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Associate Professor Alyce McGovern

Associate Professor Alyce McGovern

Associate Professor

PhD, University of Western Sydney, Australia
Graduate Certificate in University Learning and Teaching, UNSW Sydney, Australia
Bachelor of Social Science (Criminology) Honours First Class, University of Western Sydney, Australia
Bachelor of Social Science majoring in Criminology, University of Western Sydney, Australia

Law & Justice
School of Law, Society & Criminology

Dr Alyce McGovern (she/her) is an Associate Professor in Criminology in the School of Law, Society and Criminology, Faculty of Law and Justice, UNSW, Sydney, Australia. Her research explores intersecting themes of crime, media and culture, including police public relations and image work and police use of social media, and knitting graffiti and craftivism. She is the co-author of Policing and Media: Public Relations, Simulations and Communications (2013 with Lee, Routledge), Sexting and Young People (2015 with Crofts, Lee and Milivojevic, Palgrave) and author of Craftivism and Yarn Bombing: A Criminological Exploration ( 2019, Palgrave). Alyce was a guest editor for the Current Issues in Criminal Justice journal's Special Issue on 'Crime, Media and New Technologies' (2015) and co-guest editor of the International Journal for Crime, Justice and Social Democracy's Special Issue 'Beyond Cybercrime: New Perspectives on Crime, Harm and Digital Technologies' (2022 with Gordon, Thompson and Wood). 
Phone
+61 (2) 90651207
E-mail
a.mcgovern@unsw.edu.au
Location
Room 329, Level 3, Law Building
  • Books | 2019
    McGovern A, 2019, Craftivism and Yarn Bombing A Criminological Exploration, Palgrave Pivot,
    Books | 2015
    Crofts T; Lee M; McGovern A; Milivojevic S, 2015, Sexting and Young People, Palgrave Macmillan
    Books | 2013
    Lee M; McGovern A, 2013, Policing and Media, Routledge,
    Books | 2013
    Lee M; McGovern A, 2013, Policing and the Media: Public Relations, Simulations and Communications, Routledge, London,
  • Book Chapters | 2023
    McGovern A; Fitzpatrick T, 2023, 'Craftivism and Crime: Craft as a Vehicle for Criminal and Social Justice Activism', in Canning V; Martin G; Tombs S (ed.), The Emerald International Handbook of Activist Criminology, Emerald Publishing Limited, pp. 297 - 309,
    Book Chapters | 2022
    McGovern A, 2022, 'Yarn Bombing', in Atkinson R; Ayres T (ed.), Shades of Deviance: A Primer on Crime, Deviance and Social Harm, Routledge, London,
    Book Chapters | 2019
    Fishwick E; McGovern A, 2019, 'In Stitches: Crafting, Crime, Harm and Justice', in Mandell H (ed.), Crafting Dissent Handicraft as Protest from the American Revolution to the Pussyhats, Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, pp. 263 - 277,
    Book Chapters | 2018
    Crofts T; Lee M; McGovern A; Milivojevic S, 2018, 'Sexting pleasures: Young people, fun, flirtation, and child pornography', in Grealy L; Driscoll C; Hickey-Moody A (ed.), Youth, technology, governance, experience: Adults understanding young people,
    Book Chapters | 2018
    McGovern A; Lee M, 2018, ''A sexting 'panic'? What we learn from media coverage of sexting incidents', in Walrave M; Van Ouytsel J; Ponnet K; Temple J (ed.), Sexting: Motives and risks in online sexual self-presentation., Palgrave Macmillan,
    Book Chapters | 2018
    McGovern A; Lee M, 2018, 'A Sexting 'Panic'? What We Learn from Media Coverage of Sexting Incidents', in Walrave M; VanOuytsel J; Ponnet K; Temple JR (ed.), SEXTING: MOTIVES AND RISK IN ONLINE SEXUAL SELF-PRESENTATION, PALGRAVE, pp. 99 - 118,
    Book Chapters | 2018
    McGovern A, 2018, 'Policing, Performance Indicators and Fear of Crime', in Lee M; Mythen G (ed.), The Routledge International Handbook on Fear of Crime, Routledge, Milton Park, pp. 299 - 311,
    Book Chapters | 2017
    McGovern AM; Phillips ND, 2017, 'Police, Media, and Popular Culture', in Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Criminology, Oxford University Press,
    Book Chapters | 2014
    Lee M; McGovern AM, 2014, 'Police communication: The uncertain logic of risk', in Deodatis G; Ellingwood BR; Frangopol DM (ed.), Safety, Reliability, Risk and Life-Cycle Performance of Structures and Infrastructures, CRC Press, pp. 119 - 124,
    Book Chapters | 2014
    McGovern AM, 2014, 'Media and Crime', in Arrigo BA (ed.), Encyclopedia of Criminal Justice Ethics, Sage Publications Inc., Thousand Oaks, California,
    Book Chapters | 2014
    McGovern AM, 2014, 'Police-Citizen Interaction on Social Media', in Arrigo BA (ed.), Encyclopedia of Criminal Justice Ethics, Sage Publications Inc., Thousand Oaks, California,
    Book Chapters | 2013
    Lee M; McGovern A, 2013, 'Image Work(s): The New Police (Popularity) Culture', in Carrington K; Ball M; OBrien E; Tauri JM (ed.), CRIME, JUSTICE AND SOCIAL DEMOCRACY: INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVES, PALGRAVE, pp. 120 - 132,
