Dr Caroline Law

Job: Senior Research Fellow

Faculty: Health and Life Sciences

School/department: School of Applied Social Sciences

Address: De Montfort University, The Gateway, Leicester, LE1 9BH.

T: +44 (0)116 250 6124

E: claw@dmu.ac.uk

W: https://www.dmu.ac.uk/hls

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Personal profile

Caroline Law is a Senior Research Fellow based at the Centre for Reproduction Research (CRR), an interdisciplinary centre of expertise focused on the social, cultural and political aspects of human reproduction, based in the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences.

Caroline joined DMU in 2012. She is a sociologist, primarily engaged in qualitative research relating to the social experiences of endometriosis; men and reproduction; reproductive timing and aging; and the social aspects of reproduction and infertility. She contributes to the coordination and strategic direction of the CRR. She also chairs the CRR writing group and leads activity on impact enhancement within the Centre. She is a member of the International Journal of Social Research Methodology Reviewer College.

Prior to her role at De Montfort University, Caroline worked in social research in adult learning, conducting research in order to support advocacy and influence policy and practice.

Caroline delivers teaching and supervision at both undergraduate and postgraduate level.

In 2022 she completed her PhD entitled ‘Intimate Relationships and Imaginaries of Future Fatherhood: A Sociological Exploration of Reproductive Timings amongst Men who do not (yet) have Children’.

