Skeptics on the Fringe:World of Feederism and Erotic Weight Gain

Kathy Charles & Michael Palkowski – Fat Love: the World of Feederism and Erotic Weight Gain

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Feederism (or feedism) is the term given to practices and relationships related to erotic weight gain. In its simplest form, feederism is about a feeder (a person who likes to see another person gain weight) and a feedee (a person who enjoys gaining weight).

This talk opens up the world of feederism by exploring what really happens in feederism relationships and where the desires of feeders and feedees stem from.

The presenters of this talk recently completed a book for Palgrave Pivot (due September 2015) on feederism, which includes original research with over 20 people who routinely practice feederism (the largest academic sample to be collected in the published literature to date). Kathy and Michael will share real life stories and challenge assumptions and expectations about power, control, and gender.

Kathy Charles‘ talk for us at last year’s Fringe was electrifying when she spoke for us about the Psychology of the Serial Killers Harold Shipman and Fred West so we are delighted to welcome her back this year.

Kathy has been a lecturer at Edinburgh Napier University since 2007. She teaches undergraduate modules in forensic psychology and research methods, and she is the programme leader for the MSc in Applied Criminology and Forensic Psychology. Her research interests are in aversive personalities, unusual interests, and forensic interviewing. She is the director of studies for a PhD student researching aversive personalities.

Before becoming a lecturer she studied for a PhD in forensic psychology at Glasgow Caledonian University. She also worked there as a research assistant and tutor. She obtained her BSc (Hons) in psychology with sociology from the University of Leicester.

www.kathycharles.net (http://www.kathycharles.net/)

@kathy_charles (http://www.twitter.com/kathy_charles)

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Michael Palkowski is a Sociologist and PhD student at Edinburgh Napier University, working in the Business school. He is also currently an undergraduate dissertation supervisor in the School of Life, Sports and Social Sciences, where he specializes in autoethnographic projects. He has also presented his work at various international and national conferences.

His work is concerned with challenging preconceived assumptions about everyday life. His main research interests include gender and sexuality; deviancy; the social construction of space and place; social hospitality research and experimental methodologies in research.

Michael is a regular user of social media and routinely tweets articles and academic content about a whole range of sociological topics.

@degarmot (http://www.twitter.com/degarmot)

Our website for the entire run is:

http://www.edinburghskeptics.co.uk/fringe

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This is because they are part of PBH's Free Fringe and are Free and un-ticketed. Come early, seating is limited and we have to turn people away most nights.

Details are here on Meetup and on our main website. If there are any changes to our published speakers, we will try to send an email to anyone whose said they're be attending, but please check online for changes.

All events start at 7.50 pm prompt and last for 1 hour (with discussions in the bar afterwards). We will try to include a couple of questions in the hour long talk but this may not be possible.

Please note that these restrictions, the timeslot, and the venue are out-with our realistic control, and we apologise for any inconvenience.

The queue for our talks runs from the front door of the Banshee up Niddry Street towards the High Street. Come early to avoid disappointment, we have to turn people away most nights. Committee members will have a "COMMITTEE" lanyard and other people involved in putting the talk on will have a "VOLUNTEER" lanyard.

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http://www.edinburghskeptics.co.uk/about/respect (http://www.edinburghskeptics.co.uk/about/respect/)