Karen Marie Nairn is a New Zealand academic, and is a full professor of education at the University of Otago, specialising in youth-centred research.

Karen Nairn
Nairn in 2008
Academic background
Alma materUniversity of Canterbury, University of Waikato
Theses
Academic advisorsAdrienne Alton-Lee, Robert Garth Cant
Academic work
InstitutionsUniversity of Otago

Academic career

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Nairn was a high school geography teacher interested in environmental issues, before entering academia.[1] Nairn completed a Master of Arts in geography at the University of Canterbury in 1994, and then went on to do a PhD titled Disciplining identities: gender, geography and the culture of fieldtrips at the University of Waikato.[2][3] Nairn then joined the faculty of the University of Otago, rising to associate professor in 2014 and full professor in 2022.[4][5]

Nairn's research focus is young people and social movements. Nairn was the lead researcher on a 2017 Marsden grant about young people's engagement in social movements, with collaborators Joanna Kidman, Judith Sligo, and Anita Lacey.[6] This work led to the publication of the book Fierce Hope: Youth Activism in Aotearoa in 2022, which covers youth-led groups working in areas such as indigenous land rights, sexual violence and social inequality.[7] This was the second Marsden grant Nairn has received, having published Children of Rogernomics: A Neoliberal Generation Leaves School in 2012 from an earlier Marsden-funded research project on the impact of neoliberal reform in New Zealand.[5] Nairn has also research the impact of a Year 12 (last year of high school) leadership programme for young women.[5]

Nairn spoke about youth activism and Ihumātao alongside Qiane Matata-Sipu at the 2023 Dunedin Writers and Readers Festival.[8]

Selected works

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Books

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  • Nairn, Karen; Higgins, Jane; Sligo, Judith, eds. (2012). Children of Rogernomics: A Neoliberal Generation Leaves School. Otago University Press. ISBN 978-1-877578-18-2.
  • Nairn, Karen; Sligo, Judith; Showden, Carisa R.; Matthews, Kyle R.; Kidman, Joanna, eds. (December 2022). Fierce Hope. Youth Activism in Aotearoa. Bridget Williams Books. ISBN 9781990046681.

Journal articles

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References

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  1. ^ Education, College of (10 February 2023). "Professor Karen Nairn". www.otago.ac.nz. Retrieved 11 March 2024.
  2. ^ Nairn, Karen Marie (1994). Quiet students in geography classrooms (MA thesis). University of Canterbury. hdl:10092/104862.
  3. ^ Nairn, Karen Marie (1998). Disciplining identities: gender, geography and the culture of fieldtrips (PhD thesis). Waikato Research Commons, University of Waikato. hdl:10289/15389.
  4. ^ Gibb, John (2 January 2014). "12 staff to become professors". Otago Daily Times Online News. Retrieved 11 March 2024.
  5. ^ a b c Centre, Bioethics (22 November 2021). "Otago announces Professorial promotions for 2022". www.otago.ac.nz. Retrieved 11 March 2024.
  6. ^ "Search Marsden awards 2008–2017". Royal Society Te Apārangi. Retrieved 11 March 2024.
  7. ^ "Fierce hope: Youth activism in Aotearoa". Royal Society Te Apārangi. Retrieved 11 March 2024.
  8. ^ "Karen Nairn". Dunedin Writers & Readers Festival. Retrieved 11 March 2024.
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