University of Kent

Research

General Research Interests

My interests in youth and crime, informal economies (particularly drug markets), and women and nighttime economies are underpinned by my broader interests in gender, crime and social control. I am also interested in the spatial and cultural aspects of crime and social control and most of my research is based upon ethnographic fieldwork. My PhD research was based on an ethnographic study of young women's connections to drug supply within the neighbourhood context. I have also been involved in an ESRC funded project (with D. Hobbs and L. Westmarland) exploring the role of female bouncers within Britain's night-time economies. This was another ethnographic study that involved in-depth interviews with women working as bouncers and participant observation methods in licensed venues.

I am currently engaged in a visual ethnography of women and nighttime cultures, which combines ethnographic fieldwork and photography.  This is an ongoing exploratory project that to date has focused on the sociality of female toilet spaces, and night-shift work focusing on women working as toilet attendants.

Publications

• O'Brien (2010, forthcoming) Dealing Tac: Young People, Gender and Neighbourhood Drug Markets Cullompton: Willan.
• O’Brien, K (2009) ‘Inside Doorwork: Gendering the Security Gaze’, in R. Ryan-Flood and R. Gill (eds.) Silence and Secrecy in the Research Process: Feminist Reflections London: Routledge
• O'Brien, K, Hobbs, D and Westmarland, L (2008) ‘Negotiating Violence and Gender: Security and the Night Time Economy in the UK ', in S. Gendrot and P. Spierenburg (eds.) Collection on Historical and Contemporary Violence in Europe New York: Springer.
• Hobbs, D, O'Brien, K., and Westmarland, L. (2007) ‘Connecting the Gendered Door: Women, Violence and Doorwork', British Journal of Sociology Volume 58, Issue 1 p21-38

Teaching

I convene the Masters level module Youth and Crime, which provides a critical and comparative understanding of youth crime and youth justice.  The module is underpinned by a sociological and cultural understanding of youth crime.

I currently convene two undergraduate criminology modules within the School:

• SO535 Youth and Crime (level three module).  The aim of this module is to provide a critical understanding of youth crime and youth justice, particularly in the British context.
• SO305 Criminology (level one core module). The aim of this module is to provide first year students with an introduction to key criminological issues and debates. Topics covered include victimology, media and crime, youth crime and drugs and crime.