Institute of Criminology Public Seminars: 'Doing Probation Work in Turbulent Times: A case of edgework, organisational cynicism and expedience?'

Speaker: Prof. Anne Worrall and Dr Rob Mawby, Keele University, and University of Leicester.

This seminar draws on the emerging findings from our ESRC-funded study of the occupational cultures of probation officers. Much has been written about the changing nature of work with offenders in the community, focussing primarily on the consequences of the political and managerialist pressures to which the Probation Service has been subjected in the past 30 years. There has been little research, however, on probation workers themselves, their cultures and values and the extent to which these have changed. Our research is exploring whether, taking into account the broader changes to the criminal justice system, probation workers in the 21st century have similar motivations, values and expectations of the job as did their predecessors. In this seminar, noting that the Probation Service operates in turbulent conditions and is subjected to converging pressures, we consider how probation workers respond to these adverse circumstances to make their work meaningful and fulfilling, or even just to cope. To do this we will explore the extent to which probation workers’ responses to these pressures can be understood using the concepts of edgework (Lyng 1990, 2005), organisational expedience (McLean Parks et al 2010), and Hirschman’s (1970) ‘Exit, Voice, Loyalty, and Neglect’ model.

Anne Worrall is Emerita Professor of Criminology at Keele University and Honorary Professorial Fellow at the University of Western Australia. A former probation officer, she has written extensively about her two research interests, namely, women offenders and the probation service. Rob Mawby teaches criminology at the University of Leicester. His research and publications have focused on policing and the joint agency supervision of offenders. They are both currently undertaking an ESRC funded research project on probation cultures.

All seminars start at 5.30pm,and are held in Seminar Room B3, Institute of Criminology, Sidgwick Ave, Cambridge, CB3 9DA. A drinks reception in the basement foyer will follow this seminar for attendees.

The IoC Public Seminar Series is open to all interested in attending, with no ticket required. If you wish to be added to the seminar mailing list, please contact: Joanne Garner, on: jf225@cam.ac.uk