ORCiD: 0000-0002-9896-9965

Research group affiliations

Centre for Reproduction Research

Publications and outputs

It always comes back to this: my panic to have a child’: Negotiating uncertainty and the anticipation of infertility amongst women with endometriosis
dc.title: It always comes back to this: my panic to have a child’: Negotiating uncertainty and the anticipation of infertility amongst women with endometriosis dc.contributor.author: Law, Caroline; Hudson, Nichola Anne
What’s love got to do with it? Risky relationships, elusive dating and their significance for the timing of fatherhood
dc.title: What’s love got to do with it? Risky relationships, elusive dating and their significance for the timing of fatherhood dc.contributor.author: Law, Caroline
Delegitimation, stigma and multiple selves: How (perceived) limited understanding of endometriosis amongst significant others shapes women’s lived experiences
dc.title: Delegitimation, stigma and multiple selves: How (perceived) limited understanding of endometriosis amongst significant others shapes women’s lived experiences dc.contributor.author: Law, Caroline; Hudson, Nichola Anne; Culley, Lorraine; Denny, E.
'I don’t think you would ever be ready financially’: Men contemplating fatherhood in a time of economic precarity
dc.title: 'I don’t think you would ever be ready financially’: Men contemplating fatherhood in a time of economic precarity dc.contributor.author: Law, Caroline
‘People just don’t understand’: how endometriosis affects women’s working lives
dc.title: ‘People just don’t understand’: how endometriosis affects women’s working lives dc.contributor.author: Law, Caroline
Men’s fertility also declines with age — here’s what to know if you’re planning to wait to have kids
dc.title: Men’s fertility also declines with age — here’s what to know if you’re planning to wait to have kids dc.contributor.author: Law, Caroline
Men, Intimate Connections and the Timing of Fatherhood: Conceptualising ‘Misconnect’ within the Sociology of Personal Life
dc.title: Men, Intimate Connections and the Timing of Fatherhood: Conceptualising ‘Misconnect’ within the Sociology of Personal Life dc.contributor.author: Law, Caroline dc.description.abstract: Sociological explorations of trends of later parenthood have paid insufficient attention to the significance of intimate relationships, and of connectedness more generally, for such trends. This article presents findings from qualitative interviews with men (n = 25) who do not (yet) have children about their experiences of intimate relationship establishment and progression and imaginaries of fatherhood, presenting three themes: dating as elusive, fatherhood as elusive for unpartnered men and intimate relationships as risky. Findings are discussed in relation to theories of connection and connectedness, and theories of masculinities to consider how narratives are structurally shaped by gender. The article discusses the nuanced, complex ways in which people do and do not form and practise close relationships, and introduces the concept of ‘misconnect’ to better attend to disjunction in connection, discussing the significance of this concept for understandings of later parenthood and for the sociology of personal life more broadly. dc.description: open access article
'You feel like you’re drifting apart’: a qualitative study of impacts of endometriosis on sex and intimacy amongst heterosexual couples
dc.title: 'You feel like you’re drifting apart’: a qualitative study of impacts of endometriosis on sex and intimacy amongst heterosexual couples dc.contributor.author: Law, Caroline; Hudson, Nicky; Culley, Lorraine; Mitchell, Helene; Norton, Wendy dc.description.abstract: While a wide body of research reports the considerable impact endometriosis can have on sex for women with the condition, studies commonly use a quantitative design and often focus on dyspareunia. There has been a limited amount of qualitative research which includes partners and explores the broader impact on not only sex, but also intimacy and the couple relationship. This paper utilizes findings from the UK-based ENDOPART study which examined the impact of endometriosis on heterosexual couples, via in-depth interviews (n=44). The paper reports the complex ways in which endometriosis symptoms, including but not only dyspareunia, can impact upon sex, intimacy and the couple relationship, as well as partners’ emotional responses and the strategies they employed. It discusses specific and gendered ways in which heterosexual women and couples experience, navigate and manage these impacts in relation to conventions of menstrual etiquette, discourses of male sex drive and practices of emotion work. In demonstrating the range of impacts on women, partners and the couple relationship, and the importance of taking a couple-focused, relational and gendered approach, the paper will be of benefit to practitioners in healthcare and sex- and relationship-focused therapy working with women and couples living with endometriosis. dc.description: open access article
Chronic Uncertainty and Modest Expectations: Navigating Fertility Desires in the Context of Life With Endometriosis
dc.title: Chronic Uncertainty and Modest Expectations: Navigating Fertility Desires in the Context of Life With Endometriosis dc.contributor.author: Hudson, Nicky; Law, Caroline dc.description.abstract: For the millions of women living with endometriosis, significant disruption to normative life expectations and a considerable impact on everyday life are common. Whilst for many women concerns about and experiences of infertility may be a central feature of life with the condition, little work has considered the impact that chronic illness has on reproductive decision-making or on the ways in which a medical condition is managed in relation to plans for conception. This chapter considers how heterosexual women with endometriosis and their male partners experience the intersection of fertility desires with the use of reproductive technologies (contraceptive and conceptive) and how these experiences intersect with the medical and surgical management of endometriosis. Three themes drawn from interview data are presented: the first considers how the uncertain and indeterminate character of endometriosis shapes imaginaries about future fertility, conception and childbearing. The second focuses on how endometriosis mediates expectations about the success of fertility treatments and technologies; exploring in particular the manifestation of low expectations in relation to possible success. The third theme considers how endometriosis and fertility pathways intersect, creating specific disruptions whereby fertility treatment may be delayed by endometriosis care, and where endometriosis care may be interrupted or paused by fertility desires. Our data show how endometriosis shapes reproductive desires, decision-making and experiences and has important implications for understanding how for those living with a chronic illness, plans for having children are made within a context of biographical and biomedical contingency.
Intimate Relationships and Imaginaries of Future Fatherhood: A Sociological Exploration of Reproductive Timings amongst Men who do not (yet) have Children
dc.title: Intimate Relationships and Imaginaries of Future Fatherhood: A Sociological Exploration of Reproductive Timings amongst Men who do not (yet) have Children dc.contributor.author: Law, Caroline dc.description.abstract: Men and women are having children later in life than was previously the case. Social science research into trends of later parenthood and reproductive timing more generally has predominantly focused on women. While research with men does exist, much of this is quantitative, descriptive and/or atheoretical and there is a paucity of qualitative, sociological, UK based research which utilises a prospective approach with men before they have children, includes unpartnered men, and considers how intimate relationships intersect with reproductive timings. This thesis takes a constructivist ontological and interpretivist epistemological position in reporting findings from a qualitative study of men and reproductive timings. The aim of the study was to explore the meanings, practices and imaginaries relating to reproductive timings amongst men who do not have children but want or expect to have them in the future, in the context of trends of later parenthood. Twenty-five men, ranging in age from 22-47 years and including partnered (n=12) and unpartnered (n=13) men, took part in in-depth, semi-structured, one-to-one interviews. The thesis contributes to an improved understanding of men’s meanings, practices and imaginaries in relation to reproductive timing. It draws on the individualisation and connectedness theses to illuminate how men’s lives, like women’s, are multifaceted and how their trajectories towards parenthood are complicated by multiple barriers, contradictions and complexities. It demonstrates the salience of intimate relationships and imaginaries of fatherhood in relation to reproductive timings. It makes the case for a new conceptual understanding of ‘misconnect’ to conceptualise relationships, both real and imagined, which are troubled in some way and uses the conceptualisation of reproductive time as multidimensional to demonstrate particular dis-synchronicities within men’s reproductive trajectories and ways in which time is (mis)invested in accordance with imaginaries of fatherhood. The thesis demonstrates the value of interrogating future imaginaries in the context of reproduction and suggests there is the need for further development of this approach within studies of reproductive timings as well as the study of reproduction more generally.

