Dr Rachael Dobson
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Overview
Overview
Biography
My research is informed 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 academic, teaching and practice fields.
As an academic I have held lectureships at the University of Leeds, Kingston University and now Birkbeck, University of London, and Visiting Fellowships at the University of New South Wales and University of Sydney. I have recently been awarded a Leverhulme Research Fellowship for 'Where Is The Power? Policy Ontologies In Theory and Practice'.
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.
Prior to academic life I worked as a local government homelessness practitioner. I still work as a consultant, facilitator and trainer with practitioners implementing homelessness and adult social care policy.
Qualifications
- Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, HEA, 2019
Web profiles
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
ORCID
0000-0003-4716-745X -
Research
Research
Research interests
- Policy-making
- Social welfare institutions
- Homelessness
- Public service cultures
- Reflexive Methodologies
Research overview
My research contributes to critical and cultural approaches to policy-making, with a focus on process and implementation. I theorise the role of policy actors in the making-of welfare state practices like policy, legislation and institutions. I am especially interested in public service cultures, identities and practices in lower status, under-professionalised, materially fragmented and ‘dirty work’ sectors, across social welfare and criminal justice fields.
Empirically, my research explores interventions with vulnerable adults with ‘complex needs’, encompassing policy, legislation, models of support and everyday practices. I think about relationships between these phenomena, and human agency, to understand potential for resistance and social change through everyday, conscious and unconscious, social practices and actions.
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.
Current doctoral researchers
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ABIGAIL JACKSON
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BECKA SEGLOW HUDSON
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.
I convene two modules: Influencing Public Policy (PGT) and The Criminalisation of Welfare (UG). 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
- Policy, Power and Social Change (Level 5) (LACN029H5)
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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
Over the past three years I have facilitated 'Communities of Practice' (CoPs) with homelessness and adult social care organisations. CoPs bring together local statutory and non statutory welfare organisations to meet a shared vision to improve outcomes for homeless and vulnerable adults.
This activity reflects my long-standing engagement with institutional barriers to policy and legislation implementation; in this instance, the Care Act 2014 and Homelessness Reduction Act 2018 (Dobson, 2019). CoPs surface these issues and develop proposals to achieve practical change through training, knowledge building and the sharing of everyday practices.