Dr Viv Burr

Current position: Reader in Psychology.
Joined the University of Huddersfield in 1990.

• BA (Hons) Psychology
• PhD
• Reader in Psychology, Dept Behavioural and Social Sciences.
• Associate Fellow British Psychological Society.
• Membership of editorial board:
  Personal Construct: Theory and Practice (2005-present)
  Slayage (2005-present)

• Social psychology
• Social constructionism
• Personal Construct Psychology
• Gender
• The psychology of media and popular culture
• Qualitative methods

Projects in progress

I am currently engaged in a research project with colleagues in Italy, looking at inter-cultural perceptions.

2013

Burr, V (2013) ‘Value neutrality’. In: Encyclopedia of Critical Psychology. London, UK: Springer. . ISBN 978-1-4614-5582-0

Burr, V., King, N. and Butt, T. (2013) ‘Personal construct psychology methods for qualitative research’ International Journal of Social Research Methodology . ISSN 1364-5579

Budds, K., Locke, A. and Burr, V. (2013) ‘Risky Business: Constructing the ‘choice’ to ‘delay’ motherhood in the British press’ Feminist Media Studies . ISSN 1468-0777

2012

Brownrigg, A., Burr, V., Locke, A. and Bridger, A. (2012) ‘You don't know what's around the corner: A qualitative study of professional footballers in England facing career-transition’ Qualitative Methods in Psychology Bulletin (14). ISSN 2044-0820

Budds, K., Locke, A. and Burr, V. (2012) ‘For a lot of people it isn’t a choice, it’s just how it happens: Questioning the ‘choice’ to ‘delay’ motherhood’. In: The British Psychological Society Social Psychology Section Annual Conference, 21-23 August 2012, St Andrews University, Scotland

Budds, K., Locke, A. and Burr, V. (2012) ‘Having it all or risking it all? Constructing the 'choice to delay' motherhood in British newspapers’. In: The British Psychological Society Psychology of Women Section PoWS Annual Conference, 11-13 July 2012, Cumberland Lodge, Windsor, UK

Budds, K., Locke, A. and Burr, V. (2012) ‘Choosing older motherhood? A critical discursive analysis of women’s accounts of the journey towards ‘delayed’ motherhood’. In: The First Conference on Applied Qualitative Research in Psychology, 21st June 2012, University of Derby, UK

Jarvis, C. and Burr, V. (2012) ‘The transformative potential of popular television: the case of Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ Journal of Transformative Education . ISSN 1541-3446

Burr, V. and King, N. (2012) ‘You’re in cruel England now!: Teaching research ethics through reality TV’ Psychology Learning and Teaching , 11 (1), pp. 22-29. ISSN 1475-7257

Burr, V., King, N. and Butt, T. (2012) ‘Personal construct psychology methods for qualitative research’ International Journal of Social Research Methodology , pp. 1-15. ISSN 1364-5579

Burr, V (2012) ‘Book Review: A Gender Remix or Playing a Broken Record? Gender and Popular Culture. By Katie Milestone and Anneke Meyer, Cambridge, UK’ Sex Roles . ISSN 0360-0025

2011

Budds, K., Locke, A. and Burr, V. (2011) ‘Being a ‘good’ older mother’. In: 31st Annual conference of the Society for Reproductive and Infant Psychology (SRIP), 14th - 15th September 2011, Nottingham, UK

Burr, V., Giliberto, M. and Butt, T. (2011) ‘Walking like an Italian, speaking like an English person: Construing the cultural other and the self’. In: 19th International Congress on Personal Construct Psychology PCP2011, July 19-22, 2011, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Budds, K., Locke, A. and Burr, V. (2011) ‘“I really think I would make a better mum now”: Constructions of ‘good mothering’ in interviews with ‘older’ first-time mothers’. In: BPS Psychology of Women Section Annual Conference 2011, 13th - 15th July 2011, Windsor, UK

Burr, V. and King, N. (2011) ‘Teaching research ethics through reality TV’. In: Paper presentations of the 2010 University of Huddersfield Annual Learning and Teaching Conference. Huddersfield: University of Huddersfield. pp. 4-8.

