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Dr Cat Pause staff profile picture

Contact details +6469517382

Dr Cat Pause PGDip Public Health, PhD, MA

Senior lecturer

Doctoral Supervisor
Institute of Education

Cat Pausé is the lead editor of Queering Fat Embodiment (Ashgate). A Fat Studies Researcher, her research focuses on the effects of spoiled identities on the health and well-being of fat individuals. Her work appears in scholarly journals such as Human Development, Feminist Review, HERDSA, and Narrative Inquiries in Bioethics, as well as online in The Huffington Post and The Conversation, among others. She hosted Fat Studies: Reflective Intersections in 2012 and Fat Studies: Identity, Agency, Embodiment in 2016. Cat is also involved in sociable scholarship; her work is highlighted in her social media presence, Friend of Marilyn, on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, iTunes, and her blog. Her fat positive radio show, Friend of Marilyn, is travelling the world – make sure your city is on the tour! 

Cat Pausé is a Fat Studies scholar whose research focuses on the effects of fat stigma on the health and well-being of fat individuals. 

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Professional

Contact details

  • Ph: 021 829 088
    Location: 2.05, Collinson Village
    Campus: Turitea

Qualifications

  • Postgraduate Diploma in Public Health - Massey University (2017)
  • Doctorate of Philosophy - Texas Tech University (2007)
  • Master of Arts - Texas Tech University (2002)

Certifications and Registrations

  • Licence, Supervisor, Massey University

Prizes and Awards

  • The Fat Pedagogy Reader has won a 2016 American Educational Studies Association Critics' Choice Award; I have a chapter in this reader. - American Educational Studies Association (2016)

Research Expertise

Research Interests

My scholarship examines the impact of fat stigma on the health and well-being of fat people. This has included work on,

  • Identity management of fat stigma
  • Queering fatness 
  • Identity management of fat stigma in online spaces
  • Using Web 2.0 tools to queer fatness
  • Fat stigma as a barrier to accessing health and healthcare 
  • Fat stigma as a social determinant of health

Secondary research interests include fat pedagogies, fat ethics, and how scholars use social media to dissiminate their work and be held accountable by the communities they study (I've termed this, sociable scholarship). 

Thematics

21st Century Citizenship, Health and Well-being

Area of Expertise

Field of research codes
Developmental Psychology and Ageing (170102):
Other Studies in Human Society (169900):
Psychology (170100): Psychology And Cognitive Sciences (170000):
Sociology (160800): Studies In Human Society (160000)