View a full listing of Caroline Law's publications and outputs.

Research interests/expertise

Sociology of health, illness and medicine
In/fertility and reproduction
Men, men's health, masculinities and reproduction
Chronic illness
Endometriosis
Qualitative methods

Areas of teaching

Research methods
Health, in/fertility and reproduction, endometriosis

Qualifications

BSc Sociology, first class honours, University of Bath, 2002; recipient of Stephen Cotgrove departmental prize
MSc Social Research Methods, distinction, Open University, 2011
PhD Sociology, De Montfort University, 2022

Conference attendance

Selected papers:

Law, C, Hudson, N, Culley, L, Denny, E. ' Delegitimation, stigma and multiple selves: How (perceived) limited understanding of endometriosis amongst significant others shapes women’s lived experiences', paper presented to the British Sociological Association's 2024 Medical Sociology Annual Conference, University of Warwick, UK, 11-13 September 2024.

Law, C. and Hudson, N. 'It always comes back to this: my panic to have a child’: Negotiating uncertainty and the anticipation of infertility amongst women with endometriosis', paper presented to the I AFIN Virtual International Conference on Female Reproductive Health, virtual, 27 October 2022.

Law, C. 'What’s love got to do with it? Risky relationships, elusive dating and their significance for the timing of fatherhood', paper presented to the British Sociological Association Human Reproduction Study Group Annual Conference, De Montfort University, 19 May 2022.

Law, C. 'I don’t think you would ever be ready financially’: Men contemplating fatherhood in a time of economic precarity', paper presented to the British Sociological Association 70th Anniversary Virtual Annual Conference: Remaking the Future, virtual, 14 April 2021.

Law, C. 'Men, reproductive timings and procreative responsibility', paper presented to the Centre for the Study of Women and Gender Graduate Seminar Series, University of Warwick, 6 March 2019.

Law, C. 'Men and reproductive timings: perceptions, intentions and future imaginaries', paper presented to the conference Remaking Reproduction: The Global Politics of Reproductive Technologies, University of Cambridge, 27-19 June 2018.

Law, C. 'Reproductive Masculinity: an explanatory concept to enhance understanding of men and reproductive timings', paper presented to the British Sociological Association Annual Conference, Northumbria University, UK, 10-12 April 2018.

Law, C. 'Men and delayed parenthood: a qualitative study of men’s views regarding the ‘right time’ to have children', paper presented (invited talk) to the ESRC Centre for Population Change seminar series, University of Southampton, UK, 22 March 2018.

