PhD Student Research into Gambling- Insight and Achievements

How Jennifer Got Started

Alongside a career in secondary English teaching, I completed a Master’s qualification at the University of Chester in 2021. My dissertation focused on the impact of curriculum design upon social mobility and the contextualised agency of school leaders. The research I carried out at my Master’s level was engaging and highly reflexive; it ignited my passion for thinking and studying at doctoral level and for carrying out further research. I was inspired by the research of my supervisors, Paul Moran and Dr FFrances Atherton, which can be found in their monograph, The Philosophy of Homelessness, where they consider the lived experiences of homelessness in Chester.

My starting point for thinking about the social phenomena of gambling-related harm was considering the agency afforded to make decisions about our lives in the context of late-stage capitalism. I am collating data from semi-structured interviews and ethnographic work in my thesis, to reflect on how gambling-related harm is understood, experienced, and responded to in relation to a broad range of social institutions and fields including the law, health, welfare agencies, and families.     

Why Her Research is Exciting and Her Hopes to Make a Difference

Contributing new knowledge and ways of seeing to a field that you are passionate about is a key driver for any doctoral student, myself included. There is an increasing interest in gambling-related harm in terms of intervention and prevention from politicians, medical professionals, third sector organisations and individuals, and I hope that my research might positively influence the support available to people who experience gambling-related harm.

The Context and Details of Jennifer’s Research

While many people consider gambling a harmless leisure pursuit, increasing numbers of people experience moderate, to significant harm as a result of their own or someone else’s gambling. Recent research produced for the Gambling Commission estimates that 1.5% of the UK population are directly experiencing moderate to significant risk of gambling-related harm. Estimates suggest that for every person directly experiencing harm, 7-15 others will also be affected.

Gambling-related harms can include financial insecurity, leading to housing issues, compromised personal relationships, as well as mental, and physical health concerns- particularly stress-related health problems, employment issues, suicidal ideation, and self-harm. Increasingly regarded as a public health concern, the field of knowledge and research regarding gambling-related harm is frequently based on studies of psychology and neuroscience that often pathologise gambling. At the same time, gambling-related harm is becoming more visible via mainstream media outputs, campaign groups’ material, and legislative review. Questions of how gambling-related harm might be best prevented and minimised, dictate much of the research in the field.

My research focuses on better understanding people's lived/living experiences of gambling-related harm, with a focus on the narratives of those directly experiencing harm, those affected by the gambling practices of someone else, and those who work in treatment and recovery spaces. There is considerable overlap between these groups, and their multi-faceted experiences and insights support new ways of understanding harms associated with gambling. Broadly, my aim is to widen definitions and understanding of what constitutes these harms by giving greater focus and consideration to how harms are experienced by individuals and how they are nested within wider sociological structures.

The Achievement and Success She has Experienced Already

I was pleased to secure a Postgraduate Research Bursary to support my research by the Academic Forum for the Study of Gambling. I have presented on aspects of my research at the University of Chester Postgraduate Research Conference and at the University’s Faculty of Arts, Humanities, Social Sciences and Education Conference. In April 2023, I delivered a public lecture as part of the Culture and Society RKEI public lecture series.

Beyond my own research, I have gained a great deal from working with Social Justice Chester colleagues on a project exploring the benefits of co-production when researching lived experiences of poverty in Chester and Cheshire West. I have also gained valuable insights from working with Emma Arya-Manesh on an evaluative research project. I have enjoyed teaching as a visiting lecturer within Social and Political Science and have delivered a guest lecture, based on my research, for a harm reduction module in Criminology.

If you require any further information in relation to gambling-related harm, support is available. GamCare have a free helpline: 0808 8020 133 and a website offering support, gamcare.org.uk.