Dr Bridgette Rickett
Head of Psychology, Sociology and Politics
Summary
After my completing my PhD in social psychology at the University of Sheffield, I gained cross-sector experience as a senior lecturer, followed by head of psychology at Leeds Beckett University and currently Head of psychology, sociology, and politics at 香蕉视频. My published work uses feminist-informed understandings of education, health, and organisational inequalities, particularly within the intersection of social class and gender. This work has featured in media coverage (e.g., New Statesman; Telegraph; BBC radio; and UK TV programming) and used in work on EDI strategies with organisations such as the BBC, UK Parliament, legal organisations, and the NHS.
About
Head of Department
Teaching
Sheffield Institute of Social Sciences
College of Social Sciences and Arts
Chair of POSCUPI, a collaboration between UK psychologists who examine the policy and practice implications for the psychology of social class
Gendered and classed discourses around (un)ideal parenting, family foodwork and body management
Gendered and classed discourses around the (un)ideal worker in traditionally masculinised/ middle class organisations.
香蕉视频
1. Chair of POSCUPI, a collaboration between UK psychologists who examine the policy and practice implications for the psychology of social class
Rickett, B., Easterbrook, M., Reavey, P., Sheehy-Skeffington, J., & Woolhouse, M. (2022). Psychology of Social Class-based Inequalities: Policy Implications for a revised (2010) UK Equality Act. British Psychology Society. doi.org/10.53841/bpsrep.2022.rep167
Rickett, B. (2022). We need reform, and class has got to be protected’. Psychologist, May 2022. https://t.co/37qXf7Z
2. Gendered and classed discourses around (un)ideal parenting, family foodwork and body management:
Gillborn, S, Rickett, B., & Woolhouse, M. (2022). “You just feel like you’ve failed them”: A Feminist Relational Discourse Analysis on mothers’ voiced accounts of the ‘duty to protect’ children from fatness. Feminism and Psychology. doi.org/ 10.1177/09593535221074802
Reavey, P., Woolhouse, M., & Rickett, B. (2022). Psychology of social class-based inequalities – Policy implications for a revised (2010) UK Equality Act: Health. British Psychology Society. doi.org/10.53841/bpsrep.2022.rep167
Rickett, B., Johnson, K., Ingles, H, Reynolds, M. (2021). SES and support for parents/carers of primary school aged gender diverse children in England, UK: a mixed-method analysis of experiences with health services, Heath Sociology Review. doi.org/10.1080/14461242.2020.1857656
Gillborn, S., Rickett, B., Muskett, T, & Woolhouse, M. (2020). Apocalyptic Public Health: Exploring discourses of fatness in childhood 'obesity' policy, Journal of Education Policy. doi.org/10.1080/02680939.2019.1566839.
Woolhouse, M., Day, K., Rickett, B, (2019). "‘Growing your own herbs’ and ‘cooking from scratch’: Contemporary discourses around good mothering, food and class-related identities”. Journal of Community & Applied Social Psychology. doi.org/10.1080/02680939.2019.1566839
Thompson, L., Rickett, B., Day, K. (2018). Feminist relational discourse analysis – A voice-centered discursive method for feminist research. Qualitative 香蕉视频 in Psychology. 15 (1), 93-115. doi.org/10.1080/14780887.2017.1393586
Rickett, B. (2016). Feminist psychology – post-structuralism, class, and maternal subjectivities: Where are we and where should we go next? Feminism and Psychology. 26 (3), 320 – 326.
