Professor Brendan Gough

Director of Research
Leeds School Of Social Sciences
0113 81 23934 B.Gough@leedsbeckett.ac.ukAbout Professor Brendan Gough
Professor Gough is a Critical Social Psychologist and qualitative researcher interested in men and masculinities. He has published many papers on gender identities and relations, mostly in the context of health, lifestyles and well being.
Professor Gough is co-founder and co-editor of the journal Qualitative Research in Psychology; he edits the Critical Psychology section and is co-Editor-in-Chief of the journal Social & Personality Psychology Compass, and is associate editor for the journal Psychology of Men and Masculinity. He was awarded a fellowship of the Academy of Social Sciences in 2016.
He has co-authored/edited three books in the areas of critical social psychology (with McFadden, McDonald: 2001/2013), reflexivity in qualitative research (with Finlay: 2003), and men's health (with Robertson: 2009). He has put together a five-volume major work on qualitative research in psychology (Sage: 2014), co-edited a book on chemically modified bodies (substance use for appearance purposes; with Hall, Grogan: 2016), and edited a new handbook of critical social psychology (Palgrave: 2017). His latest, sole-authored book cam eout in 2018: Contemporary Masculinities: Embodiment, Emotion and Wellbeing (Palgrave).
Current Teaching
Brendan teaches qualitative research methods to MSc Psychology students and supervises student projects at BSc and MSc level.
Research Interests
Current projects include men’s experiences of infertility, men’s accounts of mental health issues, and men’s grooming and appearance-related practices.
Selected Publications
Journal articles (35)
- Gough B (In press) The psychology of men's health: Maximizing masculine capital.
https://doi.org/10.1037/a0030424 - Gough B; Deatrick JA (In press) Qualitative health psychology research: Diversity, power, and impact.
https://doi.org/10.1037/hea0000206
View Repository Record - Hanna ES; Gough B (In press) Men's accounts of infertility within their intimate partner relationships: an analysis of online forum discussions
https://doi.org/10.1080/02646838.2017.1278749
View Repository Record - Gough B; Madden M; Morris S; Atkin K; McCambridge J (2020) How do older people normalise their drinking? : An analysis of interviewee accounts
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2019.104513
View Repository Record - Hanna E; Gough B; Markham S (2020) Masculinities in the construction industry: A double-edged sword for health and wellbeing?
https://doi.org/10.1111/gwao.12429 - Hanna E; Gough B (2019) The social construction of male infertility: a qualitative questionnaire study of men with a male factor infertility diagnosis
https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9566.13038
View Repository Record - Gough B; Milnes K; Turner-Moore T (2019) Young masculinities across five European countries: performing under pressure
https://doi.org/10.1080/13676261.2019.1695763
View Repository Record - Prodgers L; Gough B (2019) The invisible paradox of inflammatory bowel disease: An analysis of men's blogs.
https://doi.org/10.1177/1359105319884595
View Repository Record - Jankowski G; Gough B; Fawkner H; Halliwell E; Diedrichs P (2018) Young men's minimisation of their body dissatisfaction
https://doi.org/10.1080/08870446.2018.1496251
View Repository Record - Hanna ES; Gough B (2018) Searching for help online: An analysis of peer-to-peer posts on a male-only infertility forum
https://doi.org/10.1177/1359105316644038
View Repository Record - Hanna ES; Gough B; Hudson N (2018) Fit to father? Online accounts of lifestyle changes and help-seeking on a male infertility board
https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9566.12733
View Repository Record - McDonald M; Gough B; Wearing S; Deville A (2017) Social Psychology, Consumer Culture and Neoliberal Political Economy
https://doi.org/10.1111/jtsb.12135
View Repository Record - Gough B (2016) Reflexivity in qualitative psychological research
https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2016.1262615
View Repository Record - Hanna ES; gough B (2016) Men's emotions and support needs in relation to infertility
View Repository Record - Robertson S; Gough B; Hanna E; Raine G; Robinson RM; Seims A; White A (2016) Successful mental health promotion with men: evidence from 'tacit knowledge'
https://doi.org/10.1093/heapro/daw067
