University of Abertay Dundee

Faculty Member, School of Social and Health Sciences

Other Affiliations: Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice Research, SCCJR

Lecturer in Sociology

School of Social and Health Sciences

About

I joined the University of Abertay Dundee as a Lecturer in Sociology in 2011. I have a PhD in Sociology, a Masters in Social Research and a MA (Hons) in Sociology from the University of Aberdeen. I was previously a Teaching Fellow in the Department of Sociology at the University of Aberdeen and currently hold the position of Honorary Research Fellow.

In a broad sense my research interests lie in sociology and criminology and include youth culture, the sociology of crime and deviance, gender, policing, car culture, moral panics, risk, social constructionism and qualitative research methods (including ethnography, the reflexive turn and feminist research).

My doctoral research was an ethnographic study of the so-called ‘boy racer’ culture in the city of Aberdeen and the societal reaction to their behaviour. The thesis was concerned with the internal dynamics of the ‘racer’ culture (including gender, social class, the various rituals engaged in by participants, public performances, internal and external conflict, and forms of deviant or anti-social behaviour engaged in by participants). It also analysed the public reaction to ‘boy racers’ vis-à-vis the outside groups. This included the local community, media, police and politicians. The research demonstrates the common misconceptions concerning car modification (sub)cultures, which are labelled as deviant, risky, and dangerous and whose practices and rituals have helped fuel the myth of the 'boy racer'.

My current research interests centre on the policing and regulation of motorists and the framing of this in the context of the media and popular culture. This includes the social construction of risk on the roads. I am particularly interested in the 'problem' of the young (male) driver and the various educational initiatives and policing strategies adopted in response to this. Further research focuses on gender and prisons, and the surveillance and governmental regulation of social networking sites.

Contact Information