The 2024 Ruth First Prize Winner: Emma Gratte

In 2024, the Sociology Department created the Ruth First Prize for the highest dissertation mark across three of its postgraduate taught programmes, the MSc Sociology, MSc Criminology and Criminal Justice and MA Social Research Methods. The Department awarded the first Ruth First Prize to Emma Gratte, who completed the MA in Social Research Methods in 2023/24.

In this conversation, Associate Professor Dr Alice Nah asks Emma Gratte to share about her motivation for doing this research, her findings, and her current plans.

Alice Nah: Congratulations on winning the Sociology Department’s first Ruth First Prize! Can you tell us about your dissertation and what you focused on?

Emma Gratte: Thank you, it is an honour to be the first winner of this Prize!

For my postgraduate dissertation I decided to focus on the women’s experiences of ADHD in university life in the UK.

The title of my dissertation was: A Mixed-Method Qualitative Investigation of ADHD Experiences, Self-Concept, and Coping Strategies of Female University Students in the UK.

My dissertation utilised both symbolic interactionist and intersectional feminist lenses to address the gap within ADHD studies through situating notions of the self within young women’s experiences of navigating ADHD at university.

I focused on masking ADHD traits, pharmaceutical medication, non-pharmaceutical coping strategies and the gendered ADHD student self-concept.

Alice Nah: Why did you focus on this topic?

Emma Gratte: My previous experiences played a huge role in my motivations for undertaking this project.

As a young woman with ADHD, who wasn’t diagnosed until my second year, my experiences ranged from navigating first year undiagnosed, to ending my third year and MA medicated. The gender gap in ADHD diagnosis and the difference my diagnosis made to my academic performance, relationships, wellbeing and self-esteem were drivers for me to explore this topic further.

Similarly, the limited research on women navigating ADHD at university, focused on disparities in rates of diagnosis, rather than treating gendered ADHD experiences as a central subject. This motivated me to contribute a qualitative examination into the narratives and biographies of gendered ADHD.

Alice Nah: What was it like working on this topic?

Emma Gratte: I thoroughly enjoyed the research process, especially data analysis.  

The pairing of the interviews where participants discussed their experiences of ADHD over time, and the diaries, which included more day-to-day reflections, was particularly interesting. It demonstrated how consistent seemingly minor difficulties and frustrations can manifest into really struggling to navigate university life.  

Alice Nah: Tell us about your key findings.

Emma Gratte: The first area I explored was about ‘masking’. I found that participants’ experiences with masking in university contexts was a multifaceted, emotionally-taxing phenomenon shaped by both neurotypical expectations and gendered social norms.

Participants consistently engaged in masking behaviours to fit into university settings, often concealing their ADHD traits to avoid potential stigma or negative judgement. They suppressed behaviours that could be perceived as inappropriate or unfeminine, further intensified their masking efforts, highlighting a pervasive struggle to meet societal, neurotypical and gendered expectations.

Alice Nah: That’s really interesting. I understand that you also looked at pharmaceutical interventions and coping strategies. Can you tell us about that?

Emma Gratte: Yes. This was another area I explored in detail. I found that participants used medication to manage ADHD symptoms, academic pressures, and systemic healthcare challenges.

I also found that ongoing ADHD medication shortages created significant barriers, with long NHS wait times and costly private prescriptions exacerbating the issue.

Participants also used non-pharmaceutical coping strategies. I found two contrasting approaches for managing ADHD in university environments: self-medication through substance use, and positive engagement in exercise.

These opposing strategies demonstrate the diversity in how participants manage ADHD, with some adopting harmful habits that perpetuate low self-esteem, while other embrace other strategies that foster better focus and emotional regulation.

Alice Nah: Can you tell us about how participants experienced ADHD?

Emma Gratte: I found that participants often internalised societal stigma, particularly around ADHD traits like forgetfulness or inattentiveness, which they saw as moral failings.

For many, diagnosis marked a turning point, providing self-compassion and allowing them to reframe past challenges through biographic illumination, leading to greater self-acceptance. This journey highlights the shift from self-stigma to a more positive self-concept in ADHD women.

Alice Nah: This is fascinating. Thank you so much for sharing your findings with us. What are you doing now?

Emma Gratte:

Now that I have graduated, I am pursuing a PhD in the Sociology Department, funded by NINE DTP. I aim to further the work done in my master's dissertation by investigating the intersectional identity construction of young women with ADHD.

I am also currently enjoying running the seminars for two undergraduate sociology modules – Modern and Contemporary Sociological Theory and The Sociology of Health and Medicine.

Alice Nah: Thank you for sharing about dissertation with us. I wish you all the best in your doctoral work!

Emma Gratte: Thank you! I’ve really enjoyed discussing my work with you.