2010

Budds, K., Locke, A. and Burr, V. (2010) ‘'It's not like I was just sat at home waiting to have a baby for ten years.' Constructing the timing of pregnancy as a woman's choice: Implications for the 'older mother'’. In: Qualitative Methods in Psychology Section (QMiP) Annual Conference 2010, 23rd - 25th August 2010, University of Nottingham

Jarvis, C. and Burr, V. (2010) ‘TV teacher: how adults learn through tv viewing’. In: Looking back, looking forward: learning, teaching and research in adult education past, present and future. Proceedings of 40th Annual Standing Conference on University Teaching and Research in the Education of Adults. University of Sussex: Centre for Continuing Education, in conjunction with SCUTREA. . ISBN 978-0-904242-68-3

Jarvis, C. and Burr, V. (2010) ‘TV teacher: how adults learn through tv viewing’. In: SCUTREA 2010 Proceedings. : SCUTREA. . ISBN 9780904242683

Burr, V. and King, N. (2010) ‘Teaching research ethics through reality tv’. In: PLAT2010: The fifth biennial Psychology Learning and Teaching Conference, 30 June - 2 July 2010, Edinburgh Napier University , pp. 1-7

Burr, V (2010) ‘Buffy as role model: her significance for female viewers’. In: The Slayage Conference on the Whedonverses 4, June 3-6 2010, St Augustine, Florida, USA

Burr, V (2010) ‘Constructions of the family in popular culture’. In: Psychology: The Science of Mind and Behaviour . London, UK: Hodder Education. . ISBN 9781444108316

Burr, V. and King, N. (2010) ‘Exploring personal identities through constructions of footwear’. In: 10th European Personal Construct Association (EPCA) Conference on Personal Construct Psychology, 9-12 April 2010, Belgrade, Serbia

2009

Budds, K., Locke, A., Burr, V. and King, N. (2009) ‘"Nowadays, women feel they can schedule pregnancy into their diary like they would a dentist appointment." Perspectives on delayed motherhood in British newspapers’. In: Society for Reproductive and Infant Psychology conference, 8th - 9th September 2009, The Copthorne Hotel, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne

Burr, V. and King, N. (2009) ‘In these shoes? Exploring women¹s identities through footwear.’. In: The XVIIIth International Congress on Personal Construct Psychology, July 20-24 2009, Venice, Italy

King, N. and Burr, V. (2009) ‘Exploring personal identities through constructions of footwear’. In: The XVIIIth International Congress on Personal Construct Psychology, July 20-24 2009, Venice, Italy

Butt, T. and Burr, V. (2009) ‘Making the most of methods: the future for PCP?’. In: The XVIIIth International Congress on Personal Construct Psychology, July 20-24 2009, Venice, Italy

Burr, V (2009) ‘Sex and Censorship: The Case of Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ Feminism & Psychology , 19 (1), pp. 123-127. ISSN 0959-3535

2008

Burr, V. and Hearn, J. (2008) Sex, violence and the body: the erotics of wounding . Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave Macmillan . ISBN 9780230549340

Burr, V (2008) ‘‘Oh Spike you’re covered in sexy wounds!’ The Erotic Significance of Wounding and Torture in Buffy the Vampire Slayer’. In: Sex, violence and the body: the erotics of wounding. Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 137-156. ISBN 9780230549340

Hearn, J. and Burr, V. (2008) ‘Introducing the erotics of wounding: sex violence and the body’. In: Sex, violence and the body: the erotics of wounding. Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 1-14. ISBN 9780230549340

Burr, V (2008) ‘"Bunches of grapes and bananas": unconstruing the human body in life drawing’ Journal of Constructivist Psychology , 21 (4), pp. 321-327. ISSN 1072-0537

Burr, V (2008) ‘A Constructivist’s Journey: From PCP to Social Constructionism- and back?’. In: Construing PCP: New Contexts and Perspectives . Norderstedt, Germany: Books on Demand. . ISBN 978-3-8391-3577-8

Burr, V (2008) ‘The contribution of feminist research to the rise of qualitative methods : soft data instead of hard facts’. In: Metateorijske osnove kvalitivnih istrazivanja. Belgrade: Zepter book world. pp. 119-128.

