Specialisation: Victorian Studies)
Thesis Title: 'The Picture of Dorian Gray: A study in Individualism and morality'
Teaching Experience
SEMINAR TUTOR AND ASSISTANCE
October 2018 -- February 2019
Part I Tutor (ENGL100), Department of English Literature and Creative Writing, Lancaster University
October -- December 2016
MA Mentor (Research Methods), Department of English Literature and Creative Writing, Lancaster University
Spring 2010 -- Spring 2013
Teaching Assistant, Eastern University
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Heritage of Western Thought and Civilization - Modern (INST161)
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Nature and Meaning of the Old Testament (BIB101)
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Nature and Meaning of the New Testament (BIB102)
Research Dissemination
CONVERSATIONS IN PRINT AND PRACTICE
Publications
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Dahlstrom, Bethany. "Removing the mask: A study of male dominance in Brontë's Jane Eyre." August 2013. The Victorian. 1.1
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Dahlstrom, Bethany. "Review of Barry G Gale's Belle Vue." November 2013. The Victorian. 1.2.
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Dahlstrom, Bethany. "The forging and forgery of identity in G. K. Chesterton's The Club of Queer Trades and Charlotte Brontë's Villette." March 2014. The Victorian. 2.1.
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Dahlstrom, Bethany. "Review of Kevin A. Morrison's The Provincial Fiction of Mitford, Gaskell and Eliot." Spring 2025. Victorian Popular Fictions Journal. 7.1.
Conference Papers and Presentations
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"The universal glass mirror: A study in the personification of evil in Oscar Wilde's Picture of Dorian Gray," Interdiciplinary.Net's Conference on Perspectives on Evil and Human Wickedness, Prague, March 2014.
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"Judith and Jael: A Voice for the Voiceles." Women's Studies Group 1558 - 1837, London, June 2016.
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"Evil women: Contrasting faith and necessity in Victorian literature," Interdisciplinary.Net's Conference on Evil Women, Oxford, September 2016.
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"Victorian Female Activism as Self-Preservation: Caterina as a Caged Bird in George Eliot's 'Mr Gilfil's Love-Story'," Literary Birds Conference, Durham, October 2018.
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"Dressing as The Other: Feather Fashion in Punch Magazine," Victorian Popular Fiction Association Annual Conference, Lincoln, July 2023.
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"A Woman's Place: Uncaging the Victorian Women in George Eliot's 'Mr Gilfil's Love-Story'," Victorian Popular Fiction Association Annual Conference, Canterbury, July 2024.
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"Women and Birds in Edward Linley Sambourne's Punch Cartoons," British Association of Victorian Studies (EVENT) Annual Conference, Gladstone's Library, September 2024.
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"'Bird of Prey': Fighting for Birds' Rights Through Victorian Periodicals," Research Society for Victorian Periodicals Annual Conference, Chicago, July 2025.
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Forthcoming: "'[E]ndless holocausts of small fowl': Mr Punch's Designs After Nature," Pictorial Punch -- Treasures from the Archive, British Library, November 2025.
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Forthcoming: "A Future Without Feathers: Exploring Victorian Society's Fight for Bird Preservation," North American Victorian Studies Association Annual Conference, Washington D.C., November 2025.
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Forthcoming: "When the Birdsong Ceased: Exploring Early Transatlantic Bird Preservation," Public Lecture for the Audubon Society at the John James Audubon Center, Pennsylvania, November 2025.
Research Topics
AREAS OF INTEREST
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Victorian Literature
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Animal Studies
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Environmental Studies
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​Gender Studies
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Cultural-Historical Studies
Interests
BEYOND ACADEMIA
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Nature & Landscape Photography
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Culinary Explorations
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Mindfulness & Resilience Training
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Animal Conservation & Welfare Advocacy
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Historical Fiction Enthusiast