3: Gendered and classed discourses around the (un)ideal worker in traditionally masculinised/ middle class organisations:
Rickett, B., Evans, S., & Sheehy-Skeffington, J., (2022). Psychology of social class-based inequalities – Policy implications for a revised (2010) UK Equality Act: Work. British Psychology Society. doi.org/10.53841/bpsrep.2022.rep167
Thompson, L., Rickett, B., Day, K. (2018). Feminist relational discourse analysis – A voice-centered discursive method for feminist research. Qualitative 香蕉视频 in Psychology. 15 (1), 93-115. doi.org/10.1080/14780887.2017.1393586
Rickett, B., & Morris, A, (2021). “Mopping up tears” in the academy - Discourse in working class, female lecturers talk around emotional labour and belonging in contemporary UK Higher Education. Discourse. doi.org/10.1080/01596306.2020.1834952
Drakett, J., Rickett, B, Day, K., & Milnes, K. (2019) Old jokes, new media – Online sexism and constructions of gender in Internet memes. Feminism and Psychology. 28, 109-127. doi.org/10.1177%2F0959353517727560
Kemp, L, & Rickett, B. (2017). The lived experiences of foreign women: Influences on their international working lives. Gender, Work and Organization. 25 (4) 343-360. doi.org/10.1111/gwao.12201
Rickett, B. & Roman, A. (2015). 'Heroes and matriarchs': A Discourse analysis of female door supervisors’ talk around violence. Gender, Work and Organisation. 20 (6), 664-667. doi.org/10.1111/gwao.12002
Publications
Journal articles
Rickett, B., & Kilby, L. (2025). . Feminism & Psychology.
Rickett, B., & Thompson, L. (2024). . Qualitative 香蕉视频 in Psychology.
Gillborn, S., Rickett, B., & Woolhouse, M. (2022). A Feminist Relational Discourse Analysis of mothers鈥 voiced accounts of the 鈥渄uty to protect鈥 children from fatness and fatphobia. Feminism & Psychology, 32 (2), 224-245.
Takriti, R., Atkinson, S., Rickett, B., Mohamad, F., & Al Dhaheri, M. (2022). 鈥淐rying and Chaos鈥 鈥 Starting School Experiences of Teachers in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). International Journal of Educational and Life Transitions, 1 (1).
Rickett, B., Johnson, K., Ingle, H., & Reynolds, M. (2021). Support for parents/carers of primary school aged gender diverse children in England, UK: a mixed-method analysis of experiences with health services. Health sociology review : the journal of the Health Section of the Australian Sociological Association, 30 (1), 9-24.
Rickett, B., & Morris, A. (2021). 鈥楳opping up tears in the academy鈥 鈥 working-class academics, belonging, and the necessity for emotional labour in UK academia. Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education, 42 (1), 87-101.
Bewaji, O., & Rickett, B. (2020). Emotional experiences (online talk) of male survivors of childhood sexual abuse and incest. Psychology of Women and Equalities Section Review, 3 (1-2), 71-77.
Gillborn, S., Rickett, B., Muskett, T., & Woolhouse, M. (2020). Apocalyptic public health: exploring discourses of fatness in childhood 鈥榦besity鈥 policy. Journal of Education Policy, 35 (1), 3-22.
Woolhouse, M., Day, K., & Rickett, B. (2019). 鈥淕rowing your own herbs鈥 and 鈥渃ooking from scratch鈥: Contemporary discourses around good mothering, food, and class鈥恟elated identities. Journal of Community & Applied Social Psychology, 29 (4), 285-296.
Kemp, L.J., & Rickett, B. (2018). The lived experiences of foreign women: Influences on their international working lives. Gender, Work & Organization, 25 (4), 343-360.
Drakett, J., Rickett, B., Day, K., & Milnes, K. (2018). Old jokes, new media 鈥 Online sexism and constructions of gender in Internet memes. Feminism & Psychology, 28 (1), 109-127.
Thompson, L., Rickett, B., & Day, K. (2018). Feminist Relational Discourse Analysis: putting the personal in the political in feminist research. Qualitative 香蕉视频 in Psychology, 15 (1), 93-115.
Rickett, B. (2016). VI. Feminist psychology 鈥 poststructuralism, class and maternal subjectivities: Where are we and where should we go next? Feminism & Psychology, 26 (3), 320-326.
Day, K., Rickett, B., & Woolhouse, M. (2014). Class Dismissed: Putting Social Class on the Critical Psychological Agenda. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 8 (8), 397-407.
