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" When I first started at SFU for my Master's, I planned on only studying terrorism, but my research interests expanded to include aspects of new religious movements and organized crime, which I analyze primarily using social network analysis."
Kelley Massingale
Criminology doctoral student in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
Tell us a little about yourself, including what inspires you to learn and continue in your chosen field
I am a doctoral student in the School of Criminology, where I study ideologically-motivated violence (including terrorism and new religious movements), organized crime, and criminal networks. Before SFU, I received my B.S. in sociology at the University of Idaho. During my coursework there, I became more interested in the different ways to think of and apply criminological theory.
Why did you choose to come to SFU?
I chose SFU to work under the supervision of Dr. Martin Bouchard and Dr. Eric Beauregard for my PhD dissertation. In my time here, I have also enjoyed opportunities the department gives graduate students to explore work extending beyond their main research interests. When I first started at SFU for my Master's, I planned on only studying terrorism, but my research interests expanded to include aspects of new religious movements and organized crime, which I analyze primarily using social network analysis.
How would you describe your research or your program to a family member?
My main research focus is on the evolution of new religious movements (NRMs) over their life-course, or timespan of the movement. Contemporary NRMs appear to intersect with various areas in criminology, including terrorism, sexual violence, and organized crime (e.g., human trafficking). Therefore, my work aims to examine the development and persistence of NRM criminal behavior using social network analysis, to better understand potential outcomes and inform intelligence and law enforcement interventions.
What three (3) keywords would you use to describe your research?
Evolution of ideologically-motivated criminal behavior
How have your courses, RA-ships, TA-ships, or non-academic school experiences contributed to your academic and/or professional development?
Each course has provided me a new perspective through which to analyze or think about my research. Other courses and RA-ships have allowed me to build on my methodological skills to explore various research questions.
Contact Kelley:kelley_massingale@sfu.ca