    Book Chapters | 2012
    Lee M; McGovern A, 2012, 'Image Work(s): 'Simulated Policing' and the New Police (Popularity) Culture', in Carrington K; Ball M; O'Brien E; Tauri J (ed.), Crime, Justice and Social Democracy: International Perspectives, Palgrave Macmillan, Hampshire, UK, pp. 120 - 132,
    Book Chapters | 2012
    McGovern A; Lee M, 2012, 'Police Communications in the Social Media Age', in Keyzer P; Johnston J; Pearson M (ed.), The Courts and the Media: Challenges in The Era of Digital and Social Media, Halstead Press, Ultimo, pp. 162 - 176,
    Book Chapters | 2012
    Wise J; McGovern A, 2012, 'Crime Time: The Rise of Police Programming on Television', in Jones C; Barclay E; Mawby R (ed.), The Problem of Pleasure: leisure, tourism and crime, edn. 1, Willan, London, pp. 20 - 31
    Book Chapters | 2011
    McGovern A, 2011, 'Negotiating access to the NSW Police Force Media Unit: A personal research experience', in Bartels L; Richards K (ed.), Qualitative criminology: stories from the field, Federation Press, Australia, pp. 51 - 59,
  • Journal articles | 2022
    Gordon F; McGovern A; Thompson C; Wood MA, 2022, 'Beyond Cybercrime: New Perspectives on Crime, Harm and Digital Technologies', International Journal for Crime, Justice and Social Democracy, 11, pp. I - VIII,
    Journal articles | 2022
    McGovern A; Barnes C, 2022, 'Visible Mending, Street Stitching, and Embroidered Handkerchiefs: How Craftivism is Being Used to Challenge the Fashion Industry', International Journal For Crime, Justice and Social Democracy, 11, pp. 87 - 101,
    Journal articles | 2022
    McGovern A, 2022, 'Risky, Subversive, and Deviant? A Criminological Analysis of Guerrilla Knitting', Textile: the journal of cloth and culture,
    Journal articles | 2021
    Fitzpatrick T; McGovern A, 2021, 'Home, Health and Power: Exploring Experiences of and Responses to the Pandemic through the Global @covid19quilt Project', The Polish Journal of Aesthetics, 61, pp. 43 - 68,
    Journal articles | 2021
    Wood MA; McGovern A, 2021, 'Memetic copaganda: Understanding the humorous turn in police image work', Crime, Media, Culture: An International Journal, 17, pp. 305 - 326,
    Journal articles | 2018
    Milivojevic S; Lee M; Crofts T; McGovern A, 2018, '‘A Sneaky Bit of Stalking’: Young People, Social Network Sites, and Practices of Online Surveillance', Temida, 21, pp. 181 - 205,
    Journal articles | 2016
    Lee M; McGovern A, 2016, 'Logics of risk: police communications in an age of uncertainty', Journal of Risk Research, 19, pp. 1291 - 1302,
    Journal articles | 2016
    McGovern AM; Crofts T; Lee M; Milivojevic S, 2016, 'Media, legal and young people’s discourses around sexting', Global Studies of Childhood,
    Journal articles | 2015
    Ellis JR; McGovern AM, 2015, 'The end of symbiosis? Australian police-media relations in the digital age', Policing and Society: an international journal of research and policy,
    Journal articles | 2015
    Lee M; Crofts T; McGovern AM; Milivojevic S, 2015, 'Sexting among young people: Perceptions and practices', Trends & issues in crime and criminal justice, pp. 1 - 9,
    Journal articles | 2015
    McGovern A, 2015, 'Anita Lam (2014) Making Crime Television: Producing Entertaining Representations of Crime for Television Broadcast. Abingdon, Oxon; New York: Routledge.', International Journal for Crime, Justice and Social Democracy, 4, pp. 150 - 152,
    Journal articles | 2015
    McGovern A, 2015, 'Crime, Media and New Technologies', Current Issues in Criminal Justice, 27, pp. 137 - 140,
    Journal articles | 2015
    McGovern AM; Wise J; Wise N, 2015, ''When you play the game of thrones, you win or you die': Concepts of justice in George R R Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire', Media & Arts Law Review, 20, pp. 1 - 13
    Journal articles | 2015
    McGovern AM, 2015, 'Book review: Anita Lam (2014) ‘Making Crime Television: Producing Entertaining Representations of Crime for Television Broadcast’', International Journal for Crime, Justice and Social Democracy, 4, pp. 150 - 152,
    Journal articles | 2014
    Bartels L; McGovern AM; Richards K, 2014, 'Degrees of difference? A preliminary study of criminology degrees at Australian universities', Australian and New Zealand Journal of Criminology, Published online before print April 2, 2014, pp. 1 - 28,
    Journal articles | 2014
    Milivojevic S; McGovern AM, 2014, 'The Death of Jill Meagher: Crime and Punishment on Social Media', International Journal for Crime, Justice and Social Democracy, 3, pp. 22 - 39,
    Journal articles | 2013
    Johnston J; McGovern A, 2013, 'Communicating Justice: A Comparison of Courts and Police Use of Contemporary Media', International Journal of Communication, 7, pp. 1667 - 1687,
