Currently...
I joined Manchester Metropolitan University in September 2015 as a Research Associate in the Policy Evaluation and Research Unit. My main strands of work are on extremism/ counter-extremism, and bottom-up social policy, thus continuing previous work in the areas of citizenship, community and third sector policy and extremism. My first strand, building on my doctoral research on both extremisms of the far-right and Islamism, takes in work on extremism, counter-extremism, hate crime and criminal justice system and other responses. This includes examining counter-extremism work in educational and community settings, and work on online safety. As a second strand of work, I've also been researching the reconfigurations of the welfare state across Europe, as part of the Horizon 2020 funded InnoSI project on Innovative Social Investment, and then the role of the education system in the 'integration' of migrant children in the H2020-funded MiCREATE project. Recently I've also begun some work on club culture in Stoke. This looks at the parallels between Northern Soul and rave, the connections between Stoke and Detroit/ Chicago, and the contribution music makes to social cohesion. Research history Since 2006 I have spent most of my time researching far-right and radical Islamist activism. At Keele, my PhD research examined the engagement of far-right and radical Islamist activists with wider society in the context of government community cohesion and preventing violent extremism policies. For this I spent time with (as a participant-observer) and conducted biographical interviews with members of the British National Party, al-Muhajiroun, and those 'mainstream' activists and workers who engage with them. I continued this stream of work in a post-doc position at the University of Leicester, conducting fieldwork with the EDL, UKIP and other populist-right and far-right groups, and have done similar work with anti-fascist and anti-racist activists for the University of Northampton. Between 2004 and 2006 I led one evaluation of a national youth programme - CDF's Neighbourhood Support Fund - and contributed to the evaluation of another - the Home Office's Positive Futures. Both programmes aimed to steer young people away from trouble, with the former focusing on those Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET), and the latter focusing more on drugs. Before this I worked on shorter-term research projects. A selection of the clients and projects are listed below:
Teaching I have taught at undergraduate and postgraduate level at Keele, Leicester and ManMet. Currently, I teach 'Working with Offenders' with Kevin Wong, and 'Extremism and Political Radicalism' with Phil Edwards (both third year units), as well as contributing to first year methods courses. I have also been part of teams teaching core and option courses, and have done lectures and seminars for research students and continuing professional development (CPD) programmes. My main units were:
Publications
Invited talks
Conference presentations
Most of my other research work only exists as 'grey literature'. There are some links above, where the projects have resulted in writing in the public domain. Other dissemination activity In addition to the conferences listed above, I have also presented to internal audiences at Keele and elsewhere as part of various seminar programmes. I have also presented my work to the Chief Constable of Staffordshire, and other criminal justice professionals, and appeared on local radio and national TV to talk about political extremism and terrorism. Other writing A long time ago I wrote the first version of the London Cycling Campaign's guide to Leisure Cycling. I've also had a few letters published in the Guardian. I'd say about 50% of those I've sent in: What £400,000? (10/12/02) Taking the rap for gun culture (10/01/03) Paying the price of debt? (17/10/03) Warning for the smugs (03/07/04) Stan's the man [David Beckham] (12/05/05) Second homes and the housing crisis 08/08/05 10/08/05 Lecturers' Pay (14/03/06) Now hear this (30/11/06) A new world of rhymes (22/05/07) Alcohol, pregnancy and the state (31/05/07) Citizenship test and British values (05/08/09) |