Dr Laura Kilby BSc, PhD, CPsychol, AFBPsS, FHEA
Head of Centre for Culture Media and Society
- Department of Psychology Sociology and Politics
- Centre for Behavioural Science and Applied Psychology
Summary
As a Critical Social Psychologist my primary research interests centre upon examining relationships between power, discourse and the construction of marginalised identities and marginalised groups in the context of Peace and Conflict. I also research other aspects of identity as it relates to minority or oppressed communities. This includes Citizenship and Immigration; Gender and Homelessness; Social deprivation and Health. Working in these areas means that I am always concerned to examine how policy and identity intersect. I am expert in a range of discursive analytic methods and I also draw upon other qualitative methods.
About
I joined the university in 2012 and I have been a Research Lead in the department of Psychology, Sociology & Politics and the REF Co-ordinator for the Psychology, Psychiatry and Neuroscience Unit of Assessment since 2016. In 2021 I took up my post as Head of our new Centre for Culture, Media & Society. The Centre draws together staff from across the university who are working in diverse and often interdisciplinary areas. I am also a member of the leadership team for the Centre for Behavioural Science and Applied Psychology.
Teaching
Department of Psychology, Sociology and Politics
College of Social Sciences and Arts
- BSc Psychology
- MSc Psychology
- The Psychology of Peace and Conflict (BSc)
- Qualitative Research Methods (MSC, BSc)
- Critical Psychology (MSc, BSc)
- Social Psychology (MSc, BSc)
- Dissertation Supervision (MSc, BSc)
Research
My research has two strands.
(i) My focal concern is with the study of identity construction and oppression. My work applies a Critical Psychology lens to examine the discursive construction of self and other in a range of public contexts. This includes the study of newsprint media, public broadcast shows and ‘talk-radio’, and social media. My work seeks to reveal the, often, mundane ways in which people become ‘othered’ in and through discourse, and to challenge the structural and psychological oppression of such. My interest in identity further extends to other issues including Gender and Homelessness; Citizenship and National Identity.
(ii) As a lead member of The Centre for Behavioural Science and Applied Psychology, I jointly lead our work on Applied Psychology and Research Methods and I work with other members of the Centre on projects primarily concerned with Behaviour Change.
Publications
Journal articles
Kilby, L. (2023). Protest, Race and Grievability: What does it mean for lives to matter? Social and Personality Psychology Compass. http://doi.org/10.1111/spc3.12805
Kilby, L., & Foster, E. (2023). "Speaking as a mother": A membership categorisation analysis of child-centric talk in a UK daytime television talk show. Feminism and Psychology, 33 (4), 550-568. http://doi.org/10.1177/09593535231173232
Hodgson, S., Painter, J., Kilby, L., & Hirst, J. (2023). “Crying on the bus”: first time fathers’ experiences of distress 2 on their return to work. Healthcare, 11 (9). http://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare11091352
Branney, P., Brooks, J., Kilby, L., Newman, L.K., Norris, E., Pownall, M., ... Whitaker, C. (2023). Three steps to open science for qualitative research in psychology. Social and Personality Psychology Compass. http://doi.org/10.1111/spc3.12728
Pownall, M., Talbot, C.V., Kilby, L., & Branney, P. (2023). Opportunities, Challenges, and Tensions: Open Science through a lens of Qualitative Social Psychology. British Journal of Social Psychology. http://doi.org/10.1111/bjso.12628
Kilby, L., Porritt, J., Labinjo, T.O., & Machaka, R. (2022). What am I doing in a place like this?: Understanding imposter phenomenon amongst postgraduate students from minoritised racial backgrounds. QMiP Bulletin, (34), 6-21.