Rickett, B., & Roman, A. (2013). 鈥楬eroes and Matriarchs鈥: Working鈥怌lass Femininities, Violence and Door Supervision Work. Gender, Work & Organization, 20 (6), 664-677.
Woolhouse, M., Day, K., Rickett, B., & Milnes, K. (2012). 'Cos girls aren't supposed to eat like pigs are they?' Young women negotiating gendered discursive constructions of food and eating. Journal of health psychology, 17 (1), 46-56.
Cross, R., Milnes, K., Rickett, B., & Fylan, F. (2011). Risking a stigmatised identity: A discourse analysis of young women鈥檚 talk about health. QMiP Bulletin, 1 (12), 22-29.
Day, K., Johnson, S., Milnes, K., & Rickett, B. (2010). Exploring Women鈥檚 Agency and Resistance in Health-related Contexts: Contributors鈥 Introduction. Feminism & Psychology, 20 (2), 238-241.
Rickett, B. (2010). IV. Working Without Sacrifice: Acceptance and Resistance to Dominant Discourse Around Women鈥檚 Occupational Risk. Feminism & Psychology, 20 (2), 260-266.
Rickett, B., Orbell, S., & Sheeran, P. (2006). Social-cognitive determinants of hoist usage among health care workers. Journal of occupational health psychology, 11 (2), 182-196.
Book chapters
Rickett, B., Johnson, K., Ingle, H., & Reynolds, M. (2024). Support for parents/carers of primary school aged gender diverse children in England, UK: a mixed-method analysis of experiences with health services(1st). In Newman, C.E., Smith, A.K.J., Duck-Chong, E., Vivienne, S., Davies, C., Robinson, K.H., & Aggleton, P. (Eds.) Social Perspectives on Trans Health. Routledge
Day, K., Rickett, B., & Woolhouse, M. (2020). Psychology and Social Class: The Working-Class as 鈥極ther鈥 (Bridgette Rickett). In Critical Social Psychology of Social Class. (pp. 33-66). Springer International Publishing:
Day, K., Rickett, B., & Woolhouse, M. (2020). Classed Identities: Submergence, Authenticity and Resistance (Bridgette Rickett). In Rickett, B., Day, K., & Woolhouse, M. (Eds.) Critical Social Psychology of Social Class. (pp. 137-172). Springer International Publishing:
Day, K., Rickett, B., & Woolhouse, M. (2020). Classed Identities: Submergence, Authenticity and Resistance (Bridgette Rickett). In Rickett, B., Day, K., & Woolhouse, M. (Eds.) Critical Social Psychology of Social Class. (pp. 137-172). Springer International Publishing:
Day, K., Rickett, B., & Woolhouse, M. (2017). Towards a Critical Social Psychology of Social Class. In The Palgrave Handbook of Critical Social Psychology. (pp. 469-489). Palgrave Macmillan UK:
Rickett, B., & Woolhouse, M. (2015). Class. In The Palgrave Handbook of the Psychology of Sexuality and Gender. (pp. 391-407).
Rickett, B. (2014). Women Voicing Resistance. In McKenzie-Mohr, S., & Lafrance, M.N. (Eds.) Women Voicing Resistance: Discursive and Narrative Explorations. (pp. 159-173). Routledge:
Rickett, B. (2012). Working without sacrifice: Discourse, femininity and occupational risk(1st). In Horrocks, C., & Johnson, S. (Eds.) Advances in Health Psychology Critical Approaches. Pearson
Books
Day, K., Rickett, B., & Woolhouse, M. (2020). Critical Social Psychology of Social Class. Springer International Publishing.
Reports
(2022). Psychology of social class-based inequalities: Policy implications for a revised (2010) UK Equality Act: Cover. British Psychological Society.
Presentations
Rickett, B., & Morris, A. (2028). 鈥淢opping up tears鈥 in the academy - Discourse in working class, female lecturers talk around emotional labour and belonging in contemporary UK Higher Education. Presented at: Qualitative research on mental health, Berlin, Germany
Rickett, B. (2025). Why do poor people behave so poorly?鈥: Shifting the blame to class-based injustice.