Keywords

Stigma as a social determinant of health

Fat stigma

Sociable scholarship

Research Projects

Summary of Research Projects

Position Current Completed
Project Leader 0 4

Research Outputs

Journal

Gillon, A., & Pausé, C. (2021). Kōrero Mōmona, Kōrero ā-Hauora: a Kaupapa Māori and fat studies discussion of fatness, health and healthism. Fat Studies.
[Journal article]Authored by: Pause, C.
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Pausé, C., Parker, G., & Gray, L. (2021). Resisting the problematisation of fatness in COVID-19: In pursuit of health justice. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction. 54
[Journal article]Authored by: Pause, C.
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Pausé, C., & Palmer, K. (2021). Weight and the law in New Zealand. Fat Studies. 10(2), 172-183
[Journal article]Authored by: Pause, C.
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Manokaran, R., Pausé, C., Roβmöller, M., & Vilhjálmsdóttir, TM. (2020). ‘Nothing about us without us’: Fat people speak. Qualitative Research in Psychology.
[Journal article]Authored by: Pause, C.
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Pausé, C. (2020). Ray of Light: Standpoint Theory, Fat Studies, and a New Fat Ethics. Fat Studies. 9(2), 175-187
[Journal article]Authored by: Pause, C.
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Pausé, C., & McCarroll, EM. (2019). Tumbling through tertiary education: an investigation of the use of Tumblr within a child development course. Interactive Learning Environments.
[Journal article]Authored by: Pause, C.
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Pausé, C. (2019). (Can we) get together? Fat kids and physical education. Health Education Journal. 78(6), 662-669
[Journal article]Authored by: Pause, C.
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3
Parker, G., & Pausé, C. (2019). Productive but not constructive: The work of shame in the affective governance of fat Pregnancy. Feminism and Psychology. 29(2), 250-268
[Journal article]Authored by: Pause, C.
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Parker, G., & Pausé, C. (2018). “I'm Just a Woman Having a Baby”: Negotiating and Resisting the Problematization of Pregnancy Fatness. Frontiers in Sociology. 3
[Journal article]Authored by: Pause, C.
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4
Pausé, CJ., & Glover, M. (2018). Exploring the threats to sociable scholarship: An autoethnographic viewing of participatory news making. Journal of Social and Political Psychology. 6(2), 696-710
[Journal article]Authored by: Pause, C.
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2
Pausé, C. (2019). Frozen: A fat tale of immigration. Fat Studies. 8(1), 44-59
[Journal article]Authored by: Pause, C.
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4
Pausé, C. (2019). Hung Up: Queering Fat Therapy. Women and Therapy. 42(1-2), 79-92
[Journal article]Authored by: Pause, C.
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1
Pause, C. (2018). Fat-Talk Nation: The Human Costs of America's War on Fat. Sociology of Health and Illness. 40(1), 234-235 Retrieved from https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/1467-9566.12442
[Journal article]Authored by: Pause, C.
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Parker, G., & Pausé, C. (2018). Pregnant with possibility: Negotiating fat maternal subjectivity in the “War on Obesity”. Fat Studies. 7(2), 124-134
[Journal article]Authored by: Pause, C.
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9
Burford, J., Henderson, EF., & Pausé, C. (2018). Enlarging conference learning: At the crossroads of fat studies and conference pedagogies. Fat Studies. 7(1), 69-80
[Journal article]Authored by: Pause, C.
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9
Pause, C. (2017). Candy perfume girl: Colouring fat bodies. FKW. 62, 74-86 Retrieved from https://www.fkw-journal.de/index.php/fkw/article/view/1403
[Journal article]Authored by: Pause, C.
Read article at Massey Research Online: MRO icon
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Pausé, C. (2017). Borderline: The ethics of fat stigma in public health. Journal of Law, Medicine and Ethics. 45(4), 510-517
[Journal article]Authored by: Pause, C.
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Pause, C., & Burrows, L. (2016). Obesity and schools - Q & A. Physical Educator - Journal of Physical Education New Zealand 2016. 49(3), 8-9
[Journal article]Authored by: Pause, C.
Pause, C., & Burrows, L. (2016). What is the school’s role in fighting obesity?. New Zealand Physical Educator -Physical Education New Zealand-. 49(3), 6-7
[Journal article]Authored by: Pause, C.
Pause, C., & Russell, D. (2016). Sociable scholarship: The use of social media in the 21st century academy. Journal of Applied Social Theory. 1(1), 5-25 Retrieved from http://socialtheoryapplied.com/journal/jast/article/view/29
[Journal article]Authored by: Pause, C.
Read article at Massey Research Online: MRO icon
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Lee, JA., & Pausé, CJ. (2016). Stigma in practice: Barriers to health for fat women. Frontiers in Psychology. 7(DEC), 2063
[Journal article]Authored by: Pause, C.
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37
Pausè, C. (2015). Rebel heart: Performing fatness wrong online. M/C Journal. 18(3) Retrieved from http://www.media-culture.org.au/
[Journal article]Authored by: Pause, C.
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Pausé, C. (2014). X-static process: Intersectionality within the field of fat studies. Fat Studies. 3(2), 80-85
[Journal article]Authored by: Pause, C.
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20
Pausé, C. (2014). Die another day: the obstacles facing fat people in accessing quality healthcare. Narrative inquiry in bioethics. 4(2), 135-141
[Journal article]Authored by: Pause, C.
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14
Pause, C. (2012). Live to tell: Coming out as fat. Somatechnics. 2(1), 42-56 Retrieved from http://www.euppublishing.com/toc/soma/2/1?href=%2Ftoc%2Fsoma%2F2%2F1&title=Somatechnics+%282012%29&x=12&y=11
[Journal article]Authored by: Pause, C.
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Pause, C., Waitere, H., Wright, J., & Gilling, M. (2012). We say what we are and we do what we say: Feminisms in education practice in Aotearoa New Zealand. Feminist Review. (102), 79-96 Retrieved from http://www.palgrave-journals.com/fr/journal/v102/n1/full/fr201150a.html
[Journal article]Authored by: Pause, C.
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Pausé, C., Brown, S., Carryer, J., Wolber, F., Finn, L., Longhurst, R., . . . Dickson, A. (2011). Response to letter 'New Zealand's shocking diabetes rates can be reduced-9 urgently needed actions'. New Zealand Medical Journal. 124(1343), 87-89
[Journal article]Authored by: Cain, T., Carryer, J., Dickson, A., Hoverd, W., Pause, C., Wolber, F.
Waitere, HJ., Wright, J., Tremaine, M., Brown, S., & Pausé, CJ. (2011). Choosing whether to resist or reinforce the new managerialism: The impact of performance-based research funding on academic identity. Higher Education Research and Development. 30(2), 205-217
[Journal article]Authored by: Pause, C.
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Sorell, GT., Sorelle-Miner, DA., & Pausé, CJ. (2007). Moving on: The challenges of dynamic systems perspectives. Human Development. 50(2-3), 160-164
[Journal article]Authored by: Pause, C.
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Book

