Dr Rachael Dobson
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Overview
Overview
Biography
I am guided by the central principle to work across theory, policy and practice, for the purposes of social and racial justice. This is reflected in my experiences across research, academic, teaching and practice fields.
I think critically about policy; what it is, how it is made, and how it links to practice. My work cuts across critical policy studies and critical social policy and is interdisciplinary, informed by onto-epistemic, critical feminist, critical race, anthropological and psychosocial frameworks.
I focus on policy-making and implementation, public service institutions, cultures, identities and experiences, and human power, agency and resistance. I am especially interested in statutory actors working in different locations and with diverse remits, from local authorities to the civil service.
I was recently awarded a Leverhulme Research Fellowship for 'Where Is The Power? Policy Ontologies In Theory and Practice' (2021) and am lead for international academic network The Policy Ontologies Project and empirical study The Understanding Policy Project.
As an academic I have held lectureships at the University of Leeds, Kingston University and now Birkbeck, University of London, Visiting Fellowships at the University of New South Wales and University of Sydney.
I have over a decade’s experience of editorial, referee and learned society activity. I am member of the editorial collective for Critical Social Policy, a highly ranked, peer reviewed journal that provides an international forum for debate on social policy and welfare issues from socialist, feminist, anti-racist and radical perspectives. I have been twice elected to the Social Policy Association, most recently as Honorary Secretary.
Qualifications
- Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, HEA, 2019
Web profiles
Administrative responsibilities
- Postgraduate Admissions Tutor, Criminology Programmes
Visiting posts
- ESRC Visiting Fellowship, University of New South Wales, 04-2009 to 07-2009
- WUN Visiting Fellowship, University of Sydney, 04-2011 to 06-2011
Professional activities
Editorial Collective, Critical Social Policy
Professional memberships
Social Policy Association
White Spaces Network.
BSA Psychoanalysis & Psychosocial Study Group
Women, Crime & Criminal Justice Network
Homeless Link
Honours and awards
- Research Fellowship, Leverhulme , June 2021
ORCID
0000-0003-4716-745X -
Research
Research
Research interests
- Critical Policy Studies, Critical Social Policy
- Policy-making, Policy implementation
- Policy and welfare practice
- Human power, agency, resistance
- Public service institutions, cultures, identities and experiences
- Theoretical and methodological approaches: onto-epistemic, critical feminist, critical race, relational, emotions, reflexive, psychosocial
- Empirical foci: Civil Service, The Local-State (local authorities, non-profit sector), Homelessness
Research overview
My research contributes to critical and cultural approaches to policy-making. Drawing on onto-epistemic frameworks, I think critically about policy; what it is, how it is made, and how it links to practice.
To that end, I theorise the role of policy actors in the making-of policy phenomena like states, governments, institutions, policies and human actors themselves. And I think about relationships between these different phenomena to understand potential for resistance and social change through everyday, conscious and unconscious, social practices and actions.
As part of this work, I am currently undertaking empirical research, The Understanding Policy Project. Supported by a Leverhulme Research Fellowship award, the study uses qualitative methods to investigate how senior civil servants conceive of the interventions they are involved with, and their own sense of place and power in policymaking processes.
Previously, my research has brought critical policy perspectives to homelessness studies, in exploring interventions with vulnerable adults with ‘complex needs’, encompassing policy, legislation, models of support and everyday practices. I have been especially interested in experiences in lower status, under-professionalised, materially fragmented and ‘dirty work’ sectors.
Theoretically and methodologically, my research is informed by critical feminist, race, postcolonial, anthropological, psychosocial, affect and cultural studies.
Research Centres and Institutes
- Member, White Spaces Network
Research clusters and groups
- Member, Policy, Practice and Activism Cluster (Law School)
Research projects
Where Is The Power? Policy Ontologies In Theory And Practice.
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Supervision and teaching
Supervision and teaching
Supervision
I welcome enquiries from prospective PhD students who are interested in undertaking research in any of my areas of research interest.
Critical Policy Studies, Critical Social Policy
Social Policy, Social Welfare
Policy-Making, Policy Implementation
Policy and welfare practice
Public service institutions, cultures, identities and experiences
Human power, agency, resistance
Empirical foci: Civil Service, The Local-State (local authorities, non-profit sector), Homelessness
Theoretical and methodological approaches: onto-epistemic, critical feminist, critical race, relational, emotions, reflexive, psychosocial
Current doctoral researchers
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ABIGAIL JACKSON
Doctoral alumni since 2013-14
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BECKA SEGLOW HUDSON
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EMMA YAPP
Teaching
My teaching is driven by the imperative to work across theory, policy and practice. It is research-led and interdisciplinary, cutting across policy, criminology, sociology, socio-legal, psychosocial, housing and urban studies. I have developed teaching programmes for policy-makers, practitioners and students at access, undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
Presently, I convene two modules: Policy, Power & Social Change (undergraduate) and Understanding Crime (undergraduate). Policy, Power & Social Change introduces students to social, cultural and onto-epistemic approaches to policy-making and resistance. Understanding Crime introduces students to key issues and theories in criminology.
