PhD (Loughborough)

Senior Lecturer
Room: HSB 621
Email: v.braun@auckland.ac.nz
Phone: +64 9 3737599 x87561


Research

In my research, I am interested in examining the relationship between the social, the scientific and the individual, in relation to bodies, sexuality and health. My research examines the influence of culture and society on individual choices, thoughts, feelings and behaviours, as well as on broader issues like public health policy and practice. My research is specifically influenced by feminist, social constructionist, and discursive theory and practice, and tends to employ qualitative methodologies.

I am engaged in three main projects related to (women's) health, sexuality, the body, and popular culture: These projects are ‘the social contexts of STI transmission’, ‘female genital cosmetic surgery’, and ‘sexuality in higher education’. Previous research has been on ‘sexual coercion among gay and bisexual men’, ‘sex in long-term relationships’, 'the vagina', cervical cancer (prevention policy), and safer heterosex. Details of all current and previous projects, and publications from them, can be found here.

In addition, I am interested in questions of research, and am working with Dr Victoria Clarke (University of the West of England, UK) on the area of ‘thematic analysis’, and writing a book on qualitative research (for Sage).

Within the Department of Psychology I am a member of the Gender & Critical Psychology Group (GCPG), and co-chair of the Department’s Maori and Pacific Liaison Committee.

Supervision

I supervise students working in areas related to sex/sexuality, gender and health, at Honours, Masters and Doctoral level. Current student projects include Casual Sex and Pleasure (Panteá Farvid - PhD), Vasectomy (Gareth Terry - PhD), and Gay Men’s Health (Jeff Adams - PhD). Previous student projects have included The Social Construction of Bulimia (Maree Burns - PhD), Discourses of Sexology and Sex Therapy (Bernadette Guerin - PhD), Heterosexual Women and Casual Sex (Panteá Farvid - MA), men choosing not to have sex (Gareth Terry - MA) and Constructions of Men’s Health (Wayne Hewlett - MSc).


Teaching

I teach around qualitative research, sex and gender, and critical social psychology. I contribute to the following courses:

• PSYCH 208: Producing Psychological Knowledge
• PSYCH 306: Research Methods
• PSYCH 311: Advanced Social Psychology
• PSYCH 319: Psychology & Gender
• PSYCH 743: Critical Qualitative Research
• PSYCH 755: Gender, Power & Sexuality
• PSYCH 755: Gender, Power & Sexuality

Professional & Service Activitiy

1. I am the co-editor (with Nicola Gavey) of Feminism & Psychology
2. I am on the International Advisory Board of Psychology of Women Section Review
3. I am on the International Advisory Board of Lesbian and Gay Psychology Review
   
   

Recent Talks

Cosmetic surgery, commercialization and culture: The case of the 'designer vagina’ at Apexart Gallery in New York City, 15 April 2009. View abstract and download talk

Selected publications


Braun, V., Terry, G., Gavey, N., & Fenaughty, J. (2009). ‘Risk’ and sexual coercion among gay and bisexual men in Aotearoa/New Zealand – key informant accounts. Culture, Health & Sexuality, 11(2), 111-124. Request a copy of the paper

Clarke, V. & Braun, V. (2009). Gender. In D. Fox, I. Prilleltensky, & S. Austin (Eds.), Critical Psychology (2nd ed). London: Sage.

Adams, J., McCreanor, T., & Braun, V.(2008). Doctoring New Zealand’s gay men. New Zealand Medical Journal, 121(1287), 11-20
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Braun, V. ‘“She’ll be right”? Lay attributions of cause around sexual health in Aotearoa New Zealand’. Social Science & Medicine, 67, 1817-18252008. Request a copy of the paper

Adams, J., Braun, V., & McCreanor, T. (2007). Warning voices in a policy vacuum: Professional accounts of gay men’s health in Aotearoa New Zealand. Social Policy Journal of New Zealand, 30, 199-215.

Adams, J. McCreanor, T., & Braun, V. (2007). Alcohol and gay men: Consumption, promotion and policy responses. In V. Clarke & E. A. Peel (Eds.), Out in Psychology: Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender perspectives (pp. 369-390). Chichester, UK: Wiley.

Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77-101. Request a copy of the paper

Fenaughty, J., Braun, V., Gavey, N., Aspin, C., Reynolds, P., & Schmidt, J. (2006). Sexual coercion among gay men, bisexual men and takatāpui tāne in Aotearoa/New Zealand. Auckland. Department of Psychology, The University of Auckland. Read the report

Vares, T., & Braun V. (2006). Spreading The Word, But What Word Is That? Viagra and male sexuality in popular culture. Sexualities, 9, 315-332. Request a copy of the paper

Braun, V. (2005). In search of (better) sexual pleasure: female genital ‘cosmetic’ surgery. Sexualities, 8(4), 407-424. Request a copy of the paper

Braun, V., & Wilkinson, S. (2005). Vagina equals woman? On genitals and gendered identity. Women’s Studies International Forum, 28(6), 509-522. Request a copy of the paper

Braun, V. (2004). Assumptions, assumptions, and yet more assumptions: Identity in sexuality research and teaching. Lesbian and Gay Psychology Section Review, 5, 55-58. Request a copy of the paper

Adams, J., Braun, V., & McCreanor, T. (2004). Framing gay men's health: A critical review of policy documents. In D. W. Riggs, & G.A. Walker (Eds.), Out in the Antipodes: Australian and New Zealand Perspectives on Gay and Lesbian Issues in Psychology (pp. 226-264). Perth: Brightfire Press. Request a copy of the chapter

Braun, V. (2004). A sheath for a sword? Culture, shaping bodies, shaping sex. In N. Gavey, A. Potts, A. Wetherell (Eds.), Sex and the Body (pp. 17-34). Palmerston North: Dunmore Press. Request a copy of the chapter

Braun, V., Gavey, N., & McPhillips, K. (2003). The “fair deal”? Unpacking accounts of reciprocity in heterosex. Sexualities, 6(2),237-261. Request a copy of the paper

Braun, V., & Wilkinson, S. (2003). The vagina: Liability or asset? POWS Review, 5, 28-42. Request a copy of the paper


See my Research Projects and Publication Abstracts pages for more publication details

 

 

Updated: April 22, 2009