Pausé, C., & Taylor, SR.(2021). The routledge international handbook of fat studies.
[Authored Book]Authored by: Pause, C.
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Pausé, C., & Taylor, SR. (2021). Fattening up scholarship. In The Routledge International Handbook of Fat Studies. (pp. 1 - 18).
[Chapter]Authored by: Pause, C.
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Parker, G., & Pausé, C. (2019). Youre just another friggin’ number to add to the problem”: Constructing the racialized (m)other in contemporary discourses of pregnancy fatness. In Thickening Fat: Fat Bodies, Intersectionality, and Social Justice. (pp. 97 - 109).
[Chapter]Authored by: Pause, C.
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1
Pausè, C. (2016). Promise to try: Combating fat oppression through pedagogy in tertiary education. In E. Cameron, & C. Russell (Eds.) Fat pedagogy reader: Challenging weight-based oppression in education. (pp. 53 - 60). : Peter Lang Publishers
[Chapter]Authored by: Pause, C.
Pausé, C. (2016). Human nature: On fat sexual identity and agency. In Fat Sex: New Directions in Theory and Activism. (pp. 37 - 48).
[Chapter]Authored by: Pause, C.
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Pausè, C. (2014). Express yourself: Fat activism in the Web 2.0 age. In R. Chastain (Ed.) The politics of size: Perspectives from the fat-acceptance movement. (pp. 1 - 8). California, United States of America: Praeger Publishing
[Chapter]Authored by: Pause, C.
Pausé, C. (2014). Causing a commotion: Queering fat in cyberspace. In Queering Fat Embodiment. (pp. 75 - 87).
[Chapter]Authored by: Pause, C.Edited by: Pause, C.
7
(2014). Queering fat embodiment.
[Edited Book]Authored by: Pause, C.Edited by: Pause, C.
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Pause, CJ.(2011). Fat women speak: Weight identity construction, maintenance, and revision. Germany: VDM Verlag Dr. Muller
[Authored Book]Authored by: Pause, C.
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Creative Work

Pause, C. (2010). Letters from my Fatosphere. (Spoken word piece) Included in 'Bodies Abound' Aurora Gallery, Sydney, Australia (10 Sep)
[Performance]Authored by: Pause, C.
Pause, C.Letters from my Fatosphere. [Exhibition] Included in 'Bodies Abound', Aurora Gallery, Sydney, Australia (10 Sep)
[Artwork]Authored by: Pause, C.

Thesis

Pause, C. (2008). Invisible women: Exploring weight identity in morbidly obese women. (Doctoral Thesis, Texas Tech University, TX, United States)
[Doctoral Thesis]Authored by: Pause, C.

Report

Batten, L., Chainey, B., Forster, ME., & Pause, C.(2014). Massey's Got Talent: Staff engagement and talent management at Massey University..
[Technical Report]Authored by: Forster, M., Pause, C.
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Conference

Pause, C., Sorell, G, ., Colwell, R, ., Kiesling, C, ., Graham, C, ., & Montgomery, M, .Exploring the space of adult identity development: The Adult Identity Development Project. Paper presented at the biannual meeting of the Australasian Human Development Association, Dunedin, New Zealand..
[Conference Paper]Authored by: Pause, C.
Pausè, C. (2014, January). Pausé, C. J. (2014, 8 January). Teaching the fat body: A consideration for the social sciences. In C. Russell (Chair), What’s the big idea? Developing a fat pedagogy in higher education. Symposium conducted at the annual Hawaii International Conference on Education.. Presented at Hawaii International Conference on Education
[Conference Oral Presentation]Authored by: Pause, C.
Pausè, C. (2014, August). Pausé, C. J. (2014, 16 August). Fat resistance: How an online community constructs non-responsible and non-responsive discourses. Paper presented at Competing Responsibilities, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand.. Presented at Competing Responsibilities. Victoria University, Wellington.
[Conference Oral Presentation]Authored by: Pause, C.
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Pausè, C., & Grey, S. (2014, August). Grey, S. & Pausé, C. J. (2014, 17 August). Academic tensions: Reclaiming autonomy & accepting our responsibilities. Invited paper presented at Competing Responsibilities, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand.. Presented at Competing Responsibilities. Victoria University, Wellington.
[Conference Oral Presentation]Authored by: Pause, C.
Pausè, C. (2013, March). Pausé, C. J. (2013, March 7-10). Being productive and maintaining your sanity as an early career academic at a Land Grant University. In M. J. Erchull (Chair), Being productive and maintaining your sanity as an early career academic. Symposium conducted at the annual meeting of the Association of Women in Psychology, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.. Presented at Association of Women in Psychology
[Conference Oral Presentation]Authored by: Pause, C.

