Ryan ScoatsBirmingham City University | BCU · BLSS
Ryan Scoats
PhD Sociology
About
35
Publications
43,465
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Introduction
I gained my BA(hons) and MRes from the University of Bath, and my PhD from the University of Winchester, studying with Professor Eric Anderson. I am currently a lecturer in Sociology at Birmingham City University. My research focuses on the meanings people attach to threesomes and their interpretations of their experiences. Other research interests include masculinities, sports cultures, board game cultures, sexualities, identity, and consensual non-monogamy. www.ryanscoatsphd.com
Additional affiliations
November 2019 - September 2023
August 2017 - November 2019
September 2014 - June 2016
Education
September 2013 - July 2017
September 2009 - September 2010
September 2005 - June 2008
Publications
Publications (35)
Drawing on findings from interviews with 28 men and women, this study explores experiences related to communication and jealousy in mixed-sex threesomes. Findings suggest that those in relationships often experience feelings of exclusion when engaging in threesomes, although open communication is a method by which the negative effects may be mitiga...
Recent years have seen considerable interest in consensual non-monogamy from both public and academic perspectives. At least 5% of the North American population is currently in a consensually non-monogamous relationship of some form and there is little difference in measures of relationship quality compared to monogamous relationships. Despite incr...
The current research explored consensually non-monogamous peoples' experiences accessing sexual healthcare. Using a mixed method approach, a sample of 67 consensually non-monogamous individuals (48% Polyamorous; 42% Relationship Anarchy/Solo polyamory; 6% Swingers; 4% Uncategorized) reported having significantly lower rates of trust in healthcare p...
Despite consensually non-monogamous people being a minority population with specific healthcare needs, research on this group is minimal, especially in relation to sexual healthcare. This study explores the motivations behind consensually non-monogamous individuals' choices of sexual healthcare service options. Qualitative survey data was collected...
Despite growing sociocultural interest in, and engagement with, tabletop hobby games, and in particular board games, the surrounding culture(s) remain underexamined. Drawing from 43 semi-structured interviews this article explores board gaming culture from the perspective of women who play modern board games. The findings highlight women's experien...
Although there is abundant research regarding group sex between men, much of the current literature constructs group sex as homogenous and overlooks the nuance of how and why men engage in particular sexual behaviors. Accordingly, this research expands our understanding of group sex by focusing on a specific type of sex: the threesome. The results...
There is a growing recognition of the importance of trying to understand how sexual consent is understood and negotiated, yet research in this area is still developing. In particular, there is a need to better understand how young adults, a group significantly more likely to be victims of sexual assault, negotiate sexual consent across a range of c...
This study examines the practice of and attitudes toward anal sexual stimulation among 30 heterosexual undergraduate men attending a UK university. While scientific and popular belief throughout the twentieth century has considered anal pleasure to be only for gay or gender non-conforming men, we find participants discuss such pleasure openly, and...
Diversity and representation in sport governing bodies has become an issue for both public discussion and academic debate in recent times. Previous work has primarily centered on gender inequalities within the forever changing masculine terrain of sport. However, no work has yet examined the representation and participation of young people in the d...
Although contemporary research into threesomes is expanding, little is yet understood about women’s perspective on threesomes involving two men and one woman (MMF)—the generally more stigmatised configuration of mixed-sex threesome. Using semi-structured interviews with 16 women who had ever engaged in a mixed-sex threesome, this research aimed to...
When Eric Anderson published inclusive masculinity theory (IMT), it was largely situated in relationships he observed with first-year undergraduate students. Here, he noticed a striking difference in behaviours and attitudes between the adolescent heterosexual men in the United States, compared to those in the UK. Since IMT’s inception, there has b...
In this qualitative research, conducted on 30 gay-friendly, heterosexual, undergraduate men, we examine actual and hypothetical experiences of sexual threesomes, both with two women and one man (FFM), and two men and one woman (MMF). We show a cultural willingness for heterosexual men to engage in not only FFM threesomes, but also MMF threesomes. A...
Using Mimi Schippers’ “threesome imaginary” as a framework, this research utilises semi-structured qualitative interviews to investigate female perspectives of male-male-female (MMF) threesomes. Schippers suggests that MMF threesomes are often seen as a less appealing option, and receive more stigma when compared with female-female-male (FFM) three...
The research uses content analysis and inclusive masculinity theory in order to explore and explain the construction of esteemed and subjugated masculinities within the context of Australia’s National Rugby League’s (NRL) Footy Show. Results suggest that despite previous research on NRL players, which finds inclusive masculinities dominate, this te...
An overview of our online survey on people who are engaging in sexual threesomes.
Objective: Threesomes, sexual acts involving three people, seem to become more popular. Their appearance in film, TV, press media, and blogs has increased, and there is even a mobile app facilitating such encounters. However, little to nothing is known how they come about, who is involved in them, and what sexual activities they include. This study...
‘Contemporary Issues in Sport Management presents an extensive array of absorbing contemporary issues relevant to managing sport. Internationally recognised scholars have contributed thought-provoking chapters on current global and local issues that are challenging traditional ways of thinking about and delivering sport. This exciting new book is r...
Central to debates about the construction of masculinity in sociology is the influence of culture and what constitutes acceptable displays of masculinity. This article adopts a novel approach in examining this question. It adopts a summative content analysis, combined with a semiotic analysis, of 1,100 Facebook photographs, in order to explore the...
Drawing on 90 interviews with openly bisexual men from three metropolitan cities, this research explores experiences related to relationships. In using a comparative cohort research design, the authors demonstrate the presence of a generational effect, with members of the youngest cohort finding that their partners grant the greatest legitimacy to...