Research Profile
Ms Corinne Funnell
Address:1-3 Museum Place
Qualifications
Corinne graduated from Cardiff University in 2009 with an MSc in Social Science Research Methods (criminology) (distinction).
Corinne is working on developing an understanding of racist hate crime from the perspective of victims and their caseworkers, using ethnographic research methods. She is currently looking to establish a research network on hate crime and is organising a hate crime symposium, which will be held on 26 April 2012 at Cardiff University.
Corinne has taught a range of courses at undergraduate and Master’s levels including: offending and victimisation; qualitative research methods; hate crime; media culture and law; penal theory; and punishment, discipline and control.
Before commencing research with an ESRC 1+3 (socio-legal pathway) scholarship, Corinne worked for the Home Office and Government Office South West for seven years. Portfolios included drug prevention, violent crime and performance management. Prior to that she was a Drug Action Team Coordinator, after graduating from Bristol University with an honours degree in law before completing an LLM on mapping illegal drug markets.
Research Interests
Criminology, criminal justice, hate crime, victimization, research methods, ethnography
PhD Topic / Area
The primary focus of the doctoral research has been to answer the question ‘How do hate crime victims and caseworkers perceive racist hate crimes and incidents and what meanings do they give these experiences?’. The research also aims to understand how the ‘victim-centred’ definition operating in the criminal justice system (in England and Wales) shapes the experiences of racist hate crime victims.
The research design employed an ethnographic approach, which sought to observe (hate crime) caseworkers from a voluntary sector agency. The agency is Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) and user led. The research involved observing caseworkers at the agency as well as in multi-agency settings and with clients. The fieldwork has yielded observational data over a two and a half year period as well as ethnographic interviews with clients and caseworkers. The preliminary findings and draft thesis are predicated on the idea that hate crimes are interactionally accomplished.