Editing Jonathan Potter (section)

==Life==
Jonathan Potter was born in [[Ashford, Kent]], and spent most of his childhood in [[Laughton, East Sussex]]. His father was a school teacher, and his mother was a [[batik]] artist. He attended school in [[Lewes]] and pursued a degree in Psychology at the [[University of Liverpool]] in 1974. During his studies, he became interested in alternative therapies and the emerging critical perspectives in social psychology, influenced by the work of John Shotter, [[Kenneth Gergen]], and [[Rom Harré]].

Potter then completed a master's degree in the philosophy of science at the [[University of Surrey]], where he studied speech act theory and post-structuralism, particularly the work of [[Roland Barthes]]. His interest in the philosophy of science led him to the new [[sociology of scientific knowledge]], engaging with the work of [[Harry Collins]], [[Michael Mulkay]], and [[Steve Woolgar]].

In 1979, Potter applied for PhD funding at the [[University of Bath]] to work with Harry Collins, but the offer was withdrawn due to budget cuts. He began a part-time PhD at the University of Surrey, studying the experiences of overseas tourists in Bath. During this period, he met and started living with [[Margaret Wetherell]], a prominent figure in British social psychology.

Potter later transferred to the University of York, working with Michael Mulkay on the sociology of scientific knowledge, focusing on scientific discourse analysis. He completed his DPhil in 1983.

Potter joined the University of St Andrews, where he taught statistics and developed a course on discourse, covering various theories and methods that influenced his later work. After four years of temporary contracts, he moved to Loughborough University in 1988. He progressed from lecturer to Professor of Discourse Analysis and eventually became Head of Department in 2010. At Loughborough, he collaborated with colleagues such as Derek Edwards, [[Michael Billig]], Charles Antaki, and Elizabeth Stokoe.

Since 1996, Potter has lived with and collaborated with [[Alexa Hepburn]]. He has conducted workshops and short courses internationally. In 2005, his book ''Cognition and Conversation'' (co-edited with Hedwig te Molder) received the inaugural prize of the American Sociological Association's Ethnomethodology and Conversation Analysis section. In 2008, he was elected to the UK Academy of Social Sciences.