Michael Billig obtained his Ph.D. at Bristol University in social psychology, under the supervision of the late Professor Henri Tajfel. He was a lecturer in the Department of Psychology at Birmingham University from 1973 until 1985 when he was appointed Professor of Social Sciences in the Department of Social Sciences, Loughborough University. Michael worked for more than thirty years at Loughborough and served as Head of Department of Social Sciences and Deputy Dean, School of Human and Environmental Studies.
He retired in 2017 and was elected a Fellow of the British Academy in 2020. He continues to write and publish.
Over the years, Michael’s research interests have ranged over a number of different topics. He has published books on: social psychological theory, fascism, nationalism, psycho-analysis, academic racism, eighteenth century theories of mind, humour, rhetoric, the current state of writing in the social sciences, political commemoration, and even on the history of rock’n’roll.
He was a founding member of the Discourse and Rhetoric Group and is a member of the Loughborough University Nationalism Network (LUNN).
Rhetoric, Ideology and Social Psychology: Essays in Honour of Michael Billig. (edited by Charles Antaki and Susan Condor) was published in 2014 by Routledge.
Michael’s current interests include the history of psychology, the rhetoric of political language and problems with current academic writing.
- Billig, M. (2019). More Examples, Less Theory: Historical Studies of Writing Psychology. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
- Billig, M. and Marinho, C. (2017). The Politics and Rhetoric of Commemoration: how the Portuguese Parliament celebrates the April Revolution. London: Bloomsbury.
- Billig, M. (2013). Learn to Write Badly: How to Succeed in the Social Sciences. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
- Billig, M. (2008). The Hidden Roots of Critical Psychology. London: Sage
- Billig, M. (2005). Laughter and Ridicule: Towards a social critique of humour. London Sage.
- Billig, M. (2001). Rock’n’Roll Jews. Nottingham: Five Leaves Press/Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press.
- Billig, M. (1999). Freudian Repression: conversation creating the unconscious. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
- Billig, M. (1995). Banal Nationalism. London: Sage.