Karen Horwood

Qualifications

BA (Hons) Politics and Philosophy
MA Urban Regeneration

Position

Part-time Lecturer and Doctoral Researcher

Research interests

The aim of Karen's recent research project is to critically explain the policy concept of green infrastructure during the process of its incorporation into spatial planning policy. Taking a post-structural discourse theoretical approach, the research examines the multiple and fluid meanings that are generated to link green infrastructure to other policy discourses and make it resonate with policy decision-makers. The thesis examines the development from concept to its articulation in policy within the North West region of the UK.

More broadly Karen is interested in post-structural discourse theory and analysis and its application to public policy issues. This includes using this approach to see how aspects of the urban experience are contextualised and normalised.  In relation to this, and from her professional experience of working in local government regeneration, she is interested in the ways in which people interact with the public policy, for example public participation in policy development or accessing funding, and the way in which discourses are formulated presents barriers to this.  

Recent publications

Horwood, K. (2010) 'Unpacking Ways of Seeing: Using a discourse theoretical approach in an empirical field' Methodology: Innovative approaches to research. Spring 2010 [in press].

Contact details

K.Horwood@leedsmet.ac.uk