Kilby, L., & Lennon, H. (2021). When words are not enough: Combined textual and visual multimodal analysis as a Critical Discursive Psychology undertaking. Methods in Psychology. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.metip.2021.100071
Humphreys, H., Kilby, L., Kudiersky, N., & Copeland, R. (2021). Long COVID and the role of physical activity: a qualitative study. BMJ Open, 11 (3). http://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2020-047632
Hodgson, S., Painter, J., Kilby, L., & Hirst, J. (2021). The Experiences of First-Time Fathers in Perinatal Services: Present but Invisible. Healthcare, 9 (2), e161. http://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare9020161
Aleixo, P., Matkin, D., & Kilby, L. (2020). What do teachers think about the educational role of comic books?: A qualitative analysis. Studies in Comics, 11 (2), 387-404. http://doi.org/10.1386/stic_00037_1
Kilby, L. (2020). Shaking off the shackles of imposterism. Psychologist, 33, 38-41. https://thepsychologist.bps.org.uk/volume-33/january-2020/shaking-shackles-imposterism
Horowitz, A.D., & Kilby, L. (2019). Thinking out loud: A discourse analysis of ‘thinking’ during talk radio interactions. Text & Talk. http://doi.org/10.1515/text-2019-0235
Kilby, L. (2017). Social representations of peace in terrorism talk: a UK talk-radio analysis. Peace and Conflict, 23 (2), 106-116. http://doi.org/10.1037/pac0000241
Kilby, L. (2015). Symbols of Terror : '9/11' as the Word of the Thing and the Thing of the word. Journal For The Theory Of Social Behaviour, 46 (2), 229-249. http://doi.org/10.1111/jtsb.12097
Kilby, L., & Horowitz, A.D. (2013). Opening up terrorism talk: The sequential and categorical production of discursive power within the call openings of a talk radio broadcast. Discourse and Society, 24 (6), 725-742. http://doi.org/10.1177/0957926513503270
Kilby, L., Horowitz, A.D., & Hylton, P.L. (2012). Diversity as victim to ‘realistic liberalism’: analysis of an elite discourse of immigration, ethnicity and society. Critical Discourse Studies, 10 (1), 47-60. http://doi.org/10.1080/17405904.2012.736398
Horowitz, A., & Kilby, L. (2011). Sounding the death knell for pluralism: Cameron’s “muscular liberalism” and media constructions of the terrorist ‘other’. Arches Quarterly, 4 (8), 110-119. http://www.thecordobafoundation.com/attach/ARCHES_Vol4_Edition%208.PDF
Book chapters
Kilby, L., & Staniforth, L. (2023). Islamophobia, gender and violence in discourse: Media representations of 'jihadi brides'. In Pandey, M. (Ed.) International Perspectives on Gender-Based Violence. (pp. 157-178). Springer: http://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-42867-8_10
Lennon, H., & Kilby, L. (2021). A multimodal discourse analysis of 'Brexit': flagging the nation in political cartoons. In Political Communication. Discursive Perspectives. (pp. 115-146). Palgrave Macmillan: http://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-60223-9_5
Kilby, L., & Lennon, H. (2018). Charlie Hebdo and the prophet Muhammad: a multimodal critical discourse analysis of peace and violence in a satirical cartoon. In Gibson, S. (Ed.) Discourse, Peace & Conflict. Discursive psychology perspectives. (pp. 303-321). Springer: http://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-99094-1
Reports
Kilby, L. (2021). Selfless: a psychologist's journey through identity and social class. The British Psychological Society. https://thepsychologist.bps.org.uk/volume-34/september-2021/resisting-psychologys-boxes
Kilby, L., Porritt, J., Labinjo, T., & Machaka, R. (2021). Understanding and addressing Imposterism amongst postgraduate students from minoritised racial backgrounds.
Kilby, L., Pearson, D., & Whitby, J. (2019). Laddism and the Student Culture at SHU: Understanding the student 'experience'.
