School of Social & Political Sciences

Dr Sam Lawton

  • Lecturer (Sociological & Cultural Studies)

Biography

I research bisexuality and masculinities from a sociological and queer studies perspective. I'm currently project managing Bisexuality Today: Understanding Attitudes, Protective Factors, and Risk Factors for an Often Invisble Sexual Minority, an Independent Social Research Foundation Small Group Project Grant. I also write, edit and publish as part of the Interregnum collective.

My PhD was an original project funded by the Economic and Social Research Council and supported by a Scottish Graduate School of Social Science studentship. My thesis is entitled Bi+ Men and Their Intimate Partners: Sexual Identities, Intimate Relationships and Binegativity.

I am part of the Sociology subject group within the Division of Sociological and Cultural Studies. I co-organise the Seminar Series with colleagues from across the division. 

Research interests

  • The Sociology of Sexuality
  • Bisexuality
  • Asexuality
  • Gender and Sexuality
  • Masculinities
  • Queer Theory
  • Prejudice, Discrimination and Stigma
  • Political Sociology

Research groups

Publications

List by: Type | Date

Jump to: 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018
Number of items: 22.

2026

Lawton-Westerland, Samuel J. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5195-5195 (2026) Beyond inclusive masculinity: masculinity studies and global patriarchy in the 21st century. Global Social Challenges Journal, 5(2), pp. 189-200. (doi: 10.1332/27523349Y2025D000000044)

Lawton-Westerland, Sam ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5195-5195 (2026) Bi+ men and their intimate partners: negotiating relationships, developing identities. In: Bowes-Catton, Helen, McLelland, Kaye and Jen, Sarah (eds.) Routledge International Handbook of Bisexuality. Routledge. (Accepted for Publication)

Engelberg, Jacob and Lawton, Sam ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5195-5195 (2026) The Dangerous Thrill of Destabilisation: Interview with Dr Jacob Engelberg on Cinemas of Bisexual Transgression. [Website]

2025

Theodoropoulos, Panos and Lawton, Sam ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5195-5195 (2025) Precarious Masculinities: Migrant Working Men’s Masculinities as Self-Exploitation in a Mediterranean Restaurant in Glasgow. Masculinities in Focus: Opportunities and Challenges for Change, Online, 9 Nov 2025.

Theodoropoulos, Panos and Lawton-Westerland, Samuel ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5195-5195 (2025) Precarious masculinities: migrant working men’s masculinities as self-exploitation in a Mediterranean restaurant in Glasgow. Work, Employment and Society, 39(5), pp. 1039-1058. (doi: 10.1177/09500170251336990)

Lawton, Sam ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5195-5195 (2025) Is masculinity becoming more inclusive? Not in the age of Trump 2.0. Herald, p. 17. 20 May.

2024

Lawton-Westerland, Sam ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5195-5195, Cohen, Rob, Castro, Aurelio and Sollberger, Derek (2024) Roundtable on Bi+ Masculinities. 3rd International Bisexuality Research Conference, 5-6 October 2024.

Norberg, Ida ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2597-3218, Hoff, Isaac ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5800-6737, Humphrey, Harvey ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5791-4522 and Lawton, Sam ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5195-5195 (2024) Early Career Research Panel: Intersectional Method and Building a Research Career. Intersectionality and Interdisciplinarity, ARC Studio 2, University of Glasgow, 25 March 2024.

Lawton, Samuell J. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5195-5195 (2024) Bisexual Masculinities in the Context of Intimacy, Prejudice and Identity Negotiation. 16th Conference of the European Sociological Association Tension, Trust and Transformation, Porto, Portugal, 27-30 Aug 2024.

2023

Lawton, Samuel ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5195-5195 (2023) British Bisexual Men and Their Intimate Partners: Identities, Relationships and Prejudice. CIVIS Gender Studies Network Lecture, 13 December 2023.

Theodoropoulos, Panos and Lawton, Sam ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5195-5195 (2023) Precarious Masculinities: Migrant Working Men’s Masculinities as Self-Exploitation in a Mediterranean Restaurant in Glasgow. Sociology Seminar Series, Glasgow, UK, 15 Nov 2023.

Lawton-Westerland, Samuel ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5195-5195 (2023) Remembering the Radical Nurses Group. [Website]

Lawton, Sam J. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5195-5195 (2023) Session 4c. Bi+ Spaces. Space, Sexualities and Queer Research Group (SSQRG) Reading Retreat, Manchester, UK, 17-19 May 2023.

