Bronwyn McGovern

Social science theories and robust research methodologies drew Bronwyn to study Sociology, theories and methodologies that now support her work in Corrections.

I don’t think I had a typical academic path as I went to university while also raising four children. I came up the hill to Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington looking for an ‘-ology’ to study. It was the people factor and learning about the workings of society that led me to focus my energies on Sociology. I found it to be a discipline grounded in core social science theories and robust research methodologies.

With the encouragement of my tutor, I continued to postgraduate study and in-depth lines of inquiry more to my own choosing. By the time I had completed my Honours degree, I’d also welcomed my fifth and last child into the family! After achieving First Class Honours, I successfully gained a Victoria doctoral scholarship and embarked on doctorate study. My sociological street study examined, via a detailed case study of the late Ben Hana (Brother), aka Wellington’s ‘Blanket Man’, what it might mean to live a life 24/7 in public space. Doing doctorate study was as much a degree in tenacity and real-world learning as it was a contribution to academic knowledge. It was also a privilege to experience the reciprocity and generosity of the people I worked with, especially Brother. I saw how challenging and polarising it was for Brother to have made the choices he made. Moving between the world of academia and the streets was a unique enriching experience teaching me a lot about humanity and myself.

It was that experience combined with post-PhD employment as a research fellow in another university that led me to realise an academic career was not for me. I progressed into an advisory position with the Ara Poutama Aotearoa (Department of Corrections) who were looking for a social scientist without prison experience to question and challenge how things are done in prisons. I work with custodial staff across all levels of the organisation (as well as with prisoners), and with various internal and external stakeholders to explore alternatives, develop new initiatives, and make recommendations towards best practice.

It amuses me that back when doing my PhD, I was sure I did not want to end up filed away in some Terrace high rise. And yet here I am, enjoying a government role based in the national office that also enables me to get out in the field to work across the prison network to see with my ‘sociological eye’, and to work collaboratively with others to make a difference.