Co(l)laboratory 2024 Citizen Scientist Research Placement
Key Details
Project Title: What is the current situation in Nottingham with South Asian young men’s involvement in serious organised gangs?
Deadline:12 noon,06 March 2024
Project Supervisors
- Lead Supervisor: Dr Rahmanara Chowdhury, Nottingham Trent University
- Co-Supervisor: Dr Cath Williams, University of Nottingham
- Community Supervisor: Michael Dawes, Al-Hurraya
About The Project
In the UK, organised crime groups and the illegal drugs trade are chiefly characterised by the involvement of young working-class men who become embedded within a lifestyle that fulfils their aspirations, albeit illegally. Certain groups of young men, particularly those living in inner cities, and from minoritized and poor communities, are vulnerable to becoming involved in gangs. These men often transition from youth street gangs to criminal gangs and then maturing to membership of organised criminal groups.
The project seeks to build knowledge of the Nottingham context relating to young South Asian Males involvement in serious organised gangs (SOGs). There are no substantial research reports concerning Nottingham’s South Asian young men and their involvement in organised criminal groups. Therefore, there is a need to both understand what the currently available research literature says, and to provide early data on the factors influencing gang behaviour and engagement in these by young South Asian men in Nottingham, to better inform local policy and service models.
This project will start with an initial scoping review of literature and reports to consider what is already known and evidenced within Nottingham, and then seek to identify areas which need further investigation. The project will utilise reports that have originated from other cities with high populations of minority ethnicities such as Birmingham and Manchester.
This project has been co-created with Al-Hurraya, a local organisation which provides a range of services to those from ethnic minority groups, including direct counselling, mentoring, and provides training for other organisations on cultural competency, hidden harm training and unconscious bias training.
Project Aims
The project seeks to understand what current data says about South Asian young men in Nottingham who become involved in serious organised gangs (SOGs). The project aims to shed light on what the influencing factors could be, and what specifically is happening in Nottingham. The outcomes of the project will inform Al-Hurraya’s future work and help to raise awareness with local stakeholders to provide a better understanding of these issues impact upon Nottingham’s communities.
What will a successful candidate be doing?
The successful candidate will receive dedicated support and researcher training from the Co(l)laboratory team to prepare them to undertake their Citizen Scientist Research Placement. The candidate will work closely with the project supervisory team to identify data on South Asian young men’s involvement in SOGs, analyse it to identify potential influencing factors and intervention strategies, and share these learnings with relevant stakeholder through writing a research report.
Who are we looking for?
For full details of our eligibility criteria, please visit our 2024 Citizen Scientist Research Placements web page. We encourage those who meet most of the essential criteria to any extent to apply.
Competencies
- Strong organisational and time management skills, including planning skills.
- A basic understanding of the topic area through either educational, professional, or professional experience.
- A quick learner who is confident in working (or learning how to work) with complex information and detail – you will need to read research papers and similar information.
- Good verbal and written communication skills – you will need to confidently summarise information and share key findings.
Desirable Competencies
- Previous experience of writing reports.
- Relevant experiences of working with South Asian communities.
- An ability to reflect on your biases and look at things from a critical perspective.
- Knowledge of the different stakeholders relevant for the topic.
- An awareness of cultural nuances which might be of relevance to this topic and population group.