Change what we can see. See what we can change.
Change what we can see. See what we can change.
Working across the disciplines of Education, Sociology and Criminology, Karen is currently Lecturer in Criminology in the School of Policy and Global Affairs. At the beginning of her teaching career, she worked as a prison educator. Observations made during this professional practice formed the background for her doctoral research that explored the school experiences of men that go to prison.
Her research interests focus on critiquing the disciplinary functions of institutions such as schools, prisons and universities; and the significance of class, race and gender in these processes. She uses qualitative methods, such as life story interviewing, to bring the voices and experiences of marginalised groups into research and policy.
Karen’s work continues to combine professional practice, academic research and community education. She has developed higher education courses for prisoners, evaluated prison-based programmes and created bespoke education packages for practitioners wishing to uncover and challenge structural inequities in their organisation.