View Repository Record - Hanna ES; Gough B (2016) Emoting infertility online: A qualitative analysis of men's forum posts
https://doi.org/10.1177/1363459316649765
View Repository Record - Gough B (2016) Men's Depression Talk Online: A Qualitative Analysis of Accountability and Authenticity in Help-Seeking and Support Formulations
https://doi.org/10.1037/a0039456
View Repository Record - Gough B; Seymour-Smith S; Matthews CR (2016) Body dissatisfaction, appearance investment, and wellbeing: How older obese Men orient to "aesthetic health"
https://doi.org/10.1037/men0000012
View Repository Record - Jankowski G; Braybrook DE; Gough B; Robertson S (2015) New Perspectives on the Maturing Field of Men's Health: Introduction to a Special Conference Issue
View Repository Record - Hanna ES; Gough B (2015) Experiencing Male Infertility: A Review of the Qualitative Research Literature
https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244015610319
View Repository Record - Gough B; Lyons A (2015) The Future of Qualitative Research in Psychology: Accentuating the Positive
https://doi.org/10.1007/s12124-015-9320-8
View Repository Record - Hall M; Grogan S; Gough B (2015) Bodybuilders' accounts of synthol use: The construction of lay expertise online
https://doi.org/10.1177/1359105314568579
View Repository Record - Hall M; Grogan S; Gough B (2014) 'It is safe to use if you are healthy': A discursive analysis of men's online accounts of ephedrine use
https://doi.org/10.1080/08870446.2014.994632
View Repository Record - Rutherford Z; Gough B; Seymour-Smith S; Matthews C; Wilcox J; Parnell D; Pringle AR (2014) 'Motivate': the effect of a football in the community delivered weight loss programme on over 35 year old men and women's cardiovascular risk factors
https://doi.org/10.1080/14660970.2014.920628
View Repository Record - Beestin L; Hugh-Jones S; Gough B (2014) The impact of maternal postnatal depression on men and their ways of fathering: an interpretative phenomenological analysis
https://doi.org/10.1080/08870446.2014.885523
View Repository Record - Stead M; Jones L; Docherty G; Gough B; Antoniak M; McNeill A (2013) 'No-one actually goes to a shop and buys them do they?': attitudes and behaviours regarding illicit tobacco in a multiply disadvantaged community in England
https://doi.org/10.1111/add.12332 - Bennett E; Gough B (2013) In pursuit of leanness: The management of appearance, affect and masculinities within a men's weight loss forum
https://doi.org/10.1177/1363459312454149 - Hall M; Gough B; Seymour-Smith S (2013) Stake Management in Men's Online Cosmetics Testimonials
https://doi.org/10.1002/mar.20600 - O'Hara L; Gough B; Seymour-Smith S; Watts S (2013) 'It's not a disease, it's a nuisance': Controlling diabetes and achieving goals in the context of men with Type 1 diabetes
https://doi.org/10.1080/08870446.2013.800516 - Gough B; Antoniak M; Docherty G; Jones L; Stead M; McNeill A (2013) Smoking, self-regulation and moral positioning: A focus group study with British smokers from a disadvantaged community
https://doi.org/10.1080/08870446.2013.799160 - Gough B; Madill, A. (2012) Subjectivity in psychological science: from problem to prospect
- Hall, M; Gough B; Seymour-Smith, S (2012) 'I'm METRO, NOT gay', a discursive analysis of men's make-up use on YouTube
- Sloan C; Gough B; Conner M (2010) Healthy masculinities? How ostensibly healthy men talk about lifestyle, health and gender
https://doi.org/10.1080/08870440902883204 - Gough B; Fry G; Grogan S; Conner M (2009) Why do young adult smokers continue to smoke despite the health risks? A focus group study
https://doi.org/10.1080/08870440701670570 - Madill A; Gough B (2008) Qualitative Research and Its Place in Psychological Science
https://doi.org/10.1037/a0013220
View Repository Record
Books (4)
- Gough B (2018) Contemporary Masculinities Embodiment, Emotion and Wellbeing. Springer.
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-78819-7 - ed. (2017) The Palgrave Handbook of Critical Social Psychology. Palgrave Macmillan UK.
https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-51018-1 - Gough B; McFadden M; McDonald M (2013) Critical Social Psychology An Introduction. Palgrave Macmillan.
- Gough B; Robertson S (2010) Men, Masculinities and Health. Palgrave MacMillan.
Reports (1)
- Gough B; Novikova I (2020) Mental health, men and culture: how do sociocultural constructions of masculinities relate to men's mental health help-seeking behaviour in the WHO European Region?. WHO.
View Repository Record