Rickett, B. (2025). Mopping up tears in the academy - Discourse from working class, female lecturers talk around emotional labour and belonging in contemporary UK Higher Education. Presented at: British Psychology Society Annual Conference, Nottingham
Rickett, B. (2023). Classing bodies and souls: Classist ideals in heath discourses around parenting, family foodwork and body management. Presented at: International Society of Critical Health Psychology Biennial Conference, Rancagua, Chile
Rickett, B., & Kilby, L. (2023). (Dis)Respectability and 鈥楤asic instinct鈥 in UK Parliament: Discursive intersections of class, heterosexuality, and gender in in the House of Commons. Presented at: Psychology of Women and Equalities Annual Conference, Cumberland Lodge, Windsor, UK
Rickett, B. (2021). 鈥楳opping up tears in the academy鈥 鈥 Working-Class Academics, belonging and the necessity for emotional labour in contemporary UK academia for Working-Class women. Presented at: Gender, Work and Organisation Conference, University of Kent, UK
Rickett, B. (2021). Voicing resistance and power: A feminist approach to capturing the personal and the political. Presented at: Qualitative 香蕉视频 in Psychology in Europe, Onine
Rickett, B. (2018). How can feminists survive the Athena Swan application journey? Presented at: Psychology of Women and Inequalities Annual Conference, Cumberland Lodge, Windsor, UK
Other activities
2023 – 2025: Expert board member – Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Board. British Psychology Society.
2022 - Present: Expert board member – Legal framework for protection of social class in UK Equality Act (2010), Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP.
2022 - Present: Expert advisor – Psychology of Gender and Social Class – implications for organisations, BBC RAISED (Real Action in Social and Economic Diversity) Employee Network. BBC, UK
2020 – Present: Member. Association of European Qualitative 香蕉视频ers in Psychology (EQuiP)
2021- 2024: Vice Chair. International Society of Critical Health Psychology (ISCHP)
2021-Present: Founder and Chair: ‘Psychology of Social Class; UK Policy and Practice Implications (POSCUPI)
Postgraduate supervision
Supervision areas:
Critical and feminist-informed qualitative methods to understand how discourses can shape our identities, relations, and experiences.
Education, health and organisationally situated inequalities, particularly within the intersection of social class and gender
Completions:
2019 - 2023: Director of Studies for PhD. Oluwatoyin Bewaji – ‘Classed femininities of black women: Subjectivities and agency in body reshaping and body management practices’.
2015 – 2022: Supervisor for PhD. Adam Lowe – ‘Class, masculinities and workplace emotional well-being’.
2015 – 2020: Director of Studies for PhD. Sarah Gillborn - ‘Discourses of fatness and motherhood (re)produced through UK government 'childhood obesity' policy’
2009 – 2017: Supervisor for PhD. Rebecca Wray - ‘Constructions of professional femininities in print and online women’s magazines’ (part time)
2013 – 2016: Director of Studies for PhD. Gemma Ahearne - ‘Sex workers experiences of prison and imprisonment’
2012 – 2016: Director of Studies for PhD. Jessica Drakett - ‘Constructions of femininities in IT workspaces’
2009 – 2013: Director of Studies for PhD. Lucy Thompson - 'Gendering and classing Police-work: A Feminist Relational Discourse Analysis of Ideal Organisational Identities under Late Capitalism'
2008 – 2012: Supervisor for PhD. Ruth Cross - ‘Discourse around health, risk and health promotion (part time)
2007 – 2012: Supervisor for PhD: Maxine Woolhouse - ‘Constructions of class, femininities and eating’.
PhD - Current Supervision:
2023 – Present: Director of Studies. Ella Rhodes - ‘Exploring women’s involvement in masculinised work - Experiences in the UK construction industry.
2020 – Present: Director of Studies for PhD. Emma Dickens – ‘Classing the imagining of belonging in UK Higher Education’.
2018 – Present: Supervisor for PhD. Solome Mealin – ‘An exploration of mental health issues and poverty among African migrant women in the UK’