Wednesday 21 April 2010
Recent Inaugural Lecture of Professor Brendan Gough
Professor Brendan Gough
Professor Brendan Gough, Professor of Social Psychology within the School of Social Sciences, gave staff and students a valuable insight into his work concerning men and masculinities during a recent inaugural lecture.
Professor Gough argued that popular images of contemporary men (e.g. health-conscious, metrosexual, involved fathers) do not signal a break from traditional masculinities so much as a modern re-packaging of conventions designed to satisfy the demands of a post-feminist consumer-driven neo-liberal millennium.
He proposed that to participate in society as an emotionally intelligent citizen is to become feminised and so renounce familiar ideals and practices. Many men opt to negotiate a middle-ground between new and old versions of masculinity and might display an interest in health while decrying excessive health promotion efforts. They might do childcare while preserving a position of main breadwinner, might profess to be image-conscious, but link this to success with the ladies etc. Such themes were illustrated with reference to psychosocial research involving media representations, interview data and material from online sources.
Brendan Gough gained his BA and PhD in Psychology at Queen’s University in his home city Belfast. He worked as a lecturer at Sheffield Hallam University, then the University of Leeds before taking up a Chair in Social Psychology at Nottingham Trent University in 2007. He has published various papers on gender identities and relations which draw upon discursive and psychoanalytic concepts, including areas such as sexism, homophobia and intersex. He has also published papers on ESRC funded health-related research, such as alcohol consumption, smoking and aspects of men's health.