I have previously convened two modules: Influencing Public Policy (postgraduate) and The Criminalisation of Welfare (undergraduate). Influencing Public Policy introduces students to critical approaches to policy-making. The Criminalisation of Welfare examines the construction and regulation of social problems and ‘problem people’ through policy and legislative interventions.
I deliver guest lectures on three postgraduate modules: Contemporary Issues in Criminal Justice (Department of Criminology), Research Methods (Law School) and Independent Research (Department of Psychosocial Studies).
Teaching modules
- Influencing Public Policy (LACN013S7)
- Policy, Power and Social Change (Level 5) (LACN029H5)
- Research Methods and Practice (LACN031S5)
- Contemporary Issues in Criminal Justice (LADD059S7)
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Publications
Publications
Article
- Dobson, Rachael and Turnbull, Sarah (2022) In or against the state? Hospitality and hostility in homelessness charities and deportation practice. International Journal of Law in Context 18 (S1), pp. 25-40. ISSN 1744-5523.
- Dobson, Rachael (2022) Complex needs in homelessness practice; a review of 'new markets of vulnerability'. Housing Studies 37 (7), pp. 1147-1173. ISSN 0267-3037.
- Dobson, Rachael (2020) Local government and practice ontologies: sector speaks in housing and homelessness services. Local Government Studies 46 (4), pp. 583-603. ISSN 0300-3930.
- Dobson, Rachael (2019) Policy responses to ‘Rough Sleepers’: opportunities & barriers for homeless adults in England. Critical Social Policy 39 (2), pp. 309-321. ISSN 0261-0183.
- Dobson, Rachael (2017) Working across difference: theory, practice and experience. Feminist Legal Studies 25 (2), pp. 253-266. ISSN 0966-3622.
- Dobson, Rachael (2017) Recollection-as-method in social welfare practice: dirty work, shame and resistance. Qualitative Research Journal 17 (3), pp. 164-176. ISSN 1443-9883.
- Mason, K. and Cornes, M. and Dobson, Rachael (2017) Multiple exclusion homelessness and adult social care in England: exploring the challenges through a researcher-practitioner partnership. Research, Policy and Planning 33 (1), pp. 3-14. ISSN 0264-519X.
- Dobson, Rachael (2015) Power, agency, relationality and welfare practice. Journal of Social Policy 44 (4), pp. 687-705. ISSN 0047-2794.
- Walsh, E. and Butt, C. and Freshwater, D. and Dobson, Rachael and Wright, N. and Cahill, J. and Briggs, M. and Alldred, D. (2014) Managing pain in prison: staff perspectives. International Journal of Prisoner Health 10 (3), pp. 198-208. ISSN 1744-9200.
- Dobson, Rachael (2011) Conditionality and homelessness services; ‘Practice Realities’ in a drop-in centre. Social Policy and Society 10 (4), pp. 547-557. ISSN 1474-7464.
- Dobson, Rachael and McNeill, J. (2011) Review article: homelessness and housing support services: rationales and policies under New Labour. Social Policy and Society 10 (4), pp. 581-589. ISSN 1474-7464.
- Dobson, Rachael (2009) ‘Insiderness’, ‘involvement’ and emotions: impacts for methods, ‘knowledge’ and social research. People, Place & Policy 3 (3), pp. 183-195. ISSN 1753-8041.
Book Section
- Dobson, Rachael (2016) 'Supporting people': regulation, welfare practice and emotions. In: Jupp, E. and Pykett, J. and Smith, F.M. (eds.) Emotional States. Routledge. pp. 116-128. ISBN 9781472454058.
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Business and community
Business and community
Outreach
I am experienced in facilitating 'Communities of Practice' (CoPs) with 'local-state' organisations, meaning, local authority departments (housing, homelessness, adult social care, social work) and non-profit organisations.
CoPs bring together different organisations and professionals to meet a shared vision to improve outcomes for the users of services.
This activity reflects my long-standing engagement with institutional barriers to policy and legislation implementation (Dobson, 2019).
CoPs surface these issues and develop proposals to achieve practical change through training, knowledge building and the sharing of everyday practices.