Benjamin Adams

My skills and experience span across the academic social sciences, critical humanities and creative fields. My work in recent years has emphasised research into the conceptual frameworks and practical implementation of preventing and countering violent extremism strategies for youth and, especially, young men, along with broader but related issues regarding radicalisation, masculinities and social inequality.I am currently part of a project team at The University of Adelaide's Department of Sociology, Criminology and Gender Studies, exploring the intelligence imperatives and implications of digital pathways to violent extremism in young Australians. This includes conducting qualitative interviews with youth regarding the extent and types of their exposure to online communities that promulgate violently extremist, misogynist, and/or ambiguous ideologies.
 
Previously, I have worked as a research assistant in the Schools of Education at University of South Australia, The University of Adelaide, and The University of Queensland, having contributed to several projects and journal articles focused on the sociology of schooling in a neoliberal context, gendered learner identities and subjectivities, masculinity studies, educational inequalities, countering violent extremism and restorative practices in schools, higher degree research cultures and decolonising educational supervision.
 
I also have academic experience in the disciplines of English and History, completing a first-class joint honors degree and, later, a literary and cultural studies PhD on the work, persona and cultural reception of American writer Charles Bukowski. In the creative realm, I am a published poet and book, music and arts reviewer, demonstrating high degrees of skill in clarity of expression, composition and communication across a range of contexts.