The first-ever American Society of Criminology Lifetime Achievement award (Division of Critical Criminology) to be made to an Australian criminologist has been conferred on Professor Kerry Carrington, head of QUT's School of Justice, Faculty of Law.
The accolade recognises Professor Carrington's contribution of ground-breaking research on the criminological impact of mining, youth justice, gender and violence, and feminism and global justice over 26 years.
Professor Carrington's outstanding research career sprang from her award-winning PhD on young women, crime and juvenile which helped stimulate the development of feminist criminology in Australia and internationally.
Her latest book, Feminism and Global Justice, published last month, argues the world needs feminism now more than ever.
"We need feminism to help combat systemic atrocities, such as child marriage, genital mutilation, 'honour' crimes, sati (wife burning); zina (punishing rape victims under Sharia law) and feminicide, justified by religion, custom and culture," Professor Carrington said.
"I also explore rising rates of violence by women and their increasing participation in terrorism.
"Violence between men in alienating spaces of unregulated super-capitalism (zones of transition where the rule of law is suspended) such as the Mexican free trade zone, Latin American drug economies, and the mining camps in the Australian desert are also explored."
Professor Carrington's research has consistently challenged gender blind spots in criminology which has made her a sought-after speaker around the world on women, crime and justice systems, and an advocate for a fairer criminal justice system.
"I am committed to ensuring the public has a greater understanding of crimes of violence, including where women are the victims and the perpetrators, as well as the ongoing struggle many people face to gain justice," Professor Carrington said.
A prolific and widely published researcher, Professor Carrington is also chief editor of International Journal for Crime, Justice and Social Democracy, Pacific Rim editor of Critical Criminology (An American-based journal), editorial board member of Feminist Criminology, and an international editorial board member of the British Society of Criminology's flagship journal - Criminology and Criminal Justice.
Professor Carrington has an extensive record of externally funded research activity, including four ARC Discovery/Large Grants.
Research in rural crime, work camps, mining and violence, and the rise of non-resident workforces for an ARC Discovery Grant study on violence and masculinities in rural Australia, resulted in wide media coverage of the issue, and internationally published articles including Resource Boom Underbelly: The criminological impact of mining which was awarded the 2012 Allen Austin Bartholomew Award for the best publication in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Criminology.
Media contact: Niki Widdowson, QUT media, 07 3138 2999 or n.widdowson@qut.edu.au.
