Andrew  Cooper Author of Evaluating Organization Development
FEATURED AUTHOR

Andrew Cooper


I am fascinated by the subject of identity. How do individuals and groups define themselves in a modern world? Sexuality, gender, ethnicity, religion, class and many other factors play a part in this. My research interests span these issues to explore the differing roles that we all play in our daily lives. Do we have more and more freedom in a modern world, or are there increasing constraints on what is an ‘acceptable’ identity?

Subjects: Gender & Sexuality

Biography

As part of my Sociology Master's Degree at London South Bank University, I undertook a piece of qualitative research into same-sex marriage. This turned into a broader interest in the field of identity, which my PhD was based upon. I thought about my own identity as a gay man and how it had been forged over a number of years. I wanted to find out how other gay men negotiated and defined their sense of self. ‘Changing Gay Male Identities’ is the result. It is an in-depth study of gay identity, exploring the way that individuals negotiate their identities over a long period of time.

Much of the theoretical work that I investigated for this book indicated that a postmodern world was leading to a context of increased freedom and fluidity for individual identities. However, my research indicated that there were many constraints and restrictions on how an individual defines their sense of self. For example, the expectations of families and peers, the influence of role models and popular culture as well as the role of communities and what types of identities are deemed to be ‘acceptable’.

Arguably, with the increasing influence of the internet, social media and online culture, there is an increasing danger of additional pressure on individuals to conform to a narrow set of identities. For example, in my view there seems to be an ever increasing focus on the way that individuals look, resulting in the body being a central part of identity negotiation for gay men and others.

Changing Gay Male Identities is an in-depth study of how individuals negotiate their sense of self and the ‘identity work’ that comes with this. It is an example of how complex identities can be studied, with principles that could apply to gender, race and ethnicity, class and other social stratifications.

For my next project, I am thinking about how I could analyse social media and how it is influencing the identities of individuals. Whilst there may be many opportunities for new freedoms and ways of being, I suspect that there are also many restrictions on how we define ourselves in modern life.

Education

    Social analysis MSc, London South Bank University, 1999
    Sociology PhD, London South Bank University, 2007

Areas of Research / Professional Expertise

    Areas of research:
    * Identity
    * Gender and sexual identity
    * Race and ethnicity
    * Class

    Professional expertise:
    * International development
    * Philanthropy
    * Social change
    * Measuring the impact of development programmes.

Personal Interests

    As I work in the international development and philanthropy sector, I am interested in cultures around the world and the richness of how they are similar and differ from each other. I am also interested in contemporary art, as well as my main focus on identity. I am also interested in LGBTQ rights across the globe.

Books

Featured Title
 Featured Title - Changing Gay Male Identities - Cooper RPD - 1st Edition book cover