Kilby, L., Thorneloe, R., Arden, M., Lamb, M., & Armitage, C.J. (2019). Doncaster local delivery pilot behavioural insight work phase: 3 Co-Design Workshops. Behavioural Science Consortium. http://behaviouralscienceconsortium.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Doncaster-Phase-3-report-submitted.pdf
Kilby, L., Thorneloe, R., Arden, M., Lamb, M., & Armitage, C.J. (2019). Doncaster local delivery pilot behavioural insight work phase 2: insights from community explorer research. Behavioural Science Consortium. http://behaviouralscienceconsortium.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Phase-2-Report-17.05.19.pdf
Kilby, L., Arden, M., Lamb, M., & Armitage, C.J. (2019). Doncaster local delivery pilot behavioural insight work phase 1. Behavioural Science Consortium. http://behaviouralscienceconsortium.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/DMBC-Phase-1-Brochure.pdf
Kilby, L. (2011). The psychology of strategic terrorism: public and government responses to attack. Informa UK Limited. http://doi.org/10.1080/13669877.2011.555989
Theses / Dissertations
Hodgson, S. (2021). Transitions to fatherhood:a constructivist grounded theory study. (Doctoral thesis). Supervised by Kilby, L. http://doi.org/10.7190/shu-thesis-00412
Lennon, H. (2018). A UK Discourse Analysis of Belonging in Romanian Identity and Immigratory Accounts. (Doctoral thesis). Supervised by Kilby, L. http://doi.org/10.7190/shu-thesis-00126
Internet Publications
Kilby, L. (2022). Social Class Matters. https://www.bps.org.uk/psychologist/social-class-matters
Humphreys, H., Kilby, L., Kudiersky, N., & Copeland, R. (2020). Long Covid and the role of physical activity: a qualitative study. http://doi.org/10.1101/2020.12.03.20243345
Kilby, L. (2020). Individualism, Ideology and talking about Lives that matter. https://sheffieldinstituteforpolicystudies.com/2020/11/25/individualism-ideology-and-talking-about-lives-that-matter/
Kilby, L. (2020). Killing in a time of Covid 19: How do we communicate when we can't breathe?
Presentations
Kilby, L. (2023). Open Science and Qualitative Research: working at the cutting edge. Presented at: Research Seminar Series, York, UK
Kilby, L. (2023). 'Basic Instinct' in Parliament: Discursive intersections of class, sexuality, and gender in talk around the UK house of Commons. Presented at: Psychology of classed (un)belonging in elite work, Leeds, UK
Kilby, L. (2022). Doing Motherhood on daytime tv. Presented at: PSP Annual conference, Sheffield
Kilby, L. (2022). Belonging and unbelonging in the academy: Imposterism amongst racially minoritised students. Presented at: PSP Annual conference, Sheffield, UK
Kilby, L. (2022). Motherhood, gender and talk. Presented at: Qualitative Methods in Psychology, DeMontfort University Leicester
Kilby, L. (2022). "Speaking as mother": gender, identity and membership categories in talk about parenting. Presented at: Psychology of Women and Equalities annual conference, Windsor,UK
Kilby, L., & Verbaan, E. (2022). Open Science for all. Presented at: Creating Knowledge conference, Sheffield, UK
Kilby, L. (2021). The discursive construction of science and objectivity: Time to examine the bathwater? Presented at: PSP Annual Research Conference, Sheffield
Kilby, L., Olusoga, P., Bennett, C., & Freeman, E. (2021). Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in Social Science: If we are all so ‘woke’ why are we still so ‘stuck’ with the status quo? Presented at: PSP Annual Conference, Sheffield
Kilby, L., Olusoga, P., Bennett, C., & Freeman, E. (2021). Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in Social Science: If we are all so ‘woke’ why are we still so ‘stuck’ with the status quo? Presented at: PSP Annual Conference, Sheffield
Kilby, L. (2021). Long Covid and the role of physical activity. Presented at: CK21, virtual event
Kilby, L. (2021). What does it mean to be critical? Pedagogies, practices, disciplines and outcomes. Presented at: CK21 Conference, Virtual event
Kilby, L. (2021). What does it mean to be critical? Pedagogies, practices, disciplines and outcomes. Presented at: CK21 Conference, Virtual event
Kilby, L. (2021). IDENTITY RIGHTS AND HOMELESS MOTHERS: DENIAL, OPPRESSION AND LOSS. Presented at: Qualitative Research in Psychology in Europe, Virtual event
Kilby, L. (2020). Examining mental-state talk within everyday conversational debate: ‘thinking’ on the radio. Presented at: New directions in discursive psychology, Virtual event
Kilby, L. (2020). New directions in discursive psychology. APA Division 5, Society for Qualitative Inquiry in Psychology. Presented at: APA Division 5, Society for Qualitative Inquiry in Psychology, Virtual Event
Kilby, L. (2020). Following a Qualitative path in Psychology: The road less travelled? Presented at: British Psychological Society, Senate Research Day, Virtual Event
Kilby, L. (2020). Communicating for Behaviour Change: Analysis of expert-lay Covid-19 communicative interactions. Presented at: Discourses and Dispositifs of Covid-19 Pandemic, Virtual event
Kilby, L. (2019). Forging your academic career: What does it mean to be an imposter? Presented at: University of Leeds Postgraduate Annual Conference, Leeds, UK
Kilby, L. (2019). “We want your thoughts”: A discursive psychology analysis of mental-state rhetoric in talk radio. Presented at: British Psychological Society Qualitative Methods in Psychology Section Conference, Cardiff, UK
Kilby, L. (2019). “It all began very badly”: Thoughts on successfully ‘doing’ academia. Presented at: British Psychological Society, Postgraduate Annual Conference, Sheffield, UK
Kilby, L. (2019). What does peace mean and making peace meaningful. Presented at: Psychology Research Seminars, Kingston University, London, UK
Kilby, L. (2018). ‘Running the Gauntlet’ & ‘Quizzing the Angle’: What do we know, and what can we do about 'lad culture’? Presented at: Social Sciences and Humanities Faculty Conference, Sheffield, UK
Kilby, L. (2018). You think you know us but you don't: 'Lad culture' and student identity. Presented at: British Psychological Society Psychology of Women Section Conference, Windsor, UK
Kilby, L. (2018). Data Analysis Workshop, Political Discourse Day.
