About
I am a Lecturer and Programme Leader in Criminology, with responsibilities for teaching, assessment, programme development and student support. My role includes delivering lectures and seminars, supervising undergraduate and postgraduate dissertations, providing Personal Academic Tutoring (PAT), and organising educational trips. My teaching is research-informed, supporting students to develop critical thinking and engage with contemporary criminological issues
In 2026, as part of the Union Awards, I was nominated for both Inspirational Teaching and Lecturer of the Year within the College of Health and Humanities. I was honoured to win the Lecturer of the Year award.
Teaching responsibilities
I currently teach:
Politics and Policy (Module leader)
Penology: Punishment and Rehabilitation (Module leader)
Understanding Crime and Criminology (Module leader)
Effecting change (Group mentor)
I have previously taught:
- Study Skills and Criminological Research
- Social Research Methods
- Real World Criminology
- Applied Research Methods
Research interests
My research interests centre on inequality, poverty and social harm, particularly in relation to welfare and social policy. I am also interested in feminism, autoethnography and qualitative research methods.
I am currently writing a monograph for Bristol University Press, The Harms of Universal Credit, due for publication in 2028. Based on my doctoral research, the book explores families’ lived experiences of Universal Credit during the pandemic. It examines capitalism, social reproduction, harm and social security through an interdisciplinary lens. The research draws on qualitative longitudinal interviews, autoethnography and participant diary entries.
I have also written a book chapter for Routledge exploring women’s experiences of undertaking qualitative research, due for publication in 2027. I am currently working on a project exploring food resilience and inequality, examining the relationship between poverty, food insecurity and social inequalities. Alongside colleagues at Derby, EMCCA (East Midlands Combined County Authority), the University of Nottingham, and Nottingham Trent University, My previous research examined hardship associated with the five-week wait for Universal Credit. This work informed a policy brief published by the Work and Pensions Committee in 2020. I have also supported a 12-week work placement programme with EMCCA ( and Framework Housing Association. I am a founding member of Wayward Women, a local history group dedicated to broadening representations of women overlooked in historical accounts. This resulted in an official blue plaque in 2025 to commemorate Lichfield's first female councillor and Mayor.
PhD supervision
I welcome enquiries from prospective PhD students interested in inequality, poverty, social harm, welfare, social reproduction, feminism and qualitative research.
I am currently a second supervisor for three doctoral researchers:
- Ruth Richardson: Understanding Young People’s Identity in Relation to Increasing Economic Inequality in the UK
- Emily Dakin: Women, Wife, Mother, Officer: Identity, Intersectionality, and the Everyday Lives of Women Officers.
- Emma Twigg: Narratives from the Nursery: An Investigation into the Representation of Children by Early Years Practitioners Working with Children Who Have Experienced Domestic Abuse.
Membership of professional bodies
- I am a member of the Social Policy Association
Qualifications
- BA (Hons) in Sociology at Birmingham City University, 2015-2018
- MA in Criminology with distinction at Birmingham City University, 2018-2019
- PhD Understanding families experiences of Universal Credit through social harm. University of Derby 2019-2025
- PGcert in Academic Practice and Leadership FHEA. University of Derby 2025-2026
Recent conferences
Conferences and Scholarship
21st May 2026 - MCCT- Universal Credit and Hegemonic Crisis Governance. Midlands Conference in Critical Thought
22nd May 2026 - MCCT- Autoethnography, Class and Reflexivity in Welfare Research. Midlands Conference in Critical Thought
22nd May 2025 - CASSPPR seminar: The Lived Experience of Parents on Universal Credit in England: Depletion through Social Reproduction and Contingent Coping
17th April 2025 - Breaking the Chains: Redefining Welfare in the Age of Neoliberalism. Midlands Conference in Critical Thought
28th June 2024 - The People’s Museum, Manchester: Beyond the Fragments: 45 years on. Paper entitled: ‘Wayward Women and the Politics of Care: From Beyond the Fragments to Beyond Neoliberalism ‘- Robyn Fawcett and Dr Phil Burton-Cartledge.
10 January 2023 - Dr Sung-Hee Lee, Robyn Fawcett and Professor Yun-Young Research Collaboration Zoom sessions with Jeonbook National University (South Korea)
20 December 2022 - Dr Sung-Hee Lee, Robyn Fawcett and Professor Yun-Young Research Collaboration Zoom sessions with Jeonbook National University (South Korea)
5 December 2022 - Dr Sung-Hee Lee, Robyn Fawcett and Professor Yun-Young Research Collaboration Zoom sessions with Jeonbook National University (South Korea)
Past
27-28 October 2022 - The relationship between families' wellbeing, Universal Credit and depletion. Chung-Ang University, Seoul, South Korea.
20 July 2022 - Early Career Workshop at the University of Limerick. Engaged in a critical review and discussion of 8 (working draft) papers. I provided rebuttals based on feedback from my paper. This was titled: What are the experiences of Universal Credit recipients in a global pandemic?
19 May 2022 - Families' experiences of Universal Credit and the impact on children's wellbeing. Delivered as part of the Children’s Wellbeing Online Workshop session. As part of the University of Derby’s ERSC project for the Social Policy Support for families in the UK and South Korea.
8 April 2022 - Researching in Covid-19. Postgrads and Pandemic Conference. British Society of Criminology
7 February 2022 - BBC Radio WM interview ensuring promised funding is given to a new leisure facility. This was in my capacity as a Friends of Friary Grange member.
11 November 2021 - Nunn, A and Fawcett, R. Magistrates Association Poverty, Inequality, and Harm.
July 7-9 July 2021 - The Social Policy Association Abstract title- What are the experiences of Universal Credit recipients in a global pandemic?
Recent publications
I have multiple publications in progress; below is a list of current publications
Book chapter
Fawcett, R. (2024) Chapter 7 Online Communities: An Act of Resistance: Mothers' Longitudinal Digital and Physical Lived Experiences of the Universal Credit System. In Ferra, I. Ferra, F., Patelis, K, and Karatzogianni, A. (eds) Future Feminisms: Biolabour, Technofeminist Care, and Transnational Strategies, Bingley: Emerald
Journal article
Fawcett, R., Gray, E and Nunn, A. (2023) Depletion through Social Reproduction and Contingent Coping in the Lived Experience of Parents on Universal Credit in England. Social Politics https://doi.org/10.1093/sp/jxad018
Professional article
Best, D., Fawcett, R., Hooley, T., Giles, L., Green, N., Morton, A., Nunn, A and Webster, L. (2023). Localism. Institute of Employability Professionals Journal. 9. 1-44. Available at: https://mcusercontent.com/5bd92109c55fa5d1bbffa7e43/files/80518b34-90df-3c2e-aef4-6f5749d9b75d/JOURNAL_A4_09_JULY_2023_3_.pdf
Fawcett, R., Nunn, A., Gray, E (2020) UCW0033: Universal Credit: the wait for a first payment. Work and Pensions Committee.
Please see my researchgate to access publications https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Robyn-Fawcett-2?ev=prf_overview