Law, C. ‘Researching reproduction with men: philosophical and methodological challenges’, paper to be presented to the Social Studies of Reproduction: Techniques, Methods and Reflexive Movements stream of the International Sociological Association’s Research Committee on Logic and Methodology (RC33) 9th International Conference on Social Science Methodology, University of Leicester, UK, 11-16 September 2016.

Law, C. ‘Critical Studies of Men and Masculinities (CSM) and reproduction research with men: rationale, limitations and opportunities’, paper presented to the Feminism and Gender in the Social Sciences Symposium, De Montfort University, Leicester, 17 June 2016.

Law, C. ‘What do men perceive to be the ‘right time’ for parenthood? Past literature and future explorations’, paper presented to the Postponing Childbirth, Extending Fertility? Biotechnologies and the Transformation of Reproductive Life Symposium, De Montfort University, Leicester, 12-13 May 2016.

Culley, L, Hudson, N, Mitchell, H, Law, C, Denny, E, Raine-Fenning, N. ‘The impact of endometriosis on the intimate lives of heterosexual couples’, presentation delivered at the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology course: Sexual functioning in women dealing with infertility and/or endometriosis, Leuven, Belgium, 24-25 September 2015.

Hudson, N, Culley, L, Mitchell, H, Law, C, Denny, E, Raine-Fenning, N. ‘Men living with endometriosis: perceptions and experiences of male partners of women with the condition’, paper presented to the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology Annual Meeting, Lisbon, Portugal, 14-17 June 2015.

Mitchell^,H, Hudson, N, Culley, L, Law, C, Denny, E, Raine-Fenning, N. ‘Treatment decision-making and support needs in heterosexual couples living with endometriosis’, paper presented to the British Society of Gynaecological Endoscopy (BSGE) Annual Scientific Meeting, London, UK, 4-5 June 2015.

Mitchell, H, Culley, L, Hudson, N, Law, C, Denny, E, Baumgarten, M Raine-Fenning, N. ‘Pain management decisions amongst couples living with endometriosis’, paper presented to the 2^nd European Congress on Endometriosis, Berlin, Germany, 28-30 November 2013.

Law, C, Culley, L, Hudson, N, Mitchell, H, Denny, E, Raine-Fenning, N. ‘Endometriosis: Improving the wellbeing of couples: study findings and recommendations’, invited talk delivered to Endometriosis UK Annual General Meeting and Information Day, Coventry, UK, 19 October 2013.

Law, C, Culley, L, Hudson, N, Denny, E, Mitchell H ‘Endometriosis, biographical appraisals and the couple unit’, paper presented to the British Sociological Association's 2013 Medical Sociology Annual Conference, University of York, UK, 11-13 September 2013.

Hudson, N, Culley, L, Law, C, Mitchell, H, Denny, E ‘Conducting dyadic research in chronic illness: men, women and endometriosis’, paper presented to the British Sociological Association's 2013 Medical Sociology Annual Conference, University of York, UK, 11-13 September 2013.

Hudson, N, Culley, C, Law, C, Denny, E, Mitchell, H, Baumgarten, M, Raine-Fenning, N 'Improving the wellbeing of couples living with endometriosis', poster presented to the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology Annual Meeting, London, UK, 7-10 July 2013.

Law, C, Culley, L, Hudson, N, Denny, E, Baumgarten, M, Raine-Fenning, N, Mitchell, H ‘‘I don’t know what sex is like without pain’: the impact of endometriosis on sexual relationships in couples’, paper presented to the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) International Nursing Research Conference 2013, Belfast, UK, 20-22 March 2013.

