Hi, I’m Laura
For those that don’t know me, I’m an ex-member of the EB. I grew up in Albury, (Australia), and left the EB just over 10 years ago. I am currently a PhD student at the University of Sydney, working on a thesis that explores the experiences of people who have been raised in the Exclusive Brethren/PBCC. I am in the second year of my PhD course, and I am interviewing former members to learn more about their experiences. I have a few writing projects on the go at the moment, and I’m interested in hearing about all aspects of life as an EB and an ex-EB. Among other things, I am writing about the experiences of ex-members while adjusting to the norms of mainstream society after leaving, the lives and roles of women while in the EB, and social class and hierarchy within the group.
Over the next couple of weeks, I will be in the US. I am attending conferences in Las Vegas (Sunday 26th -28th Feb), Nashville (1st-5th March) and Los Angeles (9th-10th March). If there is anyone in or nearby these cities who would like to be interviewed, I would love you to contact me. Anyone who was raised in the EB, however long ago you left, can participate in this research. It is not limited to people with any particular viewpoint - people with both negative or positive experiences are welcome. The interview will be very informal, more like a chat over a cup of tea or coffee, and you decide how much or how little time we spend talking about different topics.
If you are interested, please send me a private message on this website, or email me at ldya7795@uni.sydney.edu.au . You can also contact me if you are not interested in participating, but are curious to know more about my research. I welcome questions, and will be happy to talk to you about what I’m doing.
(If you are not in the US, you can still get involved
I will be in the UK and France in June/July, NZ later in the year, and I’m doing interviews in Australia all year. If you are not able to do a face-to-face interview, but are comfortable talking over Skype, we can do an interview that way. Or you can simply email me with things that you think I might like to know and we can have an email conversation. Whatever you are comfortable with! ) The fine print:
If you would like to know more before deciding if you would like to participate, please ask me for a copy of the Participant Information Statement for this research, which outlines the project in further detail.
Participation is entirely voluntary. The interview will cover topics such as your experiences while a member of the Brethren community, your experiences around leaving, and life after leaving the group. You can answer questions in as little or as much detail as you wish, and skip questions you don’t want to answer.
If you choose to participate, all interviews will be anonymous and confidential.
To be part of this research you must be at least 18 years of age. Please contact me at ldya7795@uni.sydney.edu.au if you would like to participate or to receive more information about the research.