About Us

Birkbeck is at the forefront of developments in Psychosocial Studies and contains staff who are internationally recognised figures in this important new area of work. Birkbeck Psychosocial Studies was established in 2000 to bring together psychologists, psychotherapeutic practitioners and social and cultural theorists who have since then developed a distinctive approach to social and psychological research and teaching, characterised by a focus on the interweaving of psychological and social concerns and linking strongly with psychoanalytic theory, social theory and critical qualitative methodologies. As its work has developed, the group has articulated a distinctive vision of the psychosocial that contests many aspects of contemporary psychological and sociological theory. The group has also established strong links with a number of leading psychotherapy institutes, and has continued to work at the interface of theory and practice. In 2008 these developments were consolidated into a new School of Psychosocial Studies, drawing in members of staff whose route to Psychosocial Studies had been from Sociology, Literature and Religious Studies as well as from Psychology. These developments place Birkbeck Psychosocial Studies in an ideal position from which to show leadership of this emerging field.

From 2009/2010, our title is Department of Psychosocial Studies, part of the School of Social Science, History and Philosophy.

Academic Focus

Psychosocial Studies takes issue with conventional distinctions between the ‘psychological’ and the ‘social’ and rejects the idea that ‘inner’ and ‘outer’ worlds are empirically or theoretically separable. Its object of study is the human subject and the wider social formation, and the affect-laden relations and processes through which each are mutually constituted.  It is concerned with the inter-relation between individual subjectivities and individual and group identities, and historical and contemporary social and political formations.

In practice, this means research and programmes of study that embrace discursive and critical psychology; psychoanalytic theory; psychodynamic and systemic psychotherapy; social theory; sociology; feminist theory and philosophy; gender, sexuality and queer studies and postcolonial theory. Methodologically, the commitment is to empirical work in the qualitative traditions that have emerged in the wake of poststructuralism, and to the major importance of innovative theoretical work. Members of the School are highly research active, making particular contributions in the following areas:

• Social & Personal Identities & Relationships
• Gender & Sexuality
• Feminist & Queer Theory
• Psychoanalytic & Social Theory
• Psychotherapeutic Studies
• Psychological & Political Engagements
• Religion and the Sacred
• Applied Social Psychology
• Qualitative Research

Department Committee Structures

• Departmental Staff Meeting (chair: Stephen Frosh)
• Research sub-committee (chair: Sasha Roseneil)
• Learning and Teaching sub-committee (chair: Lisa Baraitser)
• Department Ethics Committee (chair: Yasmeen Narayan)

Courses in Psychosocial Studies

The Department of Psychosocial Studies is offering a new Masters in Psychosocial Studies, with its first intake in 2009. The Department currently specializes in the provision of applied postgraduate programmes in the field of the psychotherapies, taught both ‘in house’ (two programmes in Psychodynamic Counselling) and in collaboration with a number of psychotherapy training institutions. The result of this is that the Department has a large portfolio of programmes run in collaboration with the Institute of Family Therapy, the British Association of Psychotherapists and the Institute of Group Analysis, several of which bestow clinical qualifications on graduates. There are a substantial number of PhD students attached to the Department and all members of staff contribute to their supervision. Current academic staff members of the Department of Psychosocial Studies are Professor Stephen Frosh (Head of Department), Professor Sasha Roseneil, Professor Lynne Segal, Dr Lisa Baraitser, Ms Vivianne Green, Dr Amber Jacobs, Professor Gordon Lynch, Dr Yasmeen Narayan,  Dr Margarita Palacios, Dr Silvia Posocco, Dr Bruna Seu, Dr Laurence Spurling and Mr Paul Terry. The Department participates in the Birkbeck Institute for Social Research and has links with the Birkbeck Institute for the Humanities and the Birkbeck Institute for Gender and Sexuality.The Department also provides the home for the Centre for Religion and Contemporary Society, which draws together researchers from across the College engaged in the study of religion.