Burr, V (2008) ‘The contribution of feminist research to the rise of qualitative methods: Soft data instead of hard facts.’. In: Institute of Educational Research Conference, March 2008, Belgrade, Serbia

Blyth, E., Burr, V. and Farrand, A. (2008) ‘Welfare of the child assessments in assisted conception: A social constructionist perspective’ Journal of Reproductive and Infant Psychology , 26 (1), pp. 31-43. ISSN 02646838

2007

Burr, V. and Jarvis, C. (2007) ‘Imagining the Family: Representations of Alternative Lifestyles in Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ Qualitative Social Work , 6 (3), pp. 263-280. ISSN 1473-3250

2006

Burr, V (2006) ‘‘Bunches of grapes and bananas’: un-construing the human body in life-drawing.’. In: The VIIIth Biennial Conference of the European Personal Construct Association, 8th to 11th April 2006 , Kristianstad, Sweden

Burr, V (2006) ‘Becoming a singer: PCT and voice’. In: Creative Construing: Personal Constructions in the Arts. Gießen, Germany: Psychosozial-Verlag. pp. 120-127. ISBN 9783898064385

Burr, V (2006) ‘Narrative and storytelling’. In: Slayage Conference on the Whedonverses 2, 25th - 28th May 2006, Gordon College, Georgia, USA

Burr, V (2006) ‘Bad Girls Like It Rough (-And Good Girls Don’t?): Representations of BDSM in Buffy the Vampire Slayer ’ Phoebe , 18 (1), pp. 45-57. ISSN 1045-0904

2005

Jarvis, C. and Burr, V. (2005) ‘'Friends are the family we choose for ourselves': Young people and families in the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ Young , 13 (3), pp. 269-283. ISSN 1103-3088

Burr, V (2005) ‘Friends are the families we choose for ourselves: towards the democratisation of relationships’. In: British Psychological Society Psychology of Women Section POWS Conference 2005, 6-8 July 2005, University of Huddersfield, UK

Burr, V (2005) ‘The Big Group Sing: academic and fan identities at the Slayage Conference on Buffy the Vampire Slayer’. In: “Bring Your Own Subtext”: Social life, human experience and the works of Joss Whedon, 29 June - 1 July 2005, University of Huddersfield

Burr, V (2005) ‘Society and communities in social constructionism and discourse analysis’. In: Texts, Interaction and Communities: Qualitative Approaches to Society and Social Action, May, 2005, Tampere, Finland

Burr, V (2005) ‘Scholar/'shippers and Spikeaholics: Academic and fan identities at the Slayage Conference on Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ European Journal of Cultural Studies , 8 (3), pp. 375-383. ISSN 1367-5494

2004

Burr, V (2004) ‘Performing the Imaginative Variation: Using Buffy to Teach Sartre’. In: SC1: The Slayage Conference on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, 28 - 30 May 2004, Nashville, Tennessee, USA

Burr, V (2004) ‘Bringing Your Own Subtext: Individual Differences in Viewers' Responses to Buffy’. In: Slayage Conference on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, 28 - 30 May 2004, Nashville, Tennessee, USA

Jarvis, C. and Burr, V. (2004) ‘"Friends Are the Family We Choose for Ourselves": Young People and Families in BtVS ’. In: Slayage Conference on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, 28 - 30 May 2004, Nashville, Tennessee, USA

Butt, T. and Burr, V. (2004) Invitation to personal construct psychology 2nd ed. . London, UK: Wiley . ISBN 978-1-86156-387-3

2003

Burr, V. and Butt, T. (2003) ‘Psychological distress and postmodern thought’. In: Ethically challenged professions: enabling innovation and diversity in psychotherapy and counselling. Ross-on-Wye: PCCS Books. pp. 75-93. ISBN 1 898059 61 6

Burr, V (2003) ‘Making sense and the ambiguity of the lived world’. In: Psychological constructivism and the social world. Milan: Franco Angeli. pp. 59-66. ISBN 9788846448125

Burr, V (2003) ‘'It all seems so real': intertextuality in the Buffyverse’ Refratory: a journal of entertainment media , 2. ISSN 1447-4905

Burr, V (2003) Social constructionism . London: Routledge . ISBN 9780415317603

Burr, V (2003) ‘Buffy and the BBC: moral questions and how to avoid them’ Slayage: the online international journal of Buffy studies , 8.