Kilby, L. (2018). Data Analysis Workshop, Political Discourse Day.
Kilby, L. (2018). Muslim identity construction in UK debates about terrorism: Listening to peace talk. Presented at: Creating Knowledge Conference, Sheffield, UK
Kilby, L. (2018). ‘Lad Culture’ and the Student Experience: Swimming in postfeminist waters. Presented at: Feminist Killjoys inaugural event, Sheffield, UK
Kilby, L. (2018). What is fundamental to Islam?: Peace, Violence and Muslim identity. Presented at: Society for Qualitative Inquiry in Psychology Annual Conference, Duquesne University Pittsburgh, PA, USA
Kilby, L. (2018). Examining the Global Community of Qualitative Psychologists: International perspectives, challenges and possibilities. Presented at: Society for Qualitative Inquiry in Psychology, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
Kilby, L. (2018). Examining the Global Community of Qualitative Psychologists: International perspectives, challenges and possibilities. Presented at: Society for Qualitative Inquiry in Psychology, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
Kilby, L. (2017). 'Forgiveness' It's complicated: Exploring the interplay of image and text. Presented at: Language Research Seminars, Bristol, UK
Kilby, L. (2017). Lad culture and feminist identity: A Thematic Analysis of Female Students' constructions of Lad Culture. Presented at: British Psychological Society Psychology of Women Section Annual Conference, Windsor, UK
Kilby, L. (2017). 'Forgiveness' It's complicated: Exploring the interplay of image and text. Presented at: Society for Qualitative Inquiry in Psychology Annual Conference, Fordham University, New York, USA
Kilby, L. (2016). 'There's power in forgiveness': Charlie Hebdo and the prophet Muhammed. Presented at: Department of Psychology, Sociology and Politics Annual Research Conference, Sheffield, UK
Posters
Kilby, L. (2018). Developing a Behavioural Science approach to Communication: Lessons from Discursive Psychology and Conversation Analysis. Presented at: Behavioural Science and Applied Psychology Research Centre launch, Sheffield, Uk
Other activities
I am a member of the British Psychological Society Presidential Taskforce for Diversity and Inclusion; I sit on the committee of the British Psychological Society Qualitative Methods in Psychology Section; I am on the editorial team for the international journal Critical Terrorism Studies
Postgraduate supervision
Henry Lennon (2013-2017) ‘Untold stories’: A multi-perspective Discourse Analysis of Romania to UK ‘migration’. (Director of Studies)
Suzanne Hodgson (commenced 2016, PT). Grounded Theory of Men's Transition to Fatherhood (Director of Studies)
Adam Bates (commenced 2019). 'You gotta fight for your Rights': Constructing peace and violence within the context of political protests and popular demonstrations. (Director of Studies)
Douglas Wells (commenced 2017, PT). Exploring objective and subjective architectures surrounding UK OSINT policing of 'domestic extremism'. (Second supervisor)
Madelaine Leather (commenced 2019). Exploring barriers and solutions to helping women in Darnall, Sheffield to introduce more activity into their daily routines using a COM- B and behaviour change wheel approach. (Second supervisor)