    Journal articles | 2013
    Lee M; Crofts T; Salter M; Milivojevic S; McGovern A, 2013, ''Let’s Get Sexting’: Risk, Power, Sex and Criminalisation in the Moral Domain', The International Journal for Crime and Justice, 2, pp. 35 - 49,
    Journal articles | 2013
    Lee M; McGovern A, 2013, 'Procedural Justice and Simulated Policing: The Medium and the Message', Journal of Policing, Intelligence and Counter Terrorism, 8, pp. 166 - 183,
    Journal articles | 2012
    Lee M; McGovern A, 2012, 'Force to Sell: Policing the Image and Manufacturing Public Confidence', Policing and Society, 22, pp. 1 - 22,
    Journal articles | 2010
    McGovern A; Lee M, 2010, '“Cop[ying] it Sweet”: Police Media Units and the Making of News', Australian and New Zealand Journal of Criminology, 43, pp. 444 - 464,
    Journal articles | 2010
    McGovern A; Wise J; Fitz-Gibbon K; Grewcock M, 2010, 'Reviews', Australian & New Zealand Journal of Criminology, 43, pp. 175 - 194,
    Journal articles | 2010
    McGovern A, 2010, 'Review- State Power Crime', Australian and New Zealand Journal of Criminology, 43, pp. 182 - 185
  • Reports | 2018
    Innes M; Innes H; Dobreva D; Chermak S; Huey L; McGovern A, 2018, From Minutes to Months: A rapid evidence assessment of the impact of media and social media during and after terror events., Crime and Security Research Institute, Cardiff University, Cardiff,
    Creative Works (non-textual) | 2018
    McGovern A; Fishwick E, 2018, #UDHR Quilt project, #UDHR Quilt project, Museum of Australian Democracy, Old Parliament House, 18 King George Terrace, Parkes, Canberra, 24 October 2018 - 24 April 2018, at: https://www.moadoph.gov.au/exhibitions/udhr-quilt-project/
    Conference Papers | 2016
    Albury K; Bliemel MJ; Fletcher C; McGovern A; Jacqui P, 2016, 'Innovation and entrepreneurship in the contemporary Australian media landscape: implications for university teaching and workforce development.', in ANZCA 2016 Proceedings, Newcastle, NSW, presented at Australia New Zealand Communication Association, Newcastle, NSW, 05 July 2016 - 08 July 2016,
    Conference Papers | 2016
    Wearing MJ; McGovern A; Melville R; Riley A, 2016, 'Will counter-advertising on social media change young women’s use of alcohol?: Stakeholder’s Interests and Alcohol Consumption of Female University Students', UNSW City Campus, presented at Public Policy Network Conference, UNSW City Campus, 27 January 2016 - 29 January 2016
    Reports | 2015
    Lee M; Crofts T; McGovern AM; Milivojevic S, 2015, Grant 53/11-12: Sexting and young people: Perceptions, practices, policy and law, Criminology Research Grants program, Australian Institute of Criminology, 53/11-12,
    Other | 2015
    McGovern AM (ed.), 2015, Introduction to Special Issue: Crime, media and new technologies, The University of Sydney,
    Reports | 2012
    Weber L; Wilson A; Wise J; McGovern A, 2012, Policing migration in Australia : an examination of onshore migration policing networks, Australian Research Council, Canberra, DP0774554
    Conference Papers | 2011
    Lee M; McGovern A, 2011, 'Image Work(s): “Simulated Policing” and the New Police (Popularity) Culture', in Conference Proceedings Crime, Justice and Social Democracy: An International Conference, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, pp. 100 - 117, presented at QUT Crime and Democracy Conference, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, 26 September 2011 - 28 September 2011,
    Conference Posters | 2011
    McGovern A, (ed.), 2011, 'Using Blogs to Explore Crime in the Media', Kensington, pp. 31 - 32, presented at Assessment: Feedback and Beyond Learning and Teaching Forum September 2011, University of NSW, Kensington, 16 September 2011 - ,
    Conference Papers | 2010
    McGovern A, 2010, 'Tweeting the News: Criminal Justice Agencies and their Use of Social Networking Sites', in The Australian and New Zealand Critical Criminology Conference Proceedings 2010, Sydney Institute of Criminology, Sydney, pp. 1 - 6, presented at Australian and New Zealand Critical Criminology Conference, Sydney Institute of Criminology (University of Sydney) and the School of Social Sciences (University of Western Sydney), 01 July 2010 - 02 July 2010,
    Conference Papers | 2009
    McGovern A, 2009, 'The Best Police Force Money Can Buy: The Rise of Police PR Work', in Australian and New Zealand Critical Criminology Conference 2009 Proceedings, Criminology, School of Political and Social Inquiry, Faculty of Arts, Monash University, Melbourne, presented at 3rd Annual Australian and New Zealand Critical Criminology Conference, Monash University, Victoria, 08 July 2009 - 09 July 2009,
  • Media | 2014
    Crofts T; Lee M; McGovern A; Milivojevic S, 2014, Sexting and young people,