Burr, V (2003) ‘Constructivism’. In: The SAGE Encyclopedia of Social Science Research Methods. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. . ISBN 9780761923633

Burr, V (2003) ‘Ambiguity and sexuality in Buffy the Vampire Slayer: A Sartrean analysis ’ Sexualities , 6 (3/4), pp. 343-360. ISSN 1363-4607

2002

Burr, V (2002) ‘Judging gender from samples of adult handwriting: accuracy and use of cues ’ The Journal of Social Psychology , 142 (6), pp. 691-700. ISSN 0022-4545

Burr, V (2002) The person in social psychology . London, UK: Taylor & Francis . ISBN 978-1-84169-181-7

2001

Burr, V (2001) ‘The Case for the Person in Social Psychology’. In: Subjectiviisen Kokemuksen Sociaalipsykologiasta:Annual Social Psycholgy Conference, November 2001, Tampere, Finland

2000

Burr, V (2000) ‘Gender Identity and Handwriting’. In: Understanding the Social World: Constructions and Identity, September 3rd-6th 2000, University of Huddersfield Department of Behavioural Sciences Centre for Constructions & Identity

Burr, V. and Butt, T. (2000) ‘Making a difference’. In: Ninth Biennial Conference of the North American Personal Construct Network, July 12-16 2000, New Paltz State University of New York

Burr, V (2000) ‘The extra-discursive in social constructionism’. In: Ninth Biennial Conference of the North American Personal Construct Network, July 12-16 2000, New Paltz State University of New York

Burr, V. and Butt, T. (2000) ‘Psychological Disorders: Discovered or Invented? ’. In: Ninth Biennial Conference of the North American Personal Construct Network, July 12-16 2000, New Paltz State University of New York

1999

Burr, V. and Butt, T. (1999) ‘Psychological distress and post-modern thought’. In: Pathology and the Postmodern: mental illness as discourse and experience. London, UK: Sage. pp. 186-206. ISBN 9780761952527

1998

Burr, V (1998) ‘Realism, relativism, social constructionism and discourse’. In: Social Constructionism, Discourse and Realism. London, UK: Sage. pp. 13-26. ISBN 9780761953760

Burr, V (1998) Gender and social psychology . London, UK: Routledge . ISBN 978-0-415-15815-2

1997

Burr, V. and Butt, T. (1997) ‘Interview methodology and PCP’. In: Sharing understanding and practice. Farnborough: EPCA. pp. 98-105. ISBN 9780953019809

Butt, T., Burr, V. and Epting, F. (1997) ‘Core construing: self discovery or self invention?’. In: Advances in Personal Construct Psychology. London, UK: Elsevier. pp. 39-62. ISBN 9780762300839

Butt, T., Bell, R. and Burr, V. (1997) ‘Fragmentation and the self’ Constructivism in the Human Sciences , 2 (1), pp. 12-29. ISSN 1520-2984

1995

Burr, V (1995) An introduction to social constructionism . London, UK: Routledge . ISBN 978-0-415-10405-0

1992

Burr, V. and Butt, T. (1992) Invitation to personal construct psychology . London, UK: Whurr Publishers . ISBN 1870332482

Fellowships:

• Fellow of Higher Education Academy
• Associate Fellow of British Psychological Society

Membership of editorial boards:

• Personal Construct Theory and Practice (2005-present)
• Slayage (2005-present)

External examiner:

