Dr Christopher Brown BSc, MSc, PhD.

Lecturer in Social Psychology & Qualitative Research

Summary

I am a Senior Lecturer in Social Psychology and Qualitative Research in the Department of Psychology, Sociology and Politics at Sheffield Hallam University and a member of the Centre for Behavioural Science and Applied Psychology. My research interests are around understanding how people manage and make sense of change, including the psychological, social, and cultural factors that influence adjustment to significant life transitions.

My research includes projects on managing career transitions in elite level sport, negotiating the transition to and through parenthood, and interpersonal aspects of mental health help-seeking. I have developed expertise and experience in a range of qualitative methodologies, including phenomenological, discursive and ethnographic approaches.

I am Course Leader for BSc Psychology and teach on a range of undergraduate and postgraduate modules.

E-mail

About

I completed my PhD at the University of Sheffield in 2018. My doctoral research investigated the role of social networks and social support during elite athletes’ transition to retirement. I worked as an Associate Lecturer at Hallam from 2015, before becoming a full-time member of staff in 2019. I have a background in Sport Psychology and have provided psychological support to elite athletes and sport teams. Prior to my career in academia, I spent 10 years working in the charity sector with management positions in the Department of Development and Alumni Relations at King’s College London, The Royal Society of Medicine, and Marie Curie Cancer Care.

Teaching

Sheffield Institute of Social Sciences

College of Social Sciences and Arts

Research

Social and Economic Research Institute

Brown, C. J., Webb, T. L., Robinson, M., & Cotgreave, R. (2019). Athletes’ retirement from elite sport: A qualitative study of family members’ experiences. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 40, 51-60. DOI: 10.1016/j.psychsport.2018.09.005

Brown, C. J., Butt, J., & Sarkar, M. (2019). Overcoming performance slumps: Psychological resilience in elite cricket batsmen. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 31, 1-20. DOI: 10.1080/10413200.2018.1545709

Brown, C. J., Webb, T. L., Robinson, M., & Cotgreave, R. (2018). Athletes' experiences of social support in their transition out of elite sport: An interpretive phenomenological analysis. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 36, 71-80. DOI: 10.1016/j.psychsport.2018.01.003

Publications

Journal articles

Simova, M., Olusoga, P., Brown, C.J., & Chroni, S.A. (2024). Understanding well-being in high-performance coaches: A constructivist grounded theory approach. International Sport Coaching Journal, 1-11. http://doi.org/10.1123/iscj.2023-0009

Brown, C.J. (2024). Elite Coaches’ Role in Athletes’ Retirement Transitions: A Foucauldian Discourse Analysis. International Sport Coaching Journal, 1-11. http://doi.org/10.1123/iscj.2023-0076

Brown, C., Butt, J., & Sarkar, M. (2019). Overcoming performance slumps: Psychological resilience in expert cricket batsmen. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology. http://doi.org/10.1080/10413200.2018.1545709

Brown, C.J., Webb, T.L., Robinson, M.A., & Cotgreave, R. (2018). Athletes’ retirement from elite sport: A qualitative study of parents and partners’ experiences. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 40, 51-60. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2018.09.005

Brown, C.J., Webb, T.L., Robinson, M.A., & Cotgreave, R. (2018). Athletes' experiences of social support during their transition out of elite sport: An interpretive phenomenological analysis. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 36, 71-80. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2018.01.003

Christopher Brown