Awarded 2018 - Research on the role of media in CRV/CVE - Public Safety Canada

Awarded 2011 - Sexting and Young People: Perceptions, Practices, Policy and Law - Criminology Research Council, Australian Institute of Criminology

2017 UNSW Arts and Social Sciences Dean's Award for Teaching Excellence

Research Areas

  • Crime, (new) media, and culture
  • Police media relations; police public relations activities; police use of social media; police image work
  • Yarn bombing, craftivism and street craft
  • Criminology higher education

Editorial Board Positions

  • UNSW Centre for Crime, Law and Justice
  • Australian and New Zealand Society of Criminology (NSW Rep 2016-2018)
  • Adjunct Senior Lecturer, University of New England

My Research Supervision

  • The great war of ideas: A review into Australian national security communications - Samuel Pascoe (commenced 2020, joint with Dr Srinjoy Bose)
  • Be afraid – Or very entertained: Media coverage of criminal trials and consumption of crime - Leah Findlay (commenced 2015, joint with Professor Jill Hunter)
  • Alexandre Fleck Soares Brandao (co-supervisor with Professor Jill Hunter, Professor Lyria Bennett Moses and Associate Professor Daniel Joyce)
  • The limits of looking: Managing crime-images of victims - Laura McDonald (commenced 2016 at Sydney University - external supervisor, primary supervisor Dr Rebecca Scott-Bray)

My Teaching

  • CRIM1010 Criminology: An Introduction (T1 2024)
  • CRIM2034 Crime, Politics and the Media (T1 2024)