Key articles information

Law, C (2024) Men, intimate connections and the timing of fatherhood: conceptualising 'misconnect' within the Sociology of Personal Life, Sociology

Law, C, Hudson, N, Mitchell, H, Culley, L, Norton, W (2024) ‘You feel like you’re drifting apart’: a qualitative study of impacts of endometriosis on sex and intimacy amongst heterosexual couples, Sexual and Relationship Therapy

Hudson, N and Law, C (2022) Chronic Uncertainty and Modest Expectations: Navigating Fertility Desires in the Context of Life With Endometriosis In: Boydell, V. and Dow, K. (Ed.) Technologies of Reproduction Across the Lifecourse (Emerald Studies in Reproduction, Culture and Society), Emerald Publishing Limited, Bingley, pp. 83-99.

Law, C (2022) Men's fertility also declines with age - here's what to know if you're planning to wait to have kids, The Conversation.

Law, C (2021) 'People just don't understand': How endometriosis affects women's working lives, Centre for Reproduction Research blog.

Law, C (2020) Biologically infallible? Men’s views on male age‐related fertility decline and sperm freezing, Sociology of Health & Illness.

Norton, W, Mitchell, H, Holloway, D, Law, C (2020) The role of Endometriosis Clinical Nurse Specialists in British Society for Gynaecological Endoscopy registered centres: a UK survey of practice, Nursing Open.

Hudson, N, Law, C, Culley, L, Mitchell, H, Denny, E, Norton, W, Raine-Fenning, N (2020) Men, chronic illness and healthwork: accounts from male partners of women with endometriosis, Sociology of Health & Illness.

Law, C (2019) Men on the margins? Reflections on recruiting and engaging men in reproduction research, Methodological Innovations, 12, 1.

Hudson, N, Law, C, Culley, L, Mitchell, H, Denny, E, Raine-Fenning,
N (2018) Conducting dyadic, relational research about endometriosis: A reflexive account of methods, ethics and data analysis, Health, 24, 1, 79-93.

Culley, L, Law, C, Hudson, N, Mitchell, H, Denny, E, Raine-Fenning, N (2017) A Qualitative Study of the Impact of Endometriosis on Male Partners, Human Reproduction, 32, 8, 1667-1673.

Hudson, N, Culley, L, Law, C, Mitchell, H, Denny, E, Raine-Fenning, N (2016) ‘We needed to change the mission statement of the marriage’: biographical disruptions, appraisals and revisions amongst couples living with endometriosis, Sociology of Health and Illness, 38, 5, 721–735.

Norton, W, Crawshaw, M, Hudson, N, Culley, L, Law, C. (2015) A survey of Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) fertility clinics’ approach to surrogacy arrangements, Reproductive Biomedicine Online, 31, 3, 327–338.

Nightingale, C, Law, C and Webb, H (2015) Academic teaching staff: developing equality and diversity skills, knowledge and values London: Equality Challenge Unit.

Culley, L. Hudson, N. Mitchell, H. Law, C. (2014) The impact of endometriosis on planning for and having children: findings from the Endopart Study, Journal of Fertility Counselling 21 2, 22-2.

Culley, L, Law, C, Hudson, N, Denny, E, Mitchell, H, Baumgarten, M, Raine-Fenning, N. (2013) The social and psychological impact of endometriosis on women's lives: a critical narrative review, Human Reproduction Update, 19, 6, 625-639.

Culley, L, Hudson, N, Mitchell, H, Law, C, Denny, E, Raine-Fenning, N (2013) Endometriosis: Improving the Wellbeing of Couples, Leicester: De Montfort University.

Ewens, D., Nighingale, C., Law, C., Challenger, S. and Byford, K. (2011) Enabling Equality: Furthering Disability Equality for Staff in Higher Education, London: Equality Challenge Unit.

Law, C. and Ewens, D. (2010) Making the Journey to Learning and Work, Mental Health and Social Inclusion 14, 2, 28-34.

Law, C. (2009) The Care Programme Approach and Adult Learning, A Life in the Day 13, 2, 13-15.

Worrall, C. and Law, C. (2009) The North West Further Education Project: The Mental Health and Well-being of Learners aged 14-19, Education and Health 27, 4, 86-90.