2022

Lawton, Samuel ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5195-5195 (2022) The Positivist Dispute Resolved? Sociology and Politics after Cambridge Analytica. Sociology Seminar Series, Glasgow, UK, 16 Nov 2022.

2021

Engelberg, Jacob, Lawton, Samuel ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5195-5195 and Shaw, Julia (2021) The futile search for ‘physiological evidence’ of male bisexuality: a response to Jabbour et al. (2020). Psychology of Sexualities Review, 12(2),

Lawton, Samuel ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5195-5195 (2021) Bisexuality, Religion and Spirituality: Critical Perspectives Andrew Kam-Tuck Yip and Alex Toft (Editors) Routledge, 2020, Hardback: £120.00 / eBook: £33.29, 210 Pages, 2 B/W Illustrations ISBN: 9780367030209. Psychology of Sexualities Review, 12(2), (doi: 10.53841/bpssex.2021.12.2.55)[Book Review]

Lawton, Samuel ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5195-5195 (2021) Intimate Reflections: How My Relationship Helped to Shape My Research Approach. [Website]

Shaw, Julia, Engelberg, Jacob, Bowes-Catton, Helen, Lawton, Sam ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5195-5195, Theos, Effie, Bengry, Justin and Delacour, Mark (2021) Demystifying bisexuality: exploring new research. Demystifying bisexuality: exploring new research, Online, 26 Feb 2021.

2020

Lawton, Samuel ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5195-5195 (2020) Beyond Passing and Invisibility: Bisexual Camouflage. Bisexual Research Group Meeting, 14 July 2020.

Lawton, Sam ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5195-5195 (2020) Bi+ Men: Sam Lawton on bi+ men's relationships, experiences of prejudice, and negotiations of identity. [Website]

2019

Lawton, Sam ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5195-5195 (2019) EastEnders: arrival of a bisexual character is welcome – if the stereotypes can be avoided. Conversation, 4 Oct.

2018

Lawton, Samuel ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5195-5195 (2018) Integrating Psychological and Sociological Conceptualizations of Sexual Prejudice. BPS Psychology of Sexualities 20th Anniversary Conference 1998-2018: Reflecting Back, Looking Forwards, British Psychological Society, London, United Kingdom, 6 July 2018. (doi: 10.53841/bpssex.2018.9.2.23)

This list was generated on Tue Sep 15 07:23:51 2026 BST.
Jump to: Articles | Book Sections | Book Reviews | Conference or Workshop Item | Website
Number of items: 22.

Articles

Lawton-Westerland, Samuel J. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5195-5195 (2026) Beyond inclusive masculinity: masculinity studies and global patriarchy in the 21st century. Global Social Challenges Journal, 5(2), pp. 189-200. (doi: 10.1332/27523349Y2025D000000044)

Theodoropoulos, Panos and Lawton-Westerland, Samuel ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5195-5195 (2025) Precarious masculinities: migrant working men’s masculinities as self-exploitation in a Mediterranean restaurant in Glasgow. Work, Employment and Society, 39(5), pp. 1039-1058. (doi: 10.1177/09500170251336990)

Lawton, Sam ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5195-5195 (2025) Is masculinity becoming more inclusive? Not in the age of Trump 2.0. Herald, p. 17. 20 May.

Engelberg, Jacob, Lawton, Samuel ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5195-5195 and Shaw, Julia (2021) The futile search for ‘physiological evidence’ of male bisexuality: a response to Jabbour et al. (2020). Psychology of Sexualities Review, 12(2),

Lawton, Sam ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5195-5195 (2019) EastEnders: arrival of a bisexual character is welcome – if the stereotypes can be avoided. Conversation, 4 Oct.

Book Sections

Lawton-Westerland, Sam ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5195-5195 (2026) Bi+ men and their intimate partners: negotiating relationships, developing identities. In: Bowes-Catton, Helen, McLelland, Kaye and Jen, Sarah (eds.) Routledge International Handbook of Bisexuality. Routledge. (Accepted for Publication)

Book Reviews

Lawton, Samuel ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5195-5195 (2021) Bisexuality, Religion and Spirituality: Critical Perspectives Andrew Kam-Tuck Yip and Alex Toft (Editors) Routledge, 2020, Hardback: £120.00 / eBook: £33.29, 210 Pages, 2 B/W Illustrations ISBN: 9780367030209. Psychology of Sexualities Review, 12(2), (doi: 10.53841/bpssex.2021.12.2.55)[Book Review]

Conference or Workshop Item

Theodoropoulos, Panos and Lawton, Sam ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5195-5195 (2025) Precarious Masculinities: Migrant Working Men’s Masculinities as Self-Exploitation in a Mediterranean Restaurant in Glasgow. Masculinities in Focus: Opportunities and Challenges for Change, Online, 9 Nov 2025.

