Sophie Atherton
Biographic Data
| ID | 214833 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Sophie Atherton |
| GIVEN NAMES | Sophie |
| FAMILY NAME | Atherton |
| SIGNATURE | ATHERTON S |
| AFFILIATIONS | The University of Edinburgh, UK |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-8332-4139 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 9 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 12 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 9 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2021 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 2 |
Rethinking the Role of HIV/Aids Memories in Gay Men's Experiences of Covid‐19 Fear
This paper examines how gay men in the UK experienced fear during the COVID‐19 pandemic, and how these experiences were shaped by memories of HIV/AIDS, ethnicity, socio‐economic position and access to social support. Although much scholarship assumes that HIV casts a long shadow over gay men's responses to subsequent health crises, we explore to what extent HIV memories actually structured COVID‐19 fear. Drawing on 45 semi‐structured interviews w…
From Aids to Covid-19, and back again
This paper examines the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on memories and metaphors associated with the earlier AIDS epidemic. It argues that while previous research has focused on how HIV informs COVID-19, the reverse relationship has received insufficient attention. The authors propose a more comprehensive understanding of the issues, using insights from the sociology of memory. Experiences during COVID-19 not only reshape perceptions of HIV i…
Screening for Parental Consent? Trans Youth and Informed Consent in Academic Research
Informed consent has been widely discussed and debated in methodological literature. When it comes to conducting research with those under the age of 16, the general rule that UK university ethics committees tend to follow is that parental consent should be sought. In this article, I discuss my experience researching with transgender young people: a group who may find parental consent particularly problematic. I discuss the ethical challenges inv…
Viral Memories
This protocol discusses a qualitative study about gay men's memories and experiences of HIV/AIDS, and COVID-19. The study aims to understand the various ways in which younger and older gay men drew on their memories of HIV and AIDS to navigate COVID-19 and how, in turn, their experiences of COVID-19 re-shaped their memories of HIV and AIDS. To generate this knowledge, fifty semi-structured online interviews were conducted with gay men aged 23-82 …
Imposter Participants? Towards a Reflexive Epistemology of 'Suspected Participants
There is an increased reliance, since COVID-19, on online methods in qualitative research for participant recruitment and data collection. While online methods have some clear advantages, they have also raised 'new' concerns about fraudulent participation in qualitative research that can hamper research rigour. Drawing on a case study of two of our own UK-based projects which investigated intersections of health, sexuality, and social connections…
Imposter Participants
The rise of 'imposter participants' in research - individuals who misrepresent their identities or experiences to gain access to studies 1 - has become a contentious issue, particularly as online research methods have expanded since the COVID-19 pandemic. While existing literature suggests indicators and strategies for identifying such participants, current approaches may risk excluding marginalized groups. This article reframes the discussion, a…
Dating apps as health allies? Examining the opportunities and challenges of dating apps as partners in public health
In recent years, dating apps have become important allies in public health. In this paper, we explore the implications of partnering with dating apps for health promotion. We consider the opportunities and challenges inherent in these collaborations, paying special attention to privacy, trust, and user care in a digital environment.Despite their potential as targeted health promotion tools, dating apps raise significant ethical concerns, includin…
The privacy and visibility paradox
Trans people’s use of single-sex toilet facilities has become the subject of public attention, academic debate and research in recent years. One common solution is to offer transgender students access to an alternative toilet or changing space, such as an accessible toilet. However, in this paper, I critically engage with the suggestion that alternative toilets and changing spaces afford trans students more privacy than single-sex facilities. Dra…
Making Sense of Intersecting Crises
The privacy and visibility paradox
Trans people’s use of single-sex toilet facilities has become the subject of public attention, academic debate and research in recent years. One common solution is to offer transgender students access to an alternative toilet or changing space, such as an accessible toilet. However, in this paper, I critically engage with the suggestion that alternative toilets and changing spaces afford trans students more privacy than single-sex facilities. Dra…
Imposter Participants? Towards a Reflexive Epistemology of 'Suspected Participants
There is an increased reliance, since COVID-19, on online methods in qualitative research for participant recruitment and data collection. While online methods have some clear advantages, they have also raised 'new' concerns about fraudulent participation in qualitative research that can hamper research rigour. Drawing on a case study of two of our own UK-based projects which investigated intersections of health, sexuality, and social connections…
Viral Memories