Externally funded research grants information

Symposium: Postponing Childbirth, Extending Fertility? Biotechnologies and the Transformation of Reproductive Life. Wellcome Trust. This two-day international symposium brought together key authors, researchers and other stakeholders to explore and reflect on trends regarding the postponement of childbirth and the development of associated fertility extension technologies, exploring themes of age, time, gender, reproduction and technologies. May 2016. Grant holders: Kylie Baldwin, Dr Nolwenn Bühler, Prof Lorraine Culley, Dr Irenee Daly, Dr Cathy Herbrand, Dr Nicky Hudson, Caroline Law, De Montfort University.

Postgraduate Conference: The Sociology of Technologically Mediated Reproduction. British Sociological Association. This conferences brought together postgraduate students and early career researchers to explore empirical and theoretical developments regarding assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) and their intersection with gender, technology, kinship, commerce and politics. May 2014. Grant holders: Kylie Baldwin, Caroline Law, Christina Weis, Wendy Norton, De Montfort University.

Supporting the development of equality and diversity skills, knowledge and values in academic teaching staff in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). Equality Challenge Unit. The overall aim of this research project was to explore the approaches that HEIs in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales are taking to develop the equality and diversity skills, knowledge and values of academic teaching staff and to assess the effectiveness of these approaches. 2013-2014. Research Assistant. Grant holders: Dr Christine Nightingale, Caroline Law, De Montfort University.

ENDOPART: Improving the well-being of couples. UK Economic and Social Research Council: ES/J003662/1. Qualitative study to explore the impact of endometriosis on couples and to contribute to improving the well-being of people living with endometriosis by providing an evidence base for improving couple support. 2012-2013. Research Assistant. Principal Investigator: Prof Lorraine Culley, De Montfort University. Co-investigators: Dr Nicky Hudson, Dr Helene Mitchell, De Montfort University; Professor Elaine Denny, Birmingham City University; Dr Nick Raine-Fenning, University of Nottingham.

Embedding structured self management education programmes for Type 2 diabetes in a multi-ethnic primary care setting: developing key areas to support a NIHR Programme Grant submission. NIHR Programme Development Grant: RP-DG-1210-10183. Exploration of approaches to implementation and embedding of structured diabetes education in primary care. 2012-2013. Research Assistant to Work Package 3. Grant holder: Professor Melanie Davies, University Hospitals of Leicester.

Internally funded research project information

ENDOPART2: Developing a Knowledge Exchange Partnership and Improving Support in Endometriosis. De Montfort University Higher Education Innovation Fund. Building on the success of the ENDOPART study, this project comprised partnership working with leading charity Endometriosis UK to develop support resources for couples living with endometriosis including a support session for delivery at Endometriosis UK support groups, two films and an online information resource. 2015-16. Grant holders: Dr Nicky Hudson, Prof Lorraine Culley, Dr Helene Mitchell, Caroline Law, Wendy Norton, De Montfort University.

Enhancing Dissemination, Impact and Networking in Reproduction Research. De Montfort University School of Applied Social Sciences Research Fund. This funding supported various dissemination, impact and networking activities including further dissemination and impact activity arising from the ENDOPART study, as well as the international symposium Postponing Childbirth, Extending Fertility? Biotechnologies and the Transformation of Reproductive Life. 2015-16. Grant holders: Dr Nicky Hudson, Dr Cathy Herbrand, Caroline Law, Dr Helene Mitchell, Prof Lorraine Culley, De Montfort University.

European Network for Research on Men, Infertility and Assisted Conception. De Montfort University Revolving Investment Fund for Research. A project to create an international multi-disciplinary network of leading academics and healthcare professionals working in the field of men, infertility and assisted conception. 2011-2012. Research Assistant. Grant holders: Prof Lorraine Culley, Dr Nicky Hudson, Wendy Norton, De Montfort University; Dr Maria Lohan, Professor Sheena Lewis, Queen’s University Belfast.