On Critical Social Research

I consider myself to be a critical social thinker, but grapple with teasing out what this means in broad terms. Certainly, I have devoted much of my time and energy thinking critically about contemporary social and political issues, specifically in the realm of crime and social control. I believe that the salient feature of critical thought is scepticism regarding the status quo.

I believe that the routines of everyday life breed assumptions that become taken for granted. Whether these assumptions emerge at the level of the culture, the institution, or the individual, they have consequences for social (in)action. It is my hope that through critical social research we may highlight these assumptions, develop a discourse which counters the dominant, and which pushes forward the emancipatory project.

How we will go about achieving this remains to be seen, and certainly there are many areas of inquiry into which the Interdisciplinary Network for Critical Social Research (INCSR) may delve. I invite those interested in critical social research to join the INCSR in shaping discourse. Certainly, I look forward to stimulating discussions which challenge my own assumptions and blindspots and helps keep me reflexive as I embark on (and beyond) my graduate studies journey.