Pursuing Undergraduate Research as a Liberal Arts Student
How can liberal arts students conduct research? What is it like conducting summer research as an undergraduate college student?
Meet Claire Hobbs ’26, a history and Arabic major, who spent the summer researching Jewish birthing practices from ancient Israel through the medieval period.
The Hamel Center for Undergraduate Research at UNH offers a variety of funding opportunities, so students can get paid to conduct research.
Claire conducting summer research
What is your research about?
I am researching Jewish childbirth practices from ancient Israel through the medieval period, focusing on Jewish diasporic groups in the Islamic world (the modern-day Middle East and North Africa). I am particularly focused on the role of the midwife and understanding and reconstructing her position in Jewish society. My research also includes important works in the field of historical childbirth studies (work that has mainly focused on Europe and the Atlantic world) as well as foundational gender theory texts to contextualize my findings.
Claire conducting summer research
What challenges does your research address?
I am exploring how minority groups utilize the universal human experience of birth to create differences between themselves and the dominant cultural group. More directly, I am investigating alternatives to a Western, medical model of childbirth, and, through the midwife, I am researching the historical boundaries of gendered society.
Claire conducting summer research
Why did you decide to conduct summer research?
I was interested in developing my own course of study and research plan, having done so on a much smaller level during a January research opportunity through the Global Racial and Social Inequality Lab. I have a broad range of interests and preparation, and designing my own research has allowed me to explore and utilize all of the various linguistic, historical, and analytical skills that I have developed thus far at UNH.
Claire conducting summer research
What did you learn from your research experience?
I have gained familiarity in a very specific niche of the historical field, and I have also gained an understanding of myself. I plan on applying to graduate school for historical studies, with the eventual goal of becoming an academic, and this project has not only prepared me for this goal but has let me know that I truly thrive in a collegiate setting where my individual research is supported by peers. When applying to graduate schools, I will specifically look for programs that offer this kind of support. Without this experience, I wouldn't have known how crucial this kind of working environment is for me!