PhD: 4

Invited seminar papers, guest/public lectures, workshops and other events

• 2005-present University of Sheffield Business School: annual guest lecture
• 2011 National Centre for Craft and Design, Sleaford (public lecture)
• 2011 BPS North West: psychology for non-Psychologists series (public lecture)
• 2010 PCP Quarterly Study Day, Coventry (workshop)
• 2009 Invitation by Kensington Consultation Centre in London to run workshop on constructionist approaches to therapy
• 2009 Personal Construct Psychology Association, London (workshop)
• 2009 Irish Constructivist Group, Dublin (workshop)
• 2007 Birkbeck, University of London (research seminar)
• 2005 Postgraduate workshop, University of Tampere, Finland, May
• 2002 University of Westminster (research seminar)
• 2001 Guildhall University (research seminar)
• 1999 Bolton Institute of Higher Education (research seminar)
• 1996 Open University Postgraduate Research day Conference, Nottingham University (guest lecture)

Invited keynote conference papers

• Forthcoming in 2013: International Conference on Gender, Work, Family and Change organised as part of the POSDRU Project ‘Reconstruction of women’s status: from discrimination, to equal chances and professional development’ to be held in Iasi, Romania, September.
   
• 2008 ‘A Constructivist’s Journey: From PCP to Social Constructionism - and back?’ EPCA conference, Queen Mary University of London, July.
• 2008 ‘The contribution of feminist research to the rise of qualitative methods: Soft data instead of hard facts.’ International conference on qualitative methods, Institute of Educational Research, Belgrade, March.
   
• 2005 ‘Friends are the families we choose for ourselves’: Towards the democratisation of relationships. BPS Psychology of Women section conference, Huddersfield, July.
• 2005 ‘Society and Communities in Social Constructionism and Discourse Analysis.’ Texts, Interaction and Communities: Qualitative Approaches to Society and Social Action, University of Tampere, Finland, May.
   
• 2001 ‘The Person in Social Psychology’. Subjectiviisen Kokemuksen Sociaalipsykologiasta, Annual Social Psychology Conference, University of Tampere, Finland, Nov.
• 1996 Invited discussant at day conference on Realism and Relativism, Discourse and Social Constructionism, Manchester Metropolitan University Discourse Unit, April.

Special issue editorship

• 2008 Joint guest editor (with Prof. Joern Scheer) of special section of Journal of Constructivist Psychology on PCP and the Arts.
• 2009 Joint guest editor (with Prof. Joern Scheer) of special issue of PCP Theory and Practice on PCP and the Arts.

Other invitations

• 2012 Invited by Taylor and Francis to produce 3rd edition of ‘Social Constructionism’.
• 2012 Invited by Routledge to edit volumes on Gender and Psychology for their Major Works collection.

Internal conference organisation

Organiser

• 2005, Huddersfield, ‘Bring Your Own Subtext’.
• 2005, Huddersfield, BPS Psychology of Women Section annual conference.
• 1993, Huddersfield, Kellyan Research Day Conference.
• 1985, Huddersfield University. ‘A’ level Psychology regional day conference.

Member of conference committees

• 1995, Huddersfield. Understanding the Social World Conference.
• 2000, Huddersfield. Understanding the Social World 2: Constructions and Identity.
• 2002, Huddersfield. Annual Conference of the Social Psychology Section of the British Psychological Society.
• 2003, Huddersfield. XV International Congress on Personal Construct Psychology.

Media appearances

Radio broadcasts: BBC Radio Leeds, Radio Five Live, BBC Radio Newcastle, BBC Radio Wales.
TV broadcasts: Woman’s Hour; Calendar; Look North.

I have successfully supervised over 15 PhDs. I am currently supervising PhDs and Masters by Research on:

• The transition experiences of professional footballers
• Mentoring and support in an institution for Young Offenders
• The experiences of people with learning difficulties who hear voices
• Models of counselling training
• Experiences of older mothers
• Discourses of risk in higher education
• Music cognition

• Curriculum/subject interests: social psychology, social constructionism, Personal Construct Psychology; gender; the psychology of media and popular culture cultural.
• HHS Director of Graduate Education.