Simon Goodman

Simon Goodman is a research fellow in psychology at Coventry University. He uses discursive psychology to address a number of issues. Much of this research explores the discursive construction of asylum seekers and refugees in which he has focussed on the ways in which potentially prejudicial arguments against asylum seekers are presented as reasonable and non-prejudicial. In addition, his work focuses on what is, and what is not, considered to be racist particularly with regard to asylum seeking. His research also explores the (largely negative) experiences of asylum seekers in the UK and the ways in which they make complaints and resist their negative presentations. His other interest include the British public’s understanding of income inequality and high earners, the ways in which the far right attempt to present their policies as acceptable and non-racist, as well as negative representations of Gypsies in online discussion forums and responses to the England riots.

• Goodman, S., and Burke, S. (2010) '“Oh you don’t want asylum seekers, oh you’re just racist” A discursive analysis of discussions about whether it’s racist to oppose asylum seeking'. Discourse and Society 21 (3), 325-340.
• Burke, S., and Goodman, S. (2012) '“Bring Back Hitler’s Gas Chambers”: Asylum Seeking, Nazis and Facebook: A Discursive Analysis'. Discourse and Society 23 (1), 19-33.
• Goodman, S., and Burke, S. (2011) 'Discursive Deracialisation in talk about Asylum Seeking'. Journal of Community and Applied Social Psychology 21 (2), 111-123.
• Goodman, S. (2010) '"It's not Racist to Impose Limits on Immigration": Constructing the Boundaries of Racism in the Asylum and Immigration debate'. Critical Approaches to Discourse Analysis across Disciplines 4 (1), 1-17. 
• Goodman, S., Burke, S., Liebling, H., and Zasada, D. (2013) '"I’m not happy, but I’m ok": How asylum seekers manage talk about difficulties in their host country'. Critical Discourse Studies (in press).
• Goodman, S., and Speer, S. (2007) 'Category Use in the Construction of Asylum Seekers'. Critical Discourse Studies 4 (2), 165-185.
• Goodman, S. (2008) 'Justifying the Harsh Treatment of Asylum Seekers on the Grounds of Social Cohesion'. Annual Review of Critical Psychology 6, 110-124. 
• Goodman, S. (2007) 'Constructing Asylum Seeking Families'. Critical Approaches to Discourse Analysis across Disciplines 1 (1), 35-49. 
• Johnson, A., and Goodman, S. (2013) 'Reversing Racism and the Elite Conspiracy: Strategies used by the British National Party Leader in the Justification of Policy'. Discourse, Context and Media.
• Rowe, L., and Goodman, S. (2013) '"A stinking filthy race of people inbred with criminality" A discourse analysis of prejudicial talk about Gypsies in discussion forums'. Romani Studies (in press).

• Understanding Refugees’ Lives through Analysis of their Talk: An investigation of the experiences of asylum seeking refugees living in the UK.

• The discursive construction of asylum seekers: An on going investigation of the ways in which asylum seekers are constructed in public debates.

• Understanding income inequality: An investigation of the ways in which members of the public make sense of income inequality in the UK.

• The rhetoric of the far right: Investigating the rhetoric of the changing new far right and the ways this is used to pre-empt accusations of racism.

• Talk about Gypsies: Analysis of prejudicial anti-Gypsy arguments and the implications this has for understanding prejudice.

• Understanding the England riots: A mixed methods and approach investigation of public responses to the England riots of 2011.