This protocol discusses a qualitative study about gay men's memories and experiences of HIV/AIDS, and COVID-19. The study aims to understand the various ways in which younger and older gay men drew on their memories of HIV and AIDS to navigate COVID-19 and how, in turn, their experiences of COVID-19 re-shaped their memories of HIV and AIDS. To generate this knowledge, fifty semi-structured online interviews were conducted with gay men aged 23-82 …
Imposter Participants
The rise of 'imposter participants' in research - individuals who misrepresent their identities or experiences to gain access to studies 1 - has become a contentious issue, particularly as online research methods have expanded since the COVID-19 pandemic. While existing literature suggests indicators and strategies for identifying such participants, current approaches may risk excluding marginalized groups. This article reframes the discussion, a…
Dating apps as health allies? Examining the opportunities and challenges of dating apps as partners in public health
In recent years, dating apps have become important allies in public health. In this paper, we explore the implications of partnering with dating apps for health promotion. We consider the opportunities and challenges inherent in these collaborations, paying special attention to privacy, trust, and user care in a digital environment.Despite their potential as targeted health promotion tools, dating apps raise significant ethical concerns, includin…
Making Sense of Intersecting Crises
Dating apps as health allies? Examining the opportunities and challenges of dating apps as partners in public health
In recent years, dating apps have become important allies in public health. In this paper, we explore the implications of partnering with dating apps for health promotion. We consider the opportunities and challenges inherent in these collaborations, paying special attention to privacy, trust, and user care in a digital environment.Despite their potential as targeted health promotion tools, dating apps raise significant ethical concerns, includin…
The privacy and visibility paradox
Trans people’s use of single-sex toilet facilities has become the subject of public attention, academic debate and research in recent years. One common solution is to offer transgender students access to an alternative toilet or changing space, such as an accessible toilet. However, in this paper, I critically engage with the suggestion that alternative toilets and changing spaces afford trans students more privacy than single-sex facilities. Dra…
From Aids to Covid-19, and back again
This paper examines the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on memories and metaphors associated with the earlier AIDS epidemic. It argues that while previous research has focused on how HIV informs COVID-19, the reverse relationship has received insufficient attention. The authors propose a more comprehensive understanding of the issues, using insights from the sociology of memory. Experiences during COVID-19 not only reshape perceptions of HIV i…
Screening for Parental Consent? Trans Youth and Informed Consent in Academic Research
Informed consent has been widely discussed and debated in methodological literature. When it comes to conducting research with those under the age of 16, the general rule that UK university ethics committees tend to follow is that parental consent should be sought. In this article, I discuss my experience researching with transgender young people: a group who may find parental consent particularly problematic. I discuss the ethical challenges inv…
Viral Memories
This protocol discusses a qualitative study about gay men's memories and experiences of HIV/AIDS, and COVID-19. The study aims to understand the various ways in which younger and older gay men drew on their memories of HIV and AIDS to navigate COVID-19 and how, in turn, their experiences of COVID-19 re-shaped their memories of HIV and AIDS. To generate this knowledge, fifty semi-structured online interviews were conducted with gay men aged 23-82 …
Imposter Participants? Towards a Reflexive Epistemology of 'Suspected Participants
There is an increased reliance, since COVID-19, on online methods in qualitative research for participant recruitment and data collection. While online methods have some clear advantages, they have also raised 'new' concerns about fraudulent participation in qualitative research that can hamper research rigour. Drawing on a case study of two of our own UK-based projects which investigated intersections of health, sexuality, and social connections…
Imposter Participants
The rise of 'imposter participants' in research - individuals who misrepresent their identities or experiences to gain access to studies 1 - has become a contentious issue, particularly as online research methods have expanded since the COVID-19 pandemic. While existing literature suggests indicators and strategies for identifying such participants, current approaches may risk excluding marginalized groups. This article reframes the discussion, a…
Rethinking the Role of HIV/Aids Memories in Gay Men's Experiences of Covid‐19 Fear
This paper examines how gay men in the UK experienced fear during the COVID‐19 pandemic, and how these experiences were shaped by memories of HIV/AIDS, ethnicity, socio‐economic position and access to social support. Although much scholarship assumes that HIV casts a long shadow over gay men's responses to subsequent health crises, we explore to what extent HIV memories actually structured COVID‐19 fear. Drawing on 45 semi‐structured interviews w…
Psychology (7 works) · Sociology (5 works) · Epistemology (3 works) · Medicine (3 works) · 2019-20 coronavirus outbreak (2 works) · Gender Roles and Identity Studies (2 works) · LGBTQ Health, Identity, and Policy (2 works) · Perfectionism, Procrastination, Anxiety Studies (2 works) · Philosophy (2 works) · Social Psychology (2 works)