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Pausè, C. (2013, January). Pausé, C. J. (2013, January 23rd). Clinging to the obesity epidemic: The structure of a fatty revolution. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the International Conference on Thinking, Wellington, New Zealand.. Presented at International Conference on Thinking,. Michael Fowler Centre, Wellington.
[Conference Oral Presentation]Authored by: Pause, C.
Pausè, C. (2013, June). Pausé, C. J. (2013, 2 June). Eat ALL the food: On fat people eating. Invited paper presented at c.l.i.t.fest, Wellington, New Zealand.. Presented at Combating latent inequalities together. Wellington.
[Conference Oral Presentation]Authored by: Pause, C.
Pausè, C. (2012, March). Pausé, C. J., Mehta, C., Tartaro, J., & Erchull, M. J. (2012, March 8-10). Live to tell: The experiences of early career feminists. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Association of Women in Psychology, Palm Springs, California, USA.. Presented at Association of Women in Psychology. Palm Springs, USA.
[Conference Oral Presentation]Authored by: Pause, C.
Pausè, C. (2012, July). Pausé, C. J. (2012, July 12-13). You got your fatness in my intersectionality; You got your intersectionality in my fatness. Paper presented at Fat Studies: Reflective Intersections conference, Wellington, New Zealand.. Presented at Fat Studies: Reflective Intersections. Massey University, Wellington.
[Conference Oral Presentation]Authored by: Pause, C.
Pause, C. (2012). Social scholarship: The use of social media in disseminating and collaborating in the 21st century. Poster session presented at the meeting of Vice-Chancellor's Symposium 2012: How are we defining ourselves as 21st century scholars?. Wellington, New Zealand
[Conference Poster]Authored by: Pause, C.
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Pause, C.(2007, March 22). To identity and beyond: Making sense of the numbers. In G. T. Sorell (Chair), To identity and beyond: Exploring the space of adult identity development.. , Society for Research on Identity Development
[Conference Abstract]Authored by: Pause, C.

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Other

Pausè, C., & Wykes, J. (2015). The dancers’ body is fat: Force Majeure’s Nothing to Lose.. : The Conversation
[Internet publication]Authored by: Pause, C.
Pausè, C. (2013). Discrimination against fat people increases likelihood of weight gain.. : The Conversation
[Internet publication]Authored by: Pause, C.
Pausè, C. (2013). Media’s faceless fatties fuel society’s growing sizeism.. : The Conversation
[Internet publication]Authored by: Pause, C.
Pause, C. (2012). Big belly laughs: Why it is okay to laugh at fat people?. : The Conversation Media Group
[Internet publication]Authored by: Pause, C.
Pause, C. (2012). Moving beyond weight: Why the focus on size is bad for health. : The Conversation Media Group
[Internet publication]Authored by: Pause, C.

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Pause, C. (2012). Media attention suggests fat may be the new sexy. : The Conversation Media Group
[Internet publication]Authored by: Pause, C.
Pause, C.Friend of Marilyn. [Audio Podcast]. Produced weekly as a radio show on Access Manawatu, Palmerston North, New Zealand. Retrieved from http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/friend-of-marilyn/id462034226.
[Other]Authored by: Pause, C.
Pause, C.Friend of Marilyn [Web blog]. Retrieved from http://friendofmarilyn.com/..
[Internet publication]Authored by: Pause, C.
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Consultancy and Languages

Languages

  • English
    Last used: English
    Spoken ability: Excellent
    Written ability: Excellent

Teaching and Supervision

Courses Coordinated

Contact Supervisor

Summary of Doctoral Supervision

Position Current Completed
Main Supervisor 1 1

Current Doctoral Supervision

Main Supervisor of:

  • Melanie Grey - Doctor of Philosophy
    The Use Of Te Whare Tapa Wha Within New Zealand Counselling Contexts

Completed Doctoral Supervision

Main Supervisor of:

  • 2016 - Kathryn Hoare - Doctor of Education
    Journey together through the three years: An evaluation of personal tutor system, a student support model embedded in a Bachelor of Nursing programme in New Zealand

Media and Links

Media

  • 24 Jul 2012 - Radio
    Panel: Anti-obesity campaigns and fat acceptance
    I accepted an invitation to participate in a panel discussion for ABC in Australia on anti-obesity campaigns.
  • 20 Sep 2012 - Radio
    RadioLIVE - OBESITY IS AN ADDICTION
    I accepted an invitation to speak on RadioLIVE about the assertion that obesity results from food addiction.
  • 19 Jan 2015 - Online
    Can fat be beautiful?
    BBC
  • 14 Apr 2015 - Television
    The F word
    Media Take, Maori TV
  • 05 Apr 2015 - Online, Newspaper
    Fat people have really hot sex
    The Herald
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  • 02 Apr 2015 - Online
    ‘Guess what? Fat people do have sex’
    The News
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Other Links