Lawton-Westerland, Sam ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5195-5195, Cohen, Rob, Castro, Aurelio and Sollberger, Derek (2024) Roundtable on Bi+ Masculinities. 3rd International Bisexuality Research Conference, 5-6 October 2024.

Norberg, Ida ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2597-3218, Hoff, Isaac ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5800-6737, Humphrey, Harvey ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5791-4522 and Lawton, Sam ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5195-5195 (2024) Early Career Research Panel: Intersectional Method and Building a Research Career. Intersectionality and Interdisciplinarity, ARC Studio 2, University of Glasgow, 25 March 2024.

Lawton, Samuell J. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5195-5195 (2024) Bisexual Masculinities in the Context of Intimacy, Prejudice and Identity Negotiation. 16th Conference of the European Sociological Association Tension, Trust and Transformation, Porto, Portugal, 27-30 Aug 2024.

Lawton, Samuel ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5195-5195 (2023) British Bisexual Men and Their Intimate Partners: Identities, Relationships and Prejudice. CIVIS Gender Studies Network Lecture, 13 December 2023.

Theodoropoulos, Panos and Lawton, Sam ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5195-5195 (2023) Precarious Masculinities: Migrant Working Men’s Masculinities as Self-Exploitation in a Mediterranean Restaurant in Glasgow. Sociology Seminar Series, Glasgow, UK, 15 Nov 2023.

Lawton, Sam J. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5195-5195 (2023) Session 4c. Bi+ Spaces. Space, Sexualities and Queer Research Group (SSQRG) Reading Retreat, Manchester, UK, 17-19 May 2023.

Lawton, Samuel ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5195-5195 (2022) The Positivist Dispute Resolved? Sociology and Politics after Cambridge Analytica. Sociology Seminar Series, Glasgow, UK, 16 Nov 2022.

Shaw, Julia, Engelberg, Jacob, Bowes-Catton, Helen, Lawton, Sam ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5195-5195, Theos, Effie, Bengry, Justin and Delacour, Mark (2021) Demystifying bisexuality: exploring new research. Demystifying bisexuality: exploring new research, Online, 26 Feb 2021.

Lawton, Samuel ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5195-5195 (2020) Beyond Passing and Invisibility: Bisexual Camouflage. Bisexual Research Group Meeting, 14 July 2020.

Lawton, Samuel ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5195-5195 (2018) Integrating Psychological and Sociological Conceptualizations of Sexual Prejudice. BPS Psychology of Sexualities 20th Anniversary Conference 1998-2018: Reflecting Back, Looking Forwards, British Psychological Society, London, United Kingdom, 6 July 2018. (doi: 10.53841/bpssex.2018.9.2.23)

Website

Engelberg, Jacob and Lawton, Sam ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5195-5195 (2026) The Dangerous Thrill of Destabilisation: Interview with Dr Jacob Engelberg on Cinemas of Bisexual Transgression. [Website]

Lawton-Westerland, Samuel ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5195-5195 (2023) Remembering the Radical Nurses Group. [Website]

Lawton, Samuel ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5195-5195 (2021) Intimate Reflections: How My Relationship Helped to Shape My Research Approach. [Website]

Lawton, Sam ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5195-5195 (2020) Bi+ Men: Sam Lawton on bi+ men's relationships, experiences of prejudice, and negotiations of identity. [Website]

This list was generated on Tue Sep 15 07:23:51 2026 BST.

Grants

ISRF Flexible Grants for Small Groups: Bisexuality Today: Understanding Attitudes, Protective Factors, and Risk Factors for an Often Invisible Sexual Minority. Independent Social Research Foundation. Record of grant. 

ESRC Open Competition PhD Studentship funding: Sexual Prejudice Against Bisexual Men: Barriers to Initiating and Maintaining Relationships. 2017-2021 Record of Grant Grant Number: 1972004

Supervision

Please email Gareth.Mulvey@glasgow.ac.uk for more information about potential PhD applications. I am willing to co-supervise projects that match my research interests. I cannot act as primary supervisor, as I am a junior member of staff.

Teaching

  • Sociology Level 1
  • Research Design in Practice (PGT)
  • Qualitative Methods in the Social Sciences
  • General Paper in Sociology

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