SASS Staff

Dr Laura Kelly

Lecturer in the School of Applied Social Sciences

Biography

Laura joined the School from the University of Liverpool, where she had been undertaking doctoral research in the School of Sociology and Social Policy. Her first degree was in English and Philosophy (also taken at Liverpool), and she holds an MA in Philosophy from the Erasmus University Rotterdam. She made the transition to the social sciences while working for a Drug and Alcohol Action Team, as she became interested in policy responses to children and young people identified as being ‘at risk’ of substance use, crime and social exclusion. This led her to begin an MA in Research Methodology, followed by doctoral research on youth crime and sports-based interventions. This research was funded by an ESRC +3 studentship.

Current Research

Laura’s research now centres on three related areas:

First, she has expanded her doctoral research to consider more broadly the connections between critical criminology and the sociology of sport. She is currently co-authoring a monograph on this theme with Pete Millward and Emma Poulton, which will be published as part of the Routledge ‘Frontiers of Sport’ series in 2014. These collaborations have also fed into undergraduate curriculum development: Laura contributes an introductory criminology lecture and a block of research-led lectures to ‘Sport, Crime and Deviance’, a team-taught, level two module convened by Emma Poulton.

Second, Laura has developing expertise in youth criminology and youth justice. She has recently (with Jo Phoenix as PI) been awarded £310K by the Economic and Social Research Council to investigate how policy change is implemented in youth justice. Full details are provided on the project website: www.dur.ac.uk/esrc.youthjustice

Third, Laura is interested in youth policy and youth services. She continues to develop research begun as part of her doctorate on the interface between youth crime prevention and other youth provision. She is particularly interested in how practitioners operating at the boundaries between policy and practice domains negotiate the tensions that result from contradictory policy agendas and broader social inequalities and injustice.

Laura’s research in these areas is facilitated by more general interest in the sociology of childhood and youth, sociological and criminological theory, and debates about policy change and implementation, including the complex interrelationships between research, policy and practice. Again, this is reflected in her undergraduate teaching, particularly the level two module ‘Children, Young People and Families’, for which she is convenor. This module pulls together a team from the Sociology, Social Work and Community and Youth Work sections of the School to introduce students to relevant sociological and social scientific research and the ways in which it has been applied in practice.

Laura welcomes applications from prospective MPhil/PhD students with related research interests. She is normally happy to discuss proposals with interested students.

Publications

Books: authored

Kelly, L., Millward, P. & Poulton, E. (Forthcoming). Sport and Criminology: A Critical Perspective. Routledge.

Books: sections

Kelly, L. (2008). Entry on 'Positive Activities for Young People (PAYP). In Dictionary of Youth Justice. Goldson, B. Cullompton: Willan Publishing.
Kelly, L. (2008). Entry on 'Positive Futures'. In Dictionary of Youth Justice. Goldson, B. Cullompton: Willan Publishing.
Kelly, L. (2008). Entry on 'Sport-based crime prevention'. In Dictionary of Youth Justice. Goldson, B. Cullompton: Willan Publishing.

Conference papers

Kelly, L. (2011), ‘Youth’, ‘crime’ and the ‘third sector’ analysing changing relationships, Voluntary Sector Studies Network Conference, New Researchers Session. London.
Kelly, L. (2010), Fair play? Analysing sports-based responses to marginalised young people, British Society of Criminology Conference. University of Leicester.
Kelly, L. (2010), Sports-based interventions: some critical reflections, Critiquing Sport: Theory and Practice, PSA Sport and Politics Study Group Conference. Leeds Metropolitan University.
Kelly, L. (2009), Evidence-based policy? Exploring attitudes to ‘evidence’ and 'evaluation' within sports-based interventions, Social Policy Association Conference. University of Edinburgh.

Journal papers: academic

Phoenix, J & Kelly, L (2013). 'You Have To Do It For Yourself': Responsibilization in Youth Justice and Young People's Situated Knowledge of Youth Justice Practice. The British Journal of Criminology 53(3): 419-437.
Kelly, L (2012). Representing and preventing youth crime and disorder: intended and unintended consequences of targeted youth programmes in England. Youth Justice 12(2): 101-117.
Kelly, L. (2012). Sports-based interventions and the local governance of youth crime and anti-social behavior. Journal of Sport and Social Issues
Kelly, L. (2011). Social inclusion through sports-based interventions?. Critical Social Policy 31(1): 126-150.

Research Interests

Criminal justice/social policy interface, particularly youth crime prevention and sports-based interventions
Policy implementation and associated tensions
Youth crime and youth justice
Sport and crime
The sociology of childhood and youth

Research Groups

Crime, Deviance and Culture Research
Policy, Professions and Communities
Sport, Health and Policy

Research Projects

Implementing Policy Change in Youth Justice

Teaching Areas

Children, Young People and Families (level two)
Societies in Transition (level one)
Sport, Crime and Deviance (level two)
Theorising Crime and Criminal Justice (level four)