Jamie Chan

I am a social psychologist interested in how people’s, particularly (but not limited to) women's, appearance, bodies and body image interact with societal factors from a critical sociopsychological perspective.

I completed an MSc in Applied Social Psychology (as well as being awarded the Maria Jahoda Prize in Best Performance) at the University of Sussex, with a dissertation on South Asian women’s experiences of acculturation, appearance-related ethnic teasing and body image. I, then, completed a PhD in Psychology at the University of Sussex, with my doctoral thesis examining how social class contexts, beyond being indicators of access to resources, shape women’s body image in the UK.

My research interests include:

• Body image experiences amongst people from underrepresented and/or Minoritised groups (e.g., gender, social class, race and sexual orientations) and in particular, amongst working-class women
• Work that redresses majoritised perspectives (e.g., white supremacy, middle-class-ness as the gold standard), particularly in body image research
• Experiences of discrimination and/or dehumanisation in relation to appearance and bodies
• Objectification, sexualisation and the commodification of women’s appearance and bodies

My current projects include explorations of: i) how different coping strategies might facilitate positive body image from racial discrimination amongst people of colour, and ii) perceptions of white supremacy and barriers in adopting anti-racist research practices in body image research. 

I currently teach across different levels and modules, including Cyberpsychology, Developmental Psychology and Psychology of Wellbeing, and I am a dissertation supervisor in the Psychology Dissertation module.

My approach to teaching is very much aligned with critical pedagogy, in that I acknowledge that students' learning is shaped by systemic and societal power dynamics, as well as the intersectionality of their experiences. I like to encourage students to engage in a dialogical interaction by creating an inclusive, open and equal environment, and by posing problems